Teaching in Diverse Classrooms

Teaching itself is a challenging job and with diverse population it adds another layer of complexity!!

Brookfield has touched various types of diverse learners ranging from racial and culturally diverse learners, self-directed vs teacher dependent learners, learners with disabilities, reflective vs experimental learners, etc. and the list goes on….

The first ideal step to do while teaching a diverse classroom is to find out the level of diversity. Instructors can do personality type or learning style assessments to gauge the diversity of learners. This helps them to understand the attitudes, skills, values etc. of their learners which helps the instructors to better engage with them. Another idea which Brookfield mentioned, was to ask students to introduce them describing their ethnic groups and to announce how they would like to be addressed. I believe this is a good idea as it would make students feel welcomed and accepted of their ethnicities.  

Brookfield has mentioned some effective strategies to teach in diverse classroom. Some of them are:

• Team teaching – teaching by two or more instructors who have different talents will cater to diverse needs of the students. It is certainly beneficial than individual teaching which is limited to the skills and personality of oneself.
• Mixing student groups – mixing students with different skills and ethnicity is helpful as it acquaints the students with the real life work situation as well.
• Mixing modalities – using a variety of approaches to teach can cater to student’s needs.
• Silent or speech filed classroom – student silence is a challenge for most instructors. One of the way to tackle it is asking students to reflect and write the key points and then asking them randomly what they have written.  

Some other useful tips to effectively teach in diverse classrooms are:

• Representative curriculum – Include stories, case studies, real life examples from different cultures and countries so that students could relate more and understand it better.
• Be inclusive and willing to address inequality – Ensure students that they have a safe space to talk and discuss their challenges. Shut down discrimination whenever you hear it and use language that promotes positivity and doesn’t reinforce existing stereotypes (Kampen, 2019)
• Seek advice from fellow colleagues or other leaders – Sometimes we are unaware of how to best deal with a situation in hand. Seeking advice from peers or reaching out to cultural/community leaders can help us rethink our approach and better address the problem.
• Learning adaptive technologies – If you have special needs students in your class who use adaptive technologies, it is important for you to know the basics of it so that you are approachable for your students in case they need help.
• Trust is the key – In diverse classrooms, trust plays a pivotal role in students success. If they feel they are respected and they have a safe space to speak, they will have more trust in your course.

Teaching in diverse classrooms should be seen as a skill that can be learnt through research, reflection and practice rather than being considered a burden. We need to make conscious efforts to take the right steps to tackle diversity and it starts with being inclusive and empathetic towards our students’ needs.  

“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” ― Maya Angelou

References:

Kampen, M. (2019, April 17). 7 Ways to Support Diversity in the Classroom [With Examples]. Retrieved from https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/diversity-in-the-classroom/

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