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Schools are filled with diverse students from multicultural backgrounds, diverse communities, and socioeconomic statuses. Creating an inclusive classroom not only fosters a safe place for students to learn, but it shows them that they are valued and their identity is appreciated. Educators can begin by integrating the perspectives cultures of their students into the curriculum. This can be done a few different ways.

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Using Literature from Different Cultural Backgrounds:

Using multicultural literature in the curriculum makes a contextual connection to the cultural backgrounds of students (Purdue University, 2024). This can be done by integrating books, case studies, and other forms of literature from diverse authors into the curriculum, allowing the content to help the students make connections to their own personal lived experiences, perspectives, and culture. Doing so brings a sense of belonging and comfort to an inclusive classroom.

A great resource where a section is dedicated to providing books with "cultural experiences" is the Teaching Books website linked below:
https://school.teachingbooks.net/diverseBooks.cgi

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Using Case Studies and Connecting Real-World Problems

Providing students with an overview of current issues involving cultural differences and comparing them to historical issues can help students understand how cultural values have evolved. This also allows students to prepare to be a citizen and allows them to gain an understanding of cultural awareness (University of Kansas, 2023). This is also a great way for students to see how much they can make an impact and advocate for ethical changes (Facing History and Ourselves, 2025). 

A great tool that can be used to provide case studies and an overlook on history and current global issues is the Teaching Resources on the Facing History and Ourselves website linked below:

https://www.facinghistory.org/how-it-works/teaching-resources

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Integrate Cultures Across the Curriculum:

Integrating cultures and cultural values across the curriculum beyond literature and history can also be an engaging way to keep an inclusive classroom all day. Some examples include using diverse artists in extracurricular classes like art, dance, and music classes. Other ways might be to highlight scientists, programs, and studies from around the world and not just the U.S. Students can visualize and compare the differences that make each person and their culture unique. Lastly, integrating culture into math by exploring the different ways to count and weigh items in other parts of the world currently and historically can spark interest in students.

A helpful resource that aids educators in creating multicultural STEM lessons is on the Kid Spark Education website linked below:

https://kidsparkeducation.org/blog/stem-for-classrooms-building-a-culture-of-curiosity

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Integrating History and Perspectives from Around the World:

Allowing students to learn about historical events, people, and different perspectives on these events in the world helps them expand their knowledge and cultural values. This can be done especially durning history or social studies lessons by having students learn about and compare major events and their impacts on our country and other countries. Teaching students about movements in the past and recognizing holidays and historical figures not only through the perspective of the United States, but other countries as well to create a lens that views these historical events from multiple perspectives (University of Kansas, 2023). 

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Category 2: Culturally Responsive Teaching Methods

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Category 2: Culturally Responsive Teaching Methods

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To be a multicultural educator, it is important to allow students the time to elaborate on their culture and the cultures of their peers. There are several resources and strategies that educators can use to help students make connections to multiple cultures including their own. Thus creating an inclusive environment and preparing students to engage in real-world scenarios outside the classroom in an ethical way.

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Get to Know Students and their Cultural background through reading:

Finding time to incorporate short multicultural readings and sparking interest in students by asking questions that guide students into making connections to their culture. Allow students to discuss the text and make connections to their own experiences.

A helpful resource that provides free lessons, texts, and more teaching strategies can be found on the Learning for Justice website: 

https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources

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Utilize Inclusive Projects and Assessments: 

An educator could be more culturally flexible by allowing opportunities for students to express their culture through projects where they can be artistic, initiate interviews with peers and family members, and have guided discussions as a class. This version of social-emotional learning encourages students to ask questions and communicate with others and help them to develop skills that allow ethical and deeper understanding for multiple cultural perspectives (Elias, 2015). Some examples of this in the classroom include discussing historical events and completing a worksheet, writing a report, or creating a piece of artwork that demonstrates their understanding of the social issue presented. To further this, students can share their interpretations with the class to spread more cultural awareness and make larger connections.

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Connect English Language Learners:

Educators can utilize students in the classroom who either speak a different language or are bilingual. An classroom that is inclusive might have an area designated to displaying words in different languages, provides books in different languages, or uses audio in a different language for students to interpret, learn, and make connections. Some words could include greetings, common phrases, or even spelling words for the week.

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Allowing Student Cooperation and Group Work:

Educators can create an inclusive and multicultural learning experience by having students from different cultural backgrounds collaborate and work together. This allows students to communicate and make new friends. It also exposes students to different ideas from their peers that share different cultures and upbringings. Group work can be enhanced when the assignment involves discussing different cultural perspectives.

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Category 3: Fostering a Multicultural Classroom Environment

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Category 3: Fostering a Multicultural Classroom Environment

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The classroom is a space where students will spend a majority of their time. Creating a space where multiple cultures are represented can make many children feel they are in a safe space and can express themselves comfortably. Here are a few strategies and tools that can be used to foster a multicultural classroom environment.

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Using Visuals to Represent Multiple Cultures:

An educator can use visuals like posters, word walls, maps, and flags that make connections to the students and their cultural backgrounds. Word walls can be used to share words in different languages that multilingual students in the classroom speak. Flags of home countries can be hung to demonstrate the many different countries that their peers may come from. Posters can display images of different cultural environments and could include different art forms found in different cultures.

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Reflect on Language and Personal Biases:

Everyone has their own personal ideas, opinions, and biases about different norms and worldviews. Educators must take the time to focus and reflect on their implicit biases (National Education Association, 2025). This can be done through recognizing the way students are spoken to, from name pronunciation to general conversations and tone. Educators can also take extra time to develop relationships with all students and learn a little more about their interests so that they can be integrated into lesson plans, resulting in a more inclusive environment. Exposing oneself to multiple diverse cultures will help an educator continue their own education and gain more respect for diversity and connection with students. 

Some more resources regarding identifying biases and stereotypes can be found on the National Education Association website linked below:

https://www.nea.org/resource-library/implicit-bias-microaggressions-and-stereotypes-resources

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Demonstrate and Discuss Respect:

Educators act as role models for their students, as they are always being watched. One thing that can be done to foster an inclusive learning environment is to establish ethical, respectful, and inclusive class boundaries or rules. Openly setting boundaries and classroom rules about being respectful. Discussing with students about acceptable behaviors and explore the differences between home, school, and the community in general (Teacher Vision, 2023). 

The Teacher Vision Website provides additional resources that support the educators role in creating an inclusive classroom for cultural diversity.

https://www.teachervision.com/teaching-strategies/strategies-for-teaching-culturally-diverse-students

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Explore Multiple Cultures' Holidays:

There are so many different days that are celebrated in different cultures that many U.S. calendars display. Some of these might include Dia De Los Muertos, Black History Month, Chinese New Year, etc.. These are great days to integrate fun activities like creating a paper lantern, listening to a speech, trying a new food, or watching a movie that demonstrates the importance of that day for other cultures. 

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Category 4: Engagement with Families and Community

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Category 4: Engagement with Families and Community

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Engaging with families and communities can prepare an educator for strengthening relationships and understanding their students on a deeper level that will help to create an inclusive classroom tailored to their needs. Some strategies that can be used to help educators make these connections can be found below.

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Communication with Families:

Providing a way for all families to communicate can be a great way to not only become an engaged educator, but to get more families to become more engaged with the school. This can really enhance the experience for students, knowing that through the diversity, everyone can come together for the same cause. One way of doing this might include using a group chat platform like GroupMe as a way for parents to communicate with other parents in the class, and the teacher as well. This helps to create an inclusive environment for all students and their families.

Access to the group chat application called GroupMe can be found here: https://groupme.com

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Advocate for Cultural Experiences:

Educators may sometimes have the opportunity to plan field trips, or bring guest visitors to school. Some strategies that can help educators connect with the community in a culturally responsive way is to plan a field trip to the local museum, where students can learn about the history and culture of their town. Teachers may also invite family members of different cultures to come in and present their family history in relation to historical events being discussed in class. 

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Invite Families to share Culture in the Classroom:

Educators can use the curriculum and make connections to the cultures of their students. This might create opportunities for parents or family members to come in during certain lessons and share their personal experiences, food recipes, or any other cultural connectivity to the lesson (Kessler, 2024). This can create a fun and engaging way for students to learn more about different cultures and allow families to engage in their child's education.

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Interact with Community Events that Support Students:

Many students participate in extracurricular activities outside of school like club sports, theater groups, or have family businesses that are local. An educator could become more engaged with families and communities by accepting invitations to sporting events, performances, and other community events that students are likely to attend (Kessler, 2024). 