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My guiding philosophy is making all students feel safe to express themselves as they please, within reason of course, and ensuring they accept each other and themselves.

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I would like my classroom's seating arrangement to look something like this. I would not have assigned seats, as I always hated assigned seats in school. At the beginning of the year, as a teacher, you don't know how the students will interact with their classmates, so I see no point in having pre-fabricated seating arrangements.

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I chose these posters because all of these people are a part of history. I want to have a large variety of historic people in my classroom so every student I have can see at least one of those posters and see themselves in it. I'm going to limit myself to only three photos, but just know that I love shopping for history posters for my future classroom and strive to have a diverse collection.

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I chose this TEDTalk by Manuel Hernandez because he talks about "bridging the gap" between students and teachers from different cultures. I think he makes fantastic points about students from different backgrounds may have problems connecting to the material we try to teach them.

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Bridging the cultural gap in the classroom | Manuel Hernandez Carmona | TEDxAmoskeagMillyard

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I hope to build my knowledge of any culture I may come into contact with in order to help make my students feel accepted for who they are.

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In this era, we have nearly unlimited access to any information we want. I will continuously use any resources at my disposal. For example, the video I have linked in this post talks about "intercultural competence" and highlights the need to examine our own actions and thoughts while interacting with a diverse classroom.

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Competencies for Teaching in Multicultural Classrooms

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Linked above is the University of Southern Indiana's page for resources for students of many backgrounds.

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Housing and Residence Life staff value civility and diversity. We respect and embrace each other's differences and are committed to providing a safe and inclusive living environment. HRL supports residents and staff by working to create a positive residential and academic experience. One way to support residents and staff is to connect them to resources both on and off campus. If you do not find what you need below, please contact the office by phone 812-468-2000 or email Living. Our staff will be happy to assist you.

Visit the Center for International Program's website for a wide range of services including both campus and community resources.

USI Disability Resources coordinates services and academic accommodations for USI students with disabilities to ensure equal access to facilities, programs, services and resources of the University. Disability Resources is located in the Science Center, room 2206.

University Health Center - Provides medical services and health-related information to students, faculty, and staff. Healthcare staff are employed by Deaconess.

AIDS Resource Group - Provides awareness and support, testing, counseling, harm reduction presentations, risk reduction kits, housing assistance, and more.

- USI has 150+ student organizations. To explore all the options, please use Center for Campus Life EagleSync on myUSI.

Fraternity and Sorority Life - USI Greek-lettered organizations are values-based organizations rooted in founding principles that foster scholarship, student involvement, service, and friendship.

Visit the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council's website for a list diversity-based USI student organizations.

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Campus and Community Diversity Resources

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Housing and Residence Life staff value civility and diversity. We respect and embrace each other's differences and are committed to providing a safe and inclusive living environment. HRL supports residents and staff by working to create a positive residential and academic experience.

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The page linked above has a handful of strategies that I found incredibly useful. The article emphasizes the need to get to know students as individuals and demonstrating a genuine interest in what makes them unique. In addition, the article mentions maintaining consistent communication and acknowledging and respecting each student. I believe that while there are other important strategies, the ones pointed out in this article are most important to me.

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The Importance of Diversity & Multicultural Awareness in Education

Drexel University School of Education

Cultural diversity in the classroom is on the rise. In 2014, U.S. public schools hit a minority majority milestone with Latino, African-American, and Asian students having surpassed the number of white students. In 2044, the U.S. Census predicts that over half of the nation's population will be people of color, so this trend will likely continue.

In our increasingly diverse and multicultural society, it's more important than ever for teachers to incorporate culturally responsive instruction in the classroom -- whether teaching elementary school, middle school or high school students. And the increase of diversity doesn't only relate to race and ethnicity; it can include students of different religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and language background.

Interested in becoming a teacher? Learn more about Drexel's Teacher Certification program.

Why is it Important to Encourage Diversity in Schools and Workplaces?

Fostering inclusion and awareness around multicultural education and taking a culturally responsive approach to teaching benefits all students. Not only does creating greater multicultural awareness and inclusion help students with different backgrounds and needs succeed, but it encourages acceptance and helps prepare students to thrive in an exponentially diverse world. Our Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness Certificate Program is a great opportunity for teachers to learn how to create positive classroom environments and can serve as a foundation for understanding how to promote diversity in your classroom.

Diversity in and out of the classroom will continue to grow, so it's essential we prepare students to adapt to an evolving world and embrace those different from themselves. Learn more how the programs at the Drexel School of Education are helping to prepare more culturally-responsive educators today.

Types of Cultural Diversity in the Classroom

Every student is unique. In order to properly understand and promote cultural awareness, teachers need to understand all the different types of diversity they may encounter in their classrooms including:

Race

A person's skin color can have a great impact on their experience in society. It can also impact how they view themselves and others when engaging in classroom activities.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity relates to a person's culture and nationality. Ethnicity is sometimes confused with race, but it is important to recognize that while some people may have the same skin color, they may come from different places and have vastly different cultural beliefs and views of the world.

Religion

It is important to understand that people have different religious belief or no religious beliefs, and it may impact their participation in the classroom. Students may react differently to lessons based on their religion or may not be able to be present on certain religious holidays.

Language

While English is commonly used in American classrooms, for some students, it is not the language they speak at home. Accommodations should be made to help students for whom English is a second language.

Socioeconomic Status

A student's socioeconomic status can affect their ability to participate in the classroom without some type of accommodation. For instance, access to a computer at home or reliable internet access is not a given for some children. Teachers should be aware of this and the stress it may cause students who may struggle due to a lack of resources.

Sexual Orientation

A student's sexual orientation can have a great impact on how they are experiencing the world. Teachers should understand the struggles that exist and ensure that the lessons taught in their classroom are inclusive.

Gender Identity

Similar to sexual orientation, it is important to understand each student's gender identity and how they would prefer to be recognized. Teachers should respect their student's identity and use preferred pronouns when interacting with their students.

How can you Promote Diversity and Multiculturalism in the Classroom?

There are several ways teachers and administrators, such as principals and coaches, can ensure that both the classroom environment and curriculum are responsive to the increasing cultural diversity of our society. These strategies will encourage all students' cultural awareness, enhancing each student's sense of identity, and foster inclusion in the classroom community.

1. Get to Know Your Students Ensuring that cultural awareness is promoted in the classroom starts with the teacher understanding each individual student. Take the time to learn about each student's cultural background, hobbies, learning styles, and what makes them unique. Demonstrating a genuine interest in learning about each student and their culture will help establish trust and allow you to form a bond with them so they feel valued. If students feel appreciated by and comfortable with the teacher, there's a better chance they'll feel comfortable talking with and respect their peers in the class - and communication is the core to a culturally aware and inclusive classroom.

2. Maintain Consistent Communication Aside from getting to know your students, teachers should also continue to maintain ongoing communication throughout the semester or school year. Scheduling 1-on-1 meetings with students to "check in" every so often will allow you to consistently improve how accessible the classroom is to everyone. Students can talk about whether they felt included in the classroom culture. This can help identify issues or ways to improve the overall experience. It's also an opportunity to discuss their progress in the class and offer guidance on how they can improve, based on their individual needs as a student.

3. Acknowledge and Respect Every Student It's also important for students to celebrate and respect their own diverse backgrounds, as well as each other's. When appropriate, teachers should encourage students to research and learn about their own ethnic and cultural backgrounds. This allows them to better understand their own culture as well as the differences and nuances with their peers. As a bonus, this can be a great ice breaker assignment, allowing students to give presentations about their family traditions and culture to help expose the class to concepts outside of their own familiar comfort zone. Acknowledging these differences and creating a safe space for discussion helps promote understanding in the classroom and beyond. Also, as you encourage students to learn about their diverse backgrounds, remember to take the time to highlight what's offensive and the distinction between cultural celebration and appropriation. Learning how to talk about other cultures in a respectful, mature way is essential for success in life outside the classroom.

4. Practice Cultural Sensitivity While it's important to keep an open dialogue amongst students, it's equally as important to make sure you're being sensitive to everyone's culture, beliefs, and language concerns. Take the time to understand each student's cultural nuances - from learning styles to the language they use - and use these insights to design your lesson plans. For example, provide English language learners with appropriate and relevant resources that help them improve their English comprehension skills. Rather than teach with a traditional lecture style, create learning experiences that are more interactive and require collaboration. These considerations will help ensure that every student feels included, is given the space to learn in their own way and is given a chance to succeed.

5. Incorporate Diversity in the Lesson Plan The classroom environment is important for fostering cultural awareness, but you also should ensure diversity is represented in your actual lesson plan. For example, broaden history lessons so that they encompass the world beyond United States history and culture. Or, use references and analogies to other cultures in your lessons and assignments to help students with diverse backgrounds personally connect. Another great strategy is bringing in diverse speakers to add varying points of view and real-life context to different subjects.There are several ways you can ingrain cultural awareness and diversity into your lesson plan, and it will vary depending on the cultures represented in your classroom and the course you're teaching. Regardless of the subject, always try to present and connect lessons to real-world issues. It's easier to promote cultural awareness within your lessons when there's a real example for students to relate to.

6. Give Students Freedom and Flexibility Teachers often feel like they need to take on a strict, authoritative approach when it comes to managing their classroom. The most valuable lessons are often learned through a student's own experiences, so giving them some freedom in the course encourages more connection to the curriculum. Allow students to read and present their own materials that relate to the fundamental lesson so they can approach the topic from their own perspective. As a teacher, you can act as a facilitator and encourage conversation and healthy debate between diverse opinions. Group assignments are also a great way to expose students to diverse perspectives, allowing them to work together to explore and solve a problem. This will also help prepare them for a diverse workforce where they'll have to partner with a range of people to accomplish their professional goals.

Why is it Multicultural Education Important to Students?

It is important to remind ourselves why diversity and cultural awareness is so crucial in the classroom and the benefits it can have on students now and in the long-term. Teaching diversity exposes students to various cultural and social groups, preparing students to become better citizens in their communities. These culturally responsive teaching strategies will help you to promote diversity in the classroom.

With these culturally responsive teaching strategies in mind, it's important to remind ourselves why diversity and cultural awareness is so crucial in the classroom and the benefits it can have on students now and in the long-term.

Students Become More Empathetic

Promoting awareness and creating a personal connection with diverse cultures in the classroom can prevent students from developing prejudices later in life. It allows them to empathize with people different from themselves since they're more aware of the experiences someone of a different race or cultural group may face.

Students Gain a Better Understanding of Lessons and People

When working and learning with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures present in the classroom, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. It also teaches students how to use their own strengths and points of view to contribute in a diverse working environment.

Students Become More Open-Minded

Naturally, by exposing students to a diverse range of opinions, thoughts, and cultural backgrounds, you're encouraging them to be more open-minded later in life. This will make them open to new ideas and be able to attain a greater comprehension on a topic by taking in different points of view.

Students Feel More Confident and Safe

Students who learn about different cultures during their education feel more comfortable and safe with these differences later in life. This allows them to interact in a wider range of social groups and feel more confident in themselves as well as in their interactions with others.

Students Are Better Prepared for a Diverse Workplace

With the rise of globalization, it's more important to be able to work with people from different cultures and social groups. If students are exposed to diversity and learn cultural awareness in the classroom, it sets them up to flourish in the workforce.

Learn More About Cultural Diversity in Education

There are additional resources available to help educators grow their knowledge of cultural diversity and apply it to their classrooms. Here are a few sites where you can find more information:

Additionally, Drexel offers programs that can help broaden a teacher's expertise in multicultural education including our online Teaching English as a Second Language and Social Emotional and Behavioral Wellness certification programs. You can also contact us to request more information.

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The Importance of Multicultural Education - School of Education

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As classrooms become more diverse, it's crucial for students to learn about other cultures. Discover how students benefit from classroom diversity with Drexel.

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As I want to be a social studies teacher, I believe the way I should connect by learning about and teaching the various groups that have a rich history in my area.

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Home - Evansville African American Museum

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A resource and cultural center to collect, preserve and educate the public on the history and traditions of African American families, organizations and communities.

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HOLA is a non-profit organization that bridges the gap between local Latinos and the rest of the community. They have partnerships with Ivy Tech Community College, University of Evansville, University of Southern Indiana and Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana in order to achieve this goal.

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HOLA was formed in 2002 as a response to a growing need within the rapidly growing Latino community in Evansville. In its earlier years, HOLA became an initial bridge between Latinos and many of the organizations and services available in the community. From 2008 to 2013 HOLA, in partnership with Nativity Catholic Church, launched the Juan Diego Latino Center, and developed a number of programs such as Health Education and Clinics, La Academia, and the HOLA Summer Camp.

In 2016, HOLA launched the HOLA Latino Festival and continues to evolve to best meet the needs of our growing community.

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HOLA was formed in 2002 as a response to a growing need within the rapidly growing Latino community in Evansville. In its earlier years, HOLA became an initial bridge between Latinos and many of the organizations and services available in the community.

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SASA is a student-led association at the University of Southern Indiana. Its purpose is for any and all students to gather and learn about South Asian culture.

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The South Asian Student Association (SASA) is a student-led organization that is dedicated to celebrating the diversity and vibrancy of South Asian culture at the University of Southern Indiana. The purpose of the organization is to provide USI students and faculty with a friendly and open environment in which they can meet, learn and participate in South Asian cultural events. We promote South Asian culture through a number of events that range from lively social events to fun cultural celebrations. The South Asian Student Association actively encourages students of all ethnicities to help us foster a wider understanding of South Asian Culture all while developing new friendships and learning more about each other!

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The South Asian Student Association (SASA) is a student-led organization that is dedicated to celebrating the diversity and vibrancy of South Asian culture at the University of Southern Indiana. The purpose of the organization is to provide USI students and faculty with a friendly and open environment in which they can meet, learn and participate in South Asian cultural events.