What is Multiculturalism to Me

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Multiculturalism to many is a subject mostly based on the color of the skin. You may be thinking to yourself, "How could he say this? I don't think like that." The fact is though many people believe cultural ties only go skin deep. This to me is almost an ignorant way of thinking. The culture of an individual for me encompasses so many more parameters than just what color they are.
Ones culture to me involves a multitude of characteristics including religion, morals, heritage, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and personal beliefs. These are a few areas that I believe help to create a "culture." These all impact the lives of an individual on a daily basis, and almost set a guideline as to how they interact with others. Sadly though because of these guidelines some individuals can become discriminated against. Ever since time began people with conflicting ideas have always been at war with one another. Differing cultures and ideas have been the premise for every conflict that has ever occurred. How am I as a future teacher, that will be most definitely be faced with students that come from differing cultural backgrounds, suppose to accommodate to the needs of all individuals? My answer would have to be through being creative. My gymnasium would act as a neutral zone where discrimination would not be tolerated. My activities would focus on team bonding exercises, allowing each individual to be in a leadership type of role, and have them organize their group. I once asked a Physical Educator what their thought on was one having students that spoke different languages, or had different cultural backgrounds was like for them in class. They responded to me that "in P.E. language doesn't matter, everyone fits in." I find this to be somewhat true, considering much of what is done is performed physically, and not verbally.
Communications skills though are important. The great part about Physical Education is that these skills can be developed in a way that accommodates to more than one type of learning style. My hope as future teacher is that this type of discriminatory thinking becomes abolished, and that my teachings help individuals to become more well rounded in the the way they think about the world.