“How might the experiences of immigrants differ from those of other students?” (McNergney & McNergney 47).

                The population of immigrants in the United States has increased yearly by tremendous amounts. In 2003, 11.7% of the population was immigrants. Some schools have chosen to assimilate these students while other schools have used the method of pluralism to deal with these students.  Assimilation is the process of trying to make all students in a school similar. Pluralism does just the opposite; it maintains the unique characteristics of students. It is important for teachers to be aware of and sympathetic towards the situations of immigrants in their classrooms. In some cases, students did not want to leave their country but were forced to due to extenuating circumstances. When this is the case, the student’s academic performance can suffer if the situation is not addressed by the teacher immediately. The reasons behind an immigrant student’s behavior and academic performance should be explored. Immigrant students also face stereotyping, language barriers, and the struggle to maintain their culture while in America. These issues may have an effect on their academic performance
as well.
           In my opinion, a combination of assimilation and pluralism should be used in schools. Each is too extreme when used on its own. Students should be required to learn the same materials, conform to appropriate classroom expectations, and do required class work. Students should not be required to change their goals or learning style to appease their school or teacher. Maintaining the individuality of students while asking them to conform to certain expectations would be an effective way of dealing with a diverse classroom.

McNergney , Robert, and Joanne McNergney . Education: The Practice and Profession of Teaching. 1. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2009. 47-48. Print.