Classroom Diversity
To me, creating a diverse classroom means recognizing that all the people are unique in their own way. Their differences could be anything from their giftedness, to their learning variations, behavioral concerns, reading level, athletic ability, gender, social background, cultural background, personality, religious beliefs, and the list goes on. As a teacher, I value diversity and I attempt to model this attitude to my students. When people value diversity, they recognize and respect the fact that people are different and that these differences are an asset and not a liability. Teachers must provide students with an environment that is conducive to learning. If a student feels uncomfortable, unsafe, or not respected, then their chances of success in that class dramatically decreases. Below is a list of things that I will implement to create an environment where each student feels valued and respected.
- I will take the time to learn about my students' background, interests, and learning style.
- I will remind my students how boring it would be if we were all alike and there were no difference among us to make each person unique.
- I will allow time for the students to learn about each other and gain an appreciation for the diversity they bring to the classroom.
- I will teach students that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. When working in teams I will encourage my students to take advantage of the strengths of the team members in order to produce the best possible results.
- I will never tolerate bullying, teasing, and other put-down behavior at any time in the classroom.
- I will incorporate popular culture (i.e. music, film, video, gaming, etc) into the classroom. In my opinion, you can’t connect with your students if you don’t understand their world and their afterschool activities.
- I will present information using different teaching and learning styles (i.e. auditory, visual, and kinesthetic). Every student does not have the same learning style and is an individual. Some are visual learners and others are tactile. Each student has a learning style or two that helps them learn the best. I will do my best to present different ways of teaching that hit home with all of my student’s diverse needs.
- I will prepare multiple examples to illustrate points. It will be important to use examples reflecting different cultures, experiences, sexual orientations, genders, etc. It’s important to not show preference or prejudice to one culture. Changing up your examples shows students you’re open to all cultures, experiences, orientations, and genders.
- I will include curriculum content about the histories, contributions, experiences, points of view, and concerns relevant to students from diverse backgrounds. It’s important to intertwine your curriculum with cultural themes throughout the entire year to encourage cultural diversity.
- I will explore my own culture and talk with the students from a personal perspective. If we as teachers can show that we are able to explore our culture and backgrounds, it might encourage our students to do the same.
- I will invite my students to do research on their families’ culture or invite a relative who can talk about the history of how their family arrived in this country. Families are filled with stories that are not always past down so it would be interesting to see what the students learn from this project.
