How Can Diversity in the Classroom Help Me Be a Better Teacher?

Diversity is such an important aspect of teaching.  In most schools, classes are full of diverse students, and the teacher is responsible for keeping the class functioning as one unit instead of many individual pieces.  Being able to understand the different parts of diversity and knowing how to work with every diverse learner enables the teacher to serve as a peace-keeper among the students and teach them how to interact with one another.  I have learned that teachers have a great influence over their students, and a teacher that accepts diversity can positively impact the students' ideas of diversity.   Working with students from multiple backgrounds requires understanding the students' perspectives, morals, and knowing how to address individual need of students.  By effectively utilizing diversity in the classroom, teachers work to combat all of the negative stereotypes that diversity creates.  Fostering diversity improves a teacher's relationship with his or her students and makes him or her a better teacher by showing more compassion, consideration, and care for the students. I feel as though my SED 101 class did an excellent job stressing the importance of diversity in the classroom through a number of activities that got everyone involved and helped us to experience what being a diverse student might be like in some cases.

 I would like to know what the most common types of diverse students one might find in a classroom in Maine and the greater New England region.