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I think all children have a curiosity about the outside world. I used to have a 'country week' once a month. We'd have examples of food, music, TV and film. We'd also translate some words.

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I love showing my kids videos of other cultures. I have children from Japan, China, Korea, and Bangladesh. They learn each other's cultures just by watching them and they usually share with their friends about their own country.

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Giving different cultures through random things into any subject to make them go WOW that's different from China

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I've learned that with the younger students if there's a way to bring in movement to concept it helps in so many ways.

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I give my high ability students access to resources like Newsela or Readworks because they finish their work very quickly and get bored when they read on apps like Epic. This really helps!

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I find that peer instruction really works well.

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I tend to think auditory/sensory learning etc is a myth. Provide the same learning in different ways in all classes

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When we do stations during class, I have extension activities for high achievers that they do with me at a teacher station. This helps them connect what they are doing in class with what they can do for a next step.

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I love reading books with my students. One way I like introducing cultures to my students is to read books about celebrations around the world. One great one is Let's Celebrate! Special Days Around the World by Kate DePalma.

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if you speak both languages then so everything twice. You can also utilize other bilingual students to help retell instructions in both languages

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We had an International Day in school last Saturday. It was a good opportunity the following Monday to talk to the students about different countries they had learned about.

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Usually when I am looking to open a discussion with the class I choose an examples which might be connected with the students culture (food, traditions..) or with other countries cultures.

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Opening up avenus for discussion with kids from different locations.

Linguistic teaching for instance has been fun as students from China, Russia and so on can share on their own languages intracacies

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create extra assignments that might be fun for those students who want to challenge themselves. You can even make an easy and a hard version for them to choose from

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additional research on a topic of the student's choice or an interesting article I have come across.

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I have pulled together a personal library for students that includes different cultural backgrounds. Students are given reading bins for each week and so I'm able to expose students throughout the year.

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Guidelines for building a multicultural and inclusive classroom

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Guidelines for building a multicultural and inclusive classroom

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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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These resources for English Language Learners (ELLs) from Colorín Colorado are age-specific and are organized by grade. Some resources may be adaptable for younger or older students.

Each section contains a variety of resources, including articles, videos, webcasts, tip sheets, and recommended websites.

What You'll Find in This Section

This section focuses on the early education of young English language learners (ELLs). Resources include a webcast, classroom strategies, parent tips, research and policy recommendations, and recommended books and websites.

These resources offer grade-specific ideas for teaching and supporting English language learners (ELLs) in early and upper elementary school. Ideas include tips for classroom teachers as well as ESL teachers.

This section focuses on the early education of young English language learners (ELLs). Resources include a webcast, classroom strategies, parent tips, research and policy recommendations, and recommended books and websites.

These resources offer grade-specific ideas for teaching and supporting English language learners (ELLs) in early and upper elementary school. Ideas include tips for classroom teachers as well as ESL teachers.

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These resources for English Language Learners (ELLs) from Colorín Colorado are age-specific and are organized by grade. Some resources may be adaptable for younger or older students. Each section contains a variety of resources, including articles, videos, webcasts, tip sheets, and recommended websites. This section focuses on the early education of young English language learners (ELLs).

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Helpful Online Resources for Teaching ELLs

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Websites and teacher-created videos make content more accessible for English language learners—whether they’re in the classroom or at home.

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Former cohort's 14 categories of disabilities resource padlet

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Former cohort's 14 categories of disabilities resource padlet

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The Approaches to Learning domain focuses on how children learn. It refers to the skills and behaviors that children use to engage in learning. It incorporates emotional, behavioral, and cognitive self-regulation as well as initiative, curiosity, and creativity.

An important part of becoming a successful learner is developing the ability to self-regulate in a variety of situations. This ability is also essential to early childhood mental health. In infancy, building emotional, behavioral, and cognitive self-regulation is part of consistent, responsive relationships. As children get older, they become better able to regulate on their own, though adults still provide guidance.

Cognitive self-regulation skills are also known as executive functioning. These skills include the ability to maintain attention, control impulses, and think in flexible ways. Another related skill is working memory, the ability to hold information in mind and use it to perform tasks. Executive functioning skills begin to emerge in the infant and toddler years and develop even more in the preschool years.

To read more about the Approaches to Learning domain, visit the interactive Head Start Early Learning Outcome Framework (ELOF). The Approaches to Learning domain for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers includes the following sub-domains:

Effective Teaching Practices

The effective teaching practices that follow are grouped in three categories: Interactions, Environment, and Individualization. Examples of ways to support goals for children are provided by sub-domain. It is likely, however, that these practices will also support goals for children in additional domains and sub-domains. This is the nature of teaching and learning in the early years.

Home Visitors

Teaching practices in home visiting are the ways that home visitors work with families to provide experiences that support their child's development and learning, engage in responsive interactions, and use the home as the learning environment.

Home visitors work to:

Facilitate parent-child interactions

Engage parents in focusing on their child's development

Directly encourage parents to teach, talk, and interact with their child in responsive and warm ways

Use family activities, routines, and materials in the home for learning

Collaborate with parents to plan activities and experiences

Home visitors may consider using group care teaching practices in the "Know," "Do," and "Improve" sections during home visits and group socializations. They can engage with parents to identify, adapt, and use these practices, or when appropriate, model the practices.

Sub-Domains

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The Approaches to Learning domain includes Effective Practice Guides for each sub-domain. Discover teaching practices that support children's development in all early learning settings.