SOMETHING I LEARNED AT 2023 TESOL by Vivianna Maracel

The experience of attending Dr. Sammy Ramsey’s Opening Keynote address on Tuesday, March 21 opened my mind in a way that made me see and appreciate diversity in a whole new way.  Dr. Ramsey is an entomologist (he really likes insects, especially bees) and shared his history with bees in his opening address.  Honestly, I was sitting there listening and thinking, “What do bees have to do with my classrooms?” His presentation was listed as dealing with various aspects of diversity.  Dr. Ramsey spoke about bees, his life, the interconnectedness of all organisms on Earth, justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity.  He was a POWERFUL speaker. At the end of his address, I knew what I must do to create diversity in my classroom. I learned to…

 Appreciate (DO NOT BE AFRAID OF)  the differences and diversity of the students in my classroom.

• Offer opportunities to my students to show their different learning styles, personalities, and understanding of the content being taught.

• Encourage students to share their opinions and ideas about better ways to see, understand, and learn the curriculum in my classroom.

I unreservedly recommend watching Dr. Ramsey’s Keynote address.  It is a truly inspiring story and a moment on the path of creating truly enlightened classrooms.