Why traveling is the best form of education for children

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The world is filled with infinite, life-changing experiences and wonders. In most cases, our kids spend a lot of their time in classrooms. Classroom learning is not sufficient to prepare our kids to face the reality of life; it is not as engaging and fulfilling as traveling across the world. Here are the reasons why traveling is the best form of education for your children.

It introduces children to new things

Kids might not remember everything they learned from the trip, but they will hardly forget things they saw or heard about while on the trip for the rest of their life. This gives kids an excellent opportunity to learn new things around the world.

It introduces them to new ways of the world

Traveling is very important to our children. It allows them to experience the world for themselves. Children quickly pick up new things that they are taught while on a trip. 

It teaches children architecture, geography, and history

Trips can be more attractive to our kids when they are involved in various activities. When they travel across the world, they explore other parts of the world and discover new artifacts, knowledge, embrace engaging styles of art, study events of other nations and see various landmarks first hand.

Understanding the culture of other people is another excellent way for children to easily understand politics, geography and social practices of other people or nations. Taking kids for a vacation is a great way to help them learn about other people’s social life in an authentic first hand manner.

Gain independence

Traveling is a good test for kid’s patience, will, and fortitude. Travelling gives kids a chance to be independent. Children get a golden opportunity to plan on what they need to do and see during their travel. 

Travelling brings kids close to nature

Children get a golden opportunity to look at flowers, vegetables, animals, trees, ants, and grass. These things are not always available in the city, or whenever they are available, they are easily taken for granted. 

 By taking your kids to a trip to have a look at all these things life, brings them closer to nature and to develop some sense of attachment to nature. Traveling is a great way to introduce children to Mother Nature’s beautiful masterpieces and creation.

 Travelling teaches children to be adaptable

When children are exposed to different environments and conditions, they become adaptable to many situations that occur around them. After the trip, you will find out that your kids will be used to sleeping inside a tent by the beach or climbing a mountain without any difficulties. 

Travels are not always smooth; spontaneity is still required. It is for this reason that travelling help children to get used to different environments and situations and get out of the routine and structure of their day to day life.

They become more sociable

Classrooms provide children with little chance to interact sufficiently. When kids get on the road, it allows them to interact with people from all walks of life, thus making them more sociable.

These are the benefits that your children will be getting when they travel from one place to another.

Why it is important for students to read aloud in the classroom

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Reading aloud is the foundation for literacy development in kids. Children are gifted differently. We have those who prefer to read in silence and those who like reading aloud. The question of why it is important for students to read aloud in the classroom has always existed among teachers. Since this question has remained relevant over time, it's quite clear that reading aloud has great benefits. 

Importance of students reading aloud in the classroom 

1. Helps students’ master language construction 

Reading aloud helps students to understand language construction. With proper language, students improve their skills in information processing, creates competitiveness between children and help kids master speaking vocabulary. 

2. Perfects the skills of auditory learners 

Research has proven that reading aloud improves the capabilities of auditory learners. As a student reads aloud, he or she gains confidence in word pronunciation and reading flow. 

3. Helps students develop excellent listening skills 

Reading aloud helps students develop excellent listening skills both in class and outside class. During a class reading, as one student reads through aloud, others can listen and relate to the texts.

As a student listens to what is being read, they develop practical listening skills. Active listening takes into account contemplation and reflection over information which by chance if students’ lack, they end up picking up. 

4. Intensifies students’ classroom experience 

Reading aloud intensifies a students’ classroom experience. Since we live in a world of the sound bite and semi-formulated ideas expressed faster in electronic formats, reading aloud benefits students since they get a chance to hear from the horses’ own mouth. When a student reads aloud in a classroom, the rest can simulate the tone and try to relate it to the concept being learned. 

5. Helps in literacy development on slow learners 

Reading aloud is very helpful to students who have reading difficulties. Allowing such students to read aloud helps them capture and understand words slowly even though students who are quick in reading end up reading ahead of them. 

As slow learners struggle to read through challenging vocabulary, they master the concept of proper word pronunciation. With time a student can now write and read those words without a struggle. 

6. Creates a classroom community 

Reading aloud makes students feel like part of a classroom community. A classroom community helps establish simple text used as the basis for building skills in critical thinking that is related or not related to reading. 

7. Provides a chance for students to explore emotions 

Reading stories aloud that touch on certain emotions helps children understand and appreciate how they feel. By reading aloud, a student can feel comfortable emotionally and discuss that feeling with others. 

8. Acts as a source of fun 

Reading aloud in the classroom makes children happy and make them perceive learning as something fun and encouraging. This means children become more interested in learning something that can spark their academic life positively. 

Conclusion 

The reason why it is essential for students to read aloud in the classroom serves to empower them and strengthen their ability. It worth noticing that reading aloud is an act that requires practice; hence, a teacher should be patient until their students master the concept. 

Why Is Reading Important For Young Children?

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Reading out loud for your kid is essential as it introduces them to the learning process. But there is certainly more than that. As a foundation of success for your child, they have to learn how to read effortlessly. Reading is the most resolute basis of a child’s education, and it introduces them to the entire school journey. 

As a parent, you should play a significant role in introducing your child into the reading process before they get to a teacher in school. You can apply several techniques that will actively get the child enthusiastic about reading, such as buying books for them and introducing them to word games, among other reading approaches. 

So, why is reading important for young children? Well, let us look into various ways that reading benefits every child. 

1. Improves communication skills 

Generally, a child learns how to communicate through listening to others while they speak. Besides, a child develops excellent communication skills by learning how to read. As the child follows characters in a story, they develop an ability to construct sentences themselves. Also, they encounter several new words while reading and get to use them as they speak. 

2. Enhances memory abilities 

Gauging a child’s memory capabilities can best be done through establishing how well they can remember what they just read. After continuous reading, a child will develop the ability to remember those characters and the entire plot of a story, which is a great enhancement for their memory. 

3. Overall subject comprehension 

All the subjects the child will be undertaking after enrolling in a school requires them to read and extensively understand. Otherwise, a child cannot provide a solution to problems if they cannot read the questions. Therefore, children who can read well in school usually have high overall performance, especially if they could read since an early age, like when they were still preschoolers. 

4. Improved intellect 

A child’s cognitive competencies significantly improve through reading. Typically, exposure to creative writings helps a child develop creativity well through imaginations and rational thinking. That happens in situations where the child has to imagine the rest of the story as they read, as well as on cases of encounter with problem solving situations. 

5. Form of relaxation 

Reading is a form of exercise to the brain, and after playing all day, children might feel relaxed while they read. Besides, relaxation is essential as it enhances more comprehension. Reading calms down the mind since a child needs to concentrate on what they are reading. 

6. Improves concentration habits 

As a child learns how to read, they also get to learn how to concentrate by focusing on the context. Concentration is essential in providing comprehension capabilities as well as instilling a sense of discipline to a child. The longer a child can concentrate in one sitting, the better they can understand an idea. 

7. Source of entertainment 

Generally, when children are learning something new, they get to find it interesting. They are hence enthusiastic as they participate in it, and so is reading. When a child learns how to read, they will almost spend most of their time having fun reading various writings in different places. 

Conclusion 

As a parent, you should always find time to read together with your child. While together, a child will feel inspired and motivated to learn more. Children are always eager to learn how to read, and therefore, you should make sure to quench this thirst as early as possible. 

Why is it important for teachers to understand child development?

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Although children develop in their own unique way, it is important for every teacher to understand the development of children. Nowadays, schools play an essential role in the socialization of children. Therefore, it is essential for all teachers to know how they can make their students socialize in the best way.

 If teachers have an understanding of children’s development, then this can help them come up with a plan that can help them maximize the students’ success in both academic and social endeavors. The knowledge of these development stages can also help teachers to minimize problems in the classroom. Here are more reasons why teachers should understand child development. 

There are several scenarios that may come up in the classroom, and this can be of importance for teachers if they understand child development. Children are not yet adults, and this means that their mental, intellectual, physical, and emotional foundations are still forming. The disciplinary action that a teacher may take on a kindergarten kid should be very different from that taken on the fifth or sixth grader. 

Teachers should understand child development. This will enable them to understand how children’s abilities and attitudes develop. With this, they will understand children better and know how to teach them. 

Teachers will also be in a position to know the things that are important for children at any given time. By understanding child development, teachers will find it easy to teach and manage their students. 

Education itself is another form of child development. So for this to be effective for students, teachers should also have a better understanding of their development. This knowledge is essential for teachers since it helps them in planning, content development and compilation of lessons.

Children develop at different rates and follow certain stages. It is therefore very important for every teacher to understand what children at a certain age group can be in a position of doing. Some teachers make a mistake of teaching children what they are not developmentally ready to do; this affects children negatively. 

To effectively teach children, the understanding of child development is essential. Every child develops at their own pace, and with this knowledge, you will be able to know what your students are ready for and what they are not ready for. 

The knowledge of child development allows the teachers to know how their students work and how they can relate to them. It also enables them to know the mind of their students and how to reach them intellectually. 

The importance of teachers understanding child development is very clear. Teachers play a significant role in their students’ socialization. Middle school is a level with a lot of confusion, and this is the time when students undergo dramatic changes which may shape how they will be in their future life.

As a teacher, you can lead your students into becoming healthy and well-developed adults. And this is by teaching them to socialize appropriately and also helping them in developing a strong sense of personal identity.

Why is communication important to children’s learning?

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Having good communication skills is one of the essential life skills in today’s world. As a parent, you should make it a routine to teach your child the basic communication skills in his or her early years of growth before they begin going to school. All schools should also make it a routine to teach children communication skills. This is because this skill is very important in a child’s life and learning. 

If you are not convinced enough, then by reading this piece, you will be able to know why communication is important to children’s learning. 

It helps children to learn more 

Children require a deeper knowledge to understand what their teacher is teaching. And for them to achieve this, they need to ask their teachers relevant questions. It will, therefore, enable the teachers to explain their concept in a manner that the children can understand, and this will make them get higher grades. 

Many children fail to ask their teachers questions when they do not understand a particular topic because they either have low self-esteem, fear or hesitation. But with good communication skills, they will be able to listen keenly and understand their teacher's point of view. Children can ask questions with confidence if they do not understand something hence expand their knowledge. 

It helps them to be friendly with others 

It is essential for children to be friendly with each other in school. Children who have excellent communication skills can easily make new friends because they have controlled verbal communications as well as a physical expression. Schooling with good friends is essential for children because it helps them in relieving stress. 

Children with good communication skills can also build strong friendships. With good communication skills, children will want to go to school every day because they have friends over there and are also respected. With good communication skills, children can easily communicate, and their ability to understand the feelings of each other will also be enhanced. 

Perform better 

Children with good communication skills can verbally communicate accurately and may also find it very easy to produce written communication. Good communication skills also help in facilitating children’s learning and meaningful information exchange with fellow children. This can help them perform better in academics. 

It helps them express themselves better 

Good communication skills are very important for all children. This is because, with it, the children can clearly express themselves and also understandably convey their feelings. 

 If children do not have good communication skills, then many are the times when they will be hiding their feelings rather than expressing them. This is very dangerous because such children may develop disorders such as depression, low self-esteem, and social withdrawal. 

These days, It doesn’t matter whether you are intelligent or brilliant in academics. For you to be successful, you need to be able to clearly and confidently express your views while using the right body language. So, everyone, has a responsibility to encourage the young generation to learn and understand the benefits of effective communication skills if they want to succeed in life. 

Ways to motivate yourself in the morning

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All of us always want to wake up when we are feeling refreshed and energized to start our day with a big bang. We aspire to wake up every morning motivated to be more productive during the day so as to achieve our daily goals. 

The way people start their day will have an impact on the way they will spend their entire day. If you wake up in the morning in a bad mood and start scrolling through social media on your phone for more than half an hour before getting out of your bed, then it will always have a negative effect on how you are going to spend the rest of your day. 

It is important to start your day strong. Early mornings are wonderful times; it offers you a fresh supply of energy, optimism, and willpower to keep you motivated throughout the day. 

In order to have a fulfilling day, you need to start your day on a high note full of motivation. Below are the best ways to motivate yourself in the morning and be more productive throughout the day.

1. Get a good night’s sleep

Getting enough night sleep is the best way to start your day. It is difficult for everyone to feel motivated every day if you are tired to move. Make sure you get enough sleep to start your day off well. It is recommended to get to bed at least seven and a half hours before the time you intend to wake up. 

2. Get up earlier 

Time is something that is so precious; you need to value every time you spend to do everything. Morning hours are the only time of the day that an individual has complete control over them. 

To have a productive morning, you need to get up early so as to have enough time to reflect on what awaits you during the day. Make sure you wake up at least one hour earlier before you start to get involved in your daily routine. 

3. Drink a big glass of water

Your body is more dehydrated in the morning more than you may imagine, this is usually due to the long hours you spend sleeping without having any water. You need to drink an entire glass of water immediately you wake up. 

Taking a glass of water in the morning helps to improve your physical well-being. You will be surprised how much impact it will have on your overall wellbeing. 

Water also plays a critical role in flushing out toxic substances that might have accumulated in your body and help to keep a healthy diet. 

4. Get a healthy breakfast

Having a healthy breakfast is another way to motivate yourself in the morning. A healthy diet helps our body to function at its best. You will concentrate better throughout the day, and your brain will perform perfectly and retain critical information. 

5. Work out

Exercising in the morning is an excellent way to start your day. Exercise increases your productivity. When an individual exercises, they increase the production of dopamine and serotonin that reduces the risks of depression and improved long term memory and improved mood. 

When you develop an exercise routine every morning, it will force you to wake up earlier, improve your natural mood and more importantly increase your energy. 

If you are having difficulties in starting your day off well, then try these tips to help you have wonderful days full of motivation. 

Should Teachers Use Sarcasm in the Classroom?

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A healthy dose of sarcasm and sensible humor can be necessary tools for getting across a teaching day. Most people can agree that it is okay to crack a joke occasionally in the staffroom or with our friends. But should teachers use sarcasm in the classroom when engaging with students? This question has been on for some time and teachers have weighed their advantages and disadvantages. 

Advantages of Utilizing Sarcasm in the Classroom 

1. Sarcasm is a tool for managing classrooms 

Teachers report that sarcasm helps them to correct their students without calling them out. For example, Teacher Katherine K. answered that it is her second language, and students get her. So, sarcasm is a tool that elevates creativity without increasing conflict and can become a beneficial teaching method. 

2. It Can Develop Connections 

Teachers who teach teens mostly responded that sarcasm is one of the best ways of building connections with the students when done correctly. The trick of using sarcasm is to become ridiculous about issues so that the students get a laugh, not displeased. For example, a teacher might tell the students something like: this assignment is very simple. “My toddler took it yesterday and completed it blindfolded and performed excellently, so you should not have any issues.” 

Teachers who use sarcasm all the time say that students love it. So, being the person who your students love is essential in building teacher-student relationships. 

3. It is a Constituent of the Real World 

Sarcastic teachers say that sarcasm is like using a different language to pass across information to students. Using sarcasm exposes students to different types of languages that they might require to use in the future. It is better to learn how to discern and comprehend sarcasm from the teacher than to send the students to the real world without an idea of how to cope with it. 

Disadvantages of Utilizing Sarcasm in the Classroom: 

1. The Admins Always Disapprove It 

Some teachers say that most schools dock teachers who use sarcasm in classrooms. But it is somehow understandable. If there is something that the students take the wrong way, the administration is the one who deals with them. There are also students who get offended by sarcasm or who don’t understand them at all. 

2. It is Not Good for Children 

Studies show that children mostly depend much on intonation to distinguish humorous exaggerations or ironic suggestions, unlike adults who can differentiate sarcasm from context. If the recipient does not identify the sarcasm, then it might appear misleading, damaging, or cruel. So, sarcasm can become a direct violation of the basic rights of the students to dignity – similar to corporal punishment.

Damaging the relationship between teachers and students is especially high for teachers taking new classes because the students are not familiar with the speaker, which makes sarcasm more likely to go unnoticed. 

3. Students Might Not Understand It, Even If They Pretend They Do 

Teachers should be very cautious when using sarcasm in the classroom since many students don't discern sarcasm and always will not admit it. Students with disabilities, autistic students, English Language students, and students with language processing problems have problems to discern and comprehend sarcasm. 

Like most elements in education, using sarcasm in the classroom appears to be a double-edged sword. Yes, it might enhance creativity and boost the teacher-student relationships, but it might result in feelings of seclusion. So, teachers should be cautious when using sarcasm to ensure that it does not cause any problems. 

Reasons Why Technology Should Not Be Used In the Classroom

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Technological advancements have intensified over the past years leading to a significant transformation in various activities. This evolution has raised concerns over the inclusion of a technology approach in learning institutions. While some individuals deem technology as an essential resource in the learning process, an argument that seems to have a definite foundation, it is apparently facing several challenges. 

Should technology be part of the classroom? If not, what are the reasons why technology should not be used in the classroom? 

Well, here are some of the challenges associated with technology that hinders its integration into school setups. 

1. Technology thwarts education quality 

The essence of being in a classroom is to gain knowledge through a process that involves putting your mind through strenuous tests at times. For instance, mathematics is a subject involving calculations that some students tend to struggle to find solutions. However, gadgets such as computers might accommodate software offering solutions with nominal effort. Sometimes back, some types of advanced calculators raised concerns on whether they should be allowed into classrooms. It means that technology would jeopardize the level of knowledge students would gain by outwitting teachings. Some applications run by the gadgets are a trail for effortless solutions. 

2. Technology is a form of interruption 

Technological devices and the internet go hand in hand, forming a platform for connection on various internet-based outlets. Such outlets include messaging platforms, entertainment outlets, and social media. Introducing technology in classrooms would certainly mean allowing students to carry gadgets with them. Clearly, there could be narrow means of limiting students from accessing internet outlets while in class. Worse still, some students would be watching video clips, sending chat messages or other creepy internet activities. 

Technology might hence lead to interruption of students while in an ongoing class session. It would be hard to control the usage of devices in such scenarios more so if the student owns them. 

3. Causes social deprivation 

Introduction of online classrooms, where the tutor attends to students virtually through connecting devices, is a significant transformation from the conventional system. Apart from never meeting their tutors, a student does not also get to interact with fellow students like in the case of a conventional system. Such students are deprived of social interaction processes such as making friends and sharing ideas, which is a crucial social stage in the growth process. 

4. Too rapid transformation rate 

Integration of technology in the learning system might necessitate establishment resources, mostly in monetary terms. Installation of gadgets, internet connection, and hiring of experts might be some of the activities requiring a starting capital. While some schools can accommodate such expenses, the pace might be too precipitous for some schools. Not only does the school need to catch up with the pace, but also the change might require significant input from the parents, which some may not afford. Therefore, even though there are benefits of such technology, it might be a little too expensive for all parties to accommodate. 

Final thoughts 

Even though technology is part of modern society, taking it to the classrooms might not be the best option. Whether students are familiar with it or not should not influence its incorporation in the learning process. We might have to stick to regular methods, maybe until suitable solutions emerge. 

Reasons why cellphones are bad in school

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Giving your school-going children cell phones have a pretty positive effect because they can get in touch with you during the day at any time. That being said, having a cell phone at school and especially in the classroom can present many problems. Cell phone technology has brought increased problems and distractions, which can impact significantly on children at a young age. It’s challenging to separate kids from their cell phones, but it might be for their good, especially during a school day. Here are five reasons why cell phones are bad in schools. 

Cell phones bring distractions in classrooms 

When a cell phone is in the hands of a school-aged child all day, notifications will continually go off. Some students get distracted throughout the day by cell phones without even realizing they are. Most of the time, students will play games on their cell phones and postpone doing their school work, which can lead to low performances in school. 

Cell phones lead to cheating 

A student can take advantage of the Internet capabilities of a cell phone not only to gain access to games and extraneous information that fully distract them from the tasks at hand but also to look for answers to questions for quizzes and tests for which they have not studied. Having a hand-held device with Internet connection might give students a chance to cheat discreetly, which means teachers will be forced to ask the students to surrender their phones before handing out a quiz or test sheet. 

Cell phones encourage cyberbullying in schools 

With the increasing number of social media platforms and the number of children using these applications, there are many people out there who are immature and utilize it to bully other people. So, if children are being bullied on social media or some people are being constantly rude to them, they will get distracted, and it will also take away most of their learning time. 

On the other hand, their classmates can also be pretty vicious, especially with their online messages. Some students can be so immature, and instead of concentrating on their school work, they waste most of their time on social media where they create posts or text other students only to bully them. That is probably one of the common and worst distractions for a child since it can cause depression. 

Cell phones lead to poor grades 

If children are always on their cell phones at school, they will most likely do the same thing even at home. If they are distracted in school and not doing their school work, their homework is less likely to be done at home as well. Grades will constantly drop because the students are not doing their work. If cell phones are not allowed in schools, students can concentrate and get their work done while in school and this can lead to good performance in school. 

Cell phones can lead to antisocial behavior 

If students have cell phones, especially those with an Internet connection, they reduce and, at times, eliminate their need to communicate with their fellow students, teachers, and other staff during school days for group projects and any other school business. Instead of having a collaborative brainstorm with their classmates, for instance, a student with a phone might opt to consult their web browser for solutions or ideas to use in their class. 

Conclusion 

Most parents advocate for their children to have phones so that they can reach them in cases of emergency. However, for them to receive those emergency messages, they will not only have to leave their cell phones on, but they will also have to check their phones constantly to make sure they receive those messages which can be incredibly distracting. 

School schedules make it pretty easy to locate a school-aged kid at any time during the day, which means an emergency message can get passed along with a little effort. In the nutshell, schools have a better way of facilitating emergency messages, so parents should call the school instead of the student to prevent distractions. 

Positive and negative effects of diversity in the classroom

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In the age of equality and political correctness, being diverse is becoming the norm for most organizations, in particular schools. The push towards diversity is becoming mainstream and has ended up having several consequences. There are both positive and negative effects of diversity in the classroom. 

  1. Positive effects

Information about different cultures 

A diverse class provides a productive environment comprised of different cultures that students get to learn about. Students are also exposed to other aspects such as religion, sexual orientation and race. 

Increased sense of maturity 

Diversity in classrooms means that students learn to live with other students that are different from them and sometimes possess different opinions. This is especially so with young students, as they grow up, they make friends and learn to let go off their prejudices and profiling caused by stereotypes. 

Tolerance and acceptance 

The initial culture shock and attitude of students coming from diverse backgrounds become less and less uncomfortable as students learn how to cooperate and work together. This helps them overcome their differences to become more accepting of others in the future. 

Learning of new language and culture 

Students learning in a diverse classroom sometimes get exposed to more than one language and culture. This plays into their curiosity, and they end up learning new languages and cultures to expand their knowledge base. 

  1. Negative effects 

Loss of cultural identity 

Diversity can sometimes bring together students with different religious and cultural backgrounds. When this happens, often, students from a foreign country have to learn the history of their host country to fit in. Over time the new students adopt the new culture as they try to conform to the social convention while slowly sacrificing their own cultures. 

The decline of teaching quality 

Students in a diverse class often have different learning forums that aren’t similar and may fail to understand some concepts due to language barrier. This forces the school to adjust its curriculum to accommodate all students at the expense of others. 

Social segregation 

It is not unusual for students to band together with other students that share common interests. Sometimes diversity brings about a clash of cultures which may end up bringing together students that belong in the same clique while separating them from the rest. This ends up breeding intolerance and in worst cases animosity among students. 

Language barrier 

A language barrier may be a problem, especially in a multicultural classroom as communication becomes hampered. It gets worse as students that are mostly affected end up refraining from speaking to both teachers and fellow students. 

Lack of freedom of speech 

Classes with diverse students have to censor their words as they may be too offensive to other students of a different race, sex, gender, and beliefs. 

Increased costs of teaching 

Schools have to fund the programs and often hire teachers that are needed to promote diversity in the schools. This includes teaching the rest of the teachers and staff on how to run and take part in the program. 

To sum up, diversity in classrooms has a lot of benefits to students but at the same time brings plenty of harm. Deciding whether we should allow diversity in classrooms should be a decision made by weighing both the good and the bad that comes with it. But with all things considered, diversity may be the next step humanity needs to evolve.