Diversity in the Classroom
Many of the diversity issues we face today are inter-related. My research supported this belief, since most articles linked two or more elements. Obviously, every person is born a specific gender and race, and every child is raised at some socio-economic level. Within each one of these three elements, people can be at-risk or gifted, and have varying disabilities. Some of these elements may have a cause and effect relationship with some of the others, while others are independent. Race can be associated with socio-economic status which can be associated with emotional disabilities which can be associated with at-risk behavior and beliefs. Conversely, gender, race and physical disabilities are not typically caused by the other elements. And while opportunities may not be equal, gifted students can come from many different elements.
In general, public, community-based education deals with students from across the spectrum of elements. Therefore, every student typically falls into multiple elements – at least the first three mentioned above. None of the negative, cultural issues surrounding many of these elements can be solved in an individual classroom, but research has consistently shown that the teacher can have a profound effect on individual students, regardless of the diversity element present.
This fact presents a number of challenges and opportunities for the teacher. The opportunity to help a child succeed in education and in life is a priceless gift to that individual and to society as a whole. In addition, the world is a diverse place and helping students to challenge stereotypes and treat others as individuals, and respect them for who they are, is important for preparing them for life after school.
The article, The Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning, referenced below, points out that teachers need to be tuned in to diversity issues and be sensitive to the vast array of needs that children bring to the classroom. The development of children is significantly affected by these elements. Planning and preparation is absolutely critical for teachers to manage diversity. Content needs to be related in varying ways to meet the needs of the diverse students in the classroom. Constructivism is a key concept in that it respects student differences and allows students to use their own prior knowledge and experiences to make connections and learn. It gives students the opportunity to become active learners by questioning, hypothesizing and drawing conclusions based on their individual learning experiences. If there is limited foundation for children to draw upon, teachers need to help them develop a base of knowledge and experiences so they have somewhere to start. (Pellino)
Students from diverse backgrounds are often accustomed to dealing with groups other than their own in certain ways. Many times these interactions are negative and confrontational and can seriously damage the classroom environment. However, most of these responses are learned and that means they can be managed. The key is for teacher to create an inclusive atmosphere that recognizes diversity and develops respect, knowledge and acceptance among the students.
The article, Diversity and Complexity in the Classroom, provides some ideas to help teachers work effectively with the diversity found in the classroom. More detail is provided in the article, but here are some of those strategies for teachers (Davis):
- Recognize any stereotypes you may have
- Treat each student as an individual
- Be sensitive to terminology and language patterns
- Become more informed about groups other than your own
- Convey equal respect and confidence in the abilities of all students
- Be even-handed in acknowledging students’ good work and make it clear all comments are valued
- Bring in guest lecturers to broaden and enrich the students’ environment
- Emphasize the importance of considering different approaches and viewpoints
- Encourage all students to participate in class activities
- Monitor behavior in responding to students
- Speak up promptly if a student makes a distasteful remark or “joke”
- Assign group work and collaborative learning activities
- Meet with students informally and encourage students to come during planning periods or after school
- Advise students to explore perspectives outside of their own experiences
- Provide opportunities for all students to get to know each other
The article, The Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning, includes strategies that can work across elements other than poverty, as well:
- Have high expectations for all students and help children to succeed
- Make students responsible for their own learning
- Provide support to students and their families. Involve parents
- Create an environment and use activities that foster mutual respect, resilience, self-esteem, self-regulation and self-efficacy
- Develop relationships with students to identify their needs (emotional and intellectual) and identify their individual learning style
- Emphasize that each student is unique with value, talents and abilities
- Promote awareness and acceptance of diversity. Encourage students to recognize similarities as well as differences
- Use principles of constructivism to make learning interesting, valuable and relevant to students
- Provide developmentally appropriate, meaningful learning activities and use thematic or integrated instruction, cooperative learning, inquiry and authentic learning
Teachers should help children focus on the traits, coping skills, and support systems that can help them survive in a challenging environment. Teacher involvement can help students adapt successfully despite adversity; alter or reverse expected negative outcomes; and thrive in spite of negative circumstances. Teachers can use emotional support, modeling and scaffolding to help students use their strengths, skills and knowledge to develop and learn. Learning experiences and problem-solving based on real-life problems can help them deal with some of the issues they may be facing in their lives. (Pellino)
When the teacher incorporates the above strategies to help create a safe and harmonious environment, diversity can actually present a chance to enhance the quality of education for all students and provide them with a variety of opportunities to develop into productive citizens. As schools and the nation become more diverse, the need for understanding and acceptance of differences becomes more important. (Pellino)
Articles
Thomas, June and Stockton, Cathy; Socio-Economic Status, Race, Gender and Retention: Impact on Student Achievement; http://www.usca.edu/essays/vol72003/stockton.pdf
Pellino, Karen M.; The Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning; http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/poverty/print.htm
Davis, Barbara Gross; Diversity and Complexity in the Classroom: Considerations of Race, Ethnicity and Gender; http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/diverse.htm