This I Believe: Student Diversity and Me

On a scale of 1-4, 1 strongly disagreeing and 4 strongly agreeing, rate the following:

1. Culturally sensitive teachers treat all students the same way. 1
   Definitely not. Just like any other difference between people (girls don't have the same needs as boys), students of different cultures are going to have different needs, ideas, and desires than others. It is not culturally sensitive to treat all students the same; in fact, it's extremely insensitive and tells students that you don't recognize their individual identity.
2. Students who aren't native English speakers learn English most effectively by hearing the teacher use correct English. 1
   Well, duh. If a non-English speaker is being taught English, they obviously need to hear correct English. Interacting with someone who speaks the language you want to learn is the fastest and easiest way to learn a new language.
3. Boy generally get better grades in school than girls. 3
   I could either see this as being true or both genders are equal, but I don't think boys get better grades than girls. Girls generally tend to be more motivated, in my opinion, but there are also factors like teen mothers that could affect the average.
4. It is important for me to adapt my instruction to the individual learning styles of my students. 4
5. Experts in special education advocate the creation of special classrooms to meet the needs of students with exceptionalities. 3
   I could see the usefulness in having a separate environment for special education students because they have different needs and learn at different rates than other students. If it's not advocated, it's probably because of education politics and not based on the actual needs of the students.