Importance Of Diversity In The Classroom – Making our classrooms welcoming and diverse is more important than ever. We must ensure that all our students feel comfortable and that they are exposed to different cultures and ethnicities. We’ll share why diversity in the classroom is important and how to make it happen.
Many times when it comes to diversity, we hear, “Shouldn’t we be color blind? Do racial and cultural differences only contribute to the problem?” This may be a well-intentioned question, but let’s look at what “color blindness” is. Not the best way. Let’s start by looking at its definition.
Importance Of Diversity In The Classroom
The dictionary definition of a color-blind person is “not influenced by racial differences, esp: no racial discrimination”. As teachers, we need to know that if we say “I’m color blind” we can mean a dictionary definition, but our students often hear the definition of antiracism and assume that we don’t see them for what they are. This is painful, so it is better not to use the word.
We Need Diverse Books
Do we want to be free of racism or impartiality? Sure! Do we want to ignore race? No, we shouldn’t. Let us continue to talk about that.
Bias often results from misunderstandings. Not all students live in diverse areas and interact with others who are different from them, so we need to be proactive in providing diverse content. By diversifying storybooks, we can help our students better understand and appreciate each other rather than retaliate or judge.
If you want to find out more about this question, Neil Shenvi really helps to examine every aspect of it in his article here and here.
Ways To Embrace Diversity In The Classroom (and Why Being Colorblind Isn’t The Answer)
The point is that in the classroom it may not be helpful to completely ignore our cultural and ethnic differences, but instead embrace and celebrate them. Here are 7 ways to do it:
Make sure you intentionally include multiple perspectives and authors in your classroom library, including abilities (people with disabilities are not always represented). When choosing a culture article, be sure to have more than one perspective. For example, if it’s a book about slavery, make sure there are people and achievements that describe that period (for example, Phyllis Wolly or Congo Square). Traditional African books, Harlem Rensen, and biographies of leaders and creators of color are all about turning history around. Make sure your book focuses not only on the hardships of a particular race or culture, but also their work. Need an idea? Start with our book list at the bottom of this article.
When students look around, what do they see? Are they looking at diverse faces that reflect American society, or do all the faces represent the same group? If you don’t have pictures, do you have quotes that represent people from different perspectives and backgrounds?
Diversity In The Classroom Free Essay Example
It is important that engagement and recognition of all voices is not just a passive approach. You don’t want to be frustrated if you can’t get the right grade, so invest in a good capo. Your actions are what students believe are more accurate than your words. Books we choose to read as educators or assign students to read on their own should deliberately diversify our section until it becomes part of the norm and no longer requires much thought.
An example of this is when the Kipp Charter School had an artist unit as part of their 3rd grade ELA curriculum. In that unit, the students studied books
(About Jackson Pollock). There are not only different types of art, but also artists. Marian Anderson was discriminated against during the study in addition to the experiences of other artists. All their lives and experiences are explored in the context of reading.
Importance Of Diversity In Books
If it’s not already included in the curriculum (we’ll talk more about this later), heritage months are a great way to celebrate diversity in the classroom and put a lot of culture in a positive light. We will also learn more on our own as we research. If we have never done this, it can be easily forgotten, so it is best to plan in the summer or throughout the planning period.
The key to this is to dive deeper than usual into the culture and not just focus on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or even Black History Month. Celebrate Women’s History Month where you can truly include white women and a non-representative Culture. If you try to incorporate them all (even if you are a beginner and make every year), you show that all contributions are worth it.
October – Italian American Heritage Month November – Native American Heritage Month
Why Representation In Classroom Books Is Important: Culturally Inclusive Books
Celebrating other cultures changes the narrative that one culture or group is more valuable than another. We cannot accept that students know more than what they see on the news or even hear from some family members. If students see only white men as leaders, dignitaries or people to be respected, how will non-white male students see their opportunities? How do we know that students see you as equal and great contributors? For American factories? We as teachers know that students’ thoughts today can affect their lives tomorrow.
Beyond Heritage Months If you are a music teacher, theater teacher or drama and art student in your class, try to ensure you include work by many artists if you don’t have one.
For example, you can select a topic and search for it by category and culture throughout the year. For example, with the theme “Love and Hate” your class can explore Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story and One on the Island. In this students can see the differences between Italian, Spanish, American, white and Haitian cultures, but also the similarities of human experience. After that, students can write their pieces based on the topic to emphasize their own creativity and personal experience. Listening to students (not in a way to tear them apart) validates their experiences and we all learn from each other.
Cultural Diversity Activities Ideas For Adults And College Students
If you use scripting and choose not to blindfold (but stick to the races represented in the game), it is important to diversify the game. If there aren’t enough representatives in your student body, don’t be afraid to go blind. Taren used to play Hamlet in high school, even though she was an African-American woman. The other students assumed that one of her white male friends would take the role, but luckily, the director looked at the past and the gender. This is a time when the world called “color blindness” can be positive – to make sure that we give equal opportunities to all students. However, remember to be aware of avoiding being culturally aligned with certain songs or plays.
We all know how important our classroom community is. You can help build positive relationships between classmates with these ideas.
If you have a responsibility to enforce or maintain a dress code, make sure that the parameters are meaningful and purposeful, and not based on unconscious cultural preferences or preferences for inclusion. For example, most African-American hair grows in an Afro-like manner in a natural state, or ‘washed and washed’. The best way to “carry” it is usually not a ponytail.
Are Your Diversity Strategies Missing The Mark? Nine Ways To Get It Right
Cultural techniques included loosening to make the hair look straight and easy to manage, but the technique also included braids, twists and dreadlocks to name a few. These things have nothing to do with education, but it is important to know that such differences exist and may not always be what society considers “professional”. However, some dress codes around hair style preferences can be exclusive. The same goes for culture or religion (even represented in Christian schools) that requires a head covering.
It is not uncommon to hear in the adult world “I didn’t learn it in school” around racial history. In some areas we think it is the parents’ job and instead parents leave it to school. This includes children who grow up without a normal family structure. In the end, whose work teaches race and integration? Do we really live in a society where adults grow up and abandon humanity, especially when they are different? For some of us, we inadvertently benefit from such a society that we can go on without paying attention. However, as teachers we are in a good place to see humanity in all people and encourage our students to do the same so they learn that nothing less is impossible.
We need to educate ourselves to expand the curriculum. Do not paint on parts
A Cure To Achieve Diversity In Stem Education
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