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Explore ways to incorporate multicultural perspectives and content across different subjects or within the content area you teach.

Include examples of multicultural literature, case studies, and historical events.

To incorporate multicultural perspectives and content across different subjects educators should allow students to participate in open discussions allowing students to be able to talk about their culture if they desire to the class.

Educators should show students how curriculum lessons are linked to real life or how the lessons can help students in life. When learning about history, educators can link history to what present situations have become and how it has impacted everyone around the world as humans.

Lessons centered around the learner, meaning, if a kindergarten student likes a certain animal, then choose the animal when teaching about animals in science class. Talk about how that animal originated and where they are mostly to be seen. How their culture is in that country. In math class the teacher can use the same animal to help the student pay attention and make the lesson more fun by using the same animal to help the student count or do math problems.

When learning about a certain person, or scientist, discovery, or artist educators can integrate their background and culture into the lesson and compare to what different cultures there are in the classrooms. For example, who is William Shakespeare? How is his culture different or similar to ours. Educators can talk about who he is and how he became a historical figure with his playwright, poems, and acting. Why is he important and how does it effect us now? Williams’ originated hundreds of words and phrases that English speakers use to this day. (Britannica, 2020) Integrating history and comparing how it effected us can help students understand why and how things come to be.

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No Subject Is an Island: Why and How to Integrate Your Curriculum

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Learn the benefits of an integrated curriculum, along with how instruction can be integrated across subjects and standards.

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Category 2: Culturally Responsive Teaching Methods 

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Category 2: Culturally Responsive Teaching Methods 

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Detail methods that acknowledge and utilize students' cultural backgrounds in teaching and learning processes.

Provide strategies for adapting teaching styles to meet the diverse needs of learners.

Establish Inclusion – Making sure you learn about your student's background, culture and learning styles by talking to each student during group discussions or interviewing students alone if they prefer. (Guido, 2021)

Develop Positive attitudes- Speak to students in their vocabulary for students to understand new concepts being taught while using some of their favorite interest and culture examples to capture their attention and interest to learning. Present real-world problems to students to be able to link real world problems with lessons being taught to have a better understanding. (Guido, 2021)

Enhance Meaning- by bringing in guest speakers, using learning stations of content being learned, gamify lessons with rewards or badges. Include different cultural backgrounds in the lesson by incorporating movies that are relevant to the lessons being taught providing a visual. (Guido, 2021)

Foster Confidence- with offering alone study time for students that like to learn on their own while in silence. Allow students to suggest project ideas. Get parents to volunteer in their child’s classroom to help students earn confidence and interest in learning. (Guido, 2021)

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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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Suggest ideas for creating an inclusive classroom that respects and celebrates cultural differences.

Include ideas for physical classroom setup, inclusive language practices, and the establishment of community norms.

For educators to create an inclusive classroom that respects and celebrates cultural differences, it is important for educators to know their students, their background, their culture, their learning styles, their interest, and what makes them unique. Getting to know your student helps build trust and communication between students and educators. Establishing and maintaining good communication with students will help students be open about their thoughts and feelings. (Drexel University School of Education, n.d.) Based on students' cultures as an educator you can have different cultural information around the classroom when teaching that certain lesson. This way students can be able to walk around the classroom and see or read different information about their peers or even learn something new about their own culture.

Educators need to establish classroom rules and expectations for students to abide to help maintain a good functioning and respectful classroom environment. (Drexel University School of Education, n.d.) Making sure as educators we use inclusive language and speak effectively to our students will help model what we would want to hear from them.

Practicing cultural sensitivity towards student’s cultural, beliefs, and language concerns will help in fostering a multicultural classroom environment. Making sure English language learners obtain resources to help them improve their English comprehensive skills. Making sure you incorporate diversity into the lesson plan also helps promote multicultural classroom environment. “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.” (Drexel University School of Education, n.d.)

Giving students freedom and flexibility helps foster a multicultural classroom environment. “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.” (Drexel University School of Education, n.d.)

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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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Category 4: Engagement with Families and Community 

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Category 4: Engagement with Families and Community 

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Propose ways to involve families and community members in the educational process, enhancing cultural exchange and understanding.

Include ideas for community-based learning projects, cultural events, and parent workshops.

Ways to involve families or community members in the educational process, enhancing cultural exchange and understanding is by doing community-based learning projects like helping the Fire Department when they have a Chicken BBQ sale. During this sale students will be able to learn a few things from the fire department as well as social skills.

Having parents attend after-school events can help the educational process and understanding for both parents and students. Students can be able to show their parents what they are learning and how they learn this way parents are able to be involved at home and support their student with homework or school projects.

Another way that engagement between families and educators can perform to help students succeed in educational process and enhancing exchange and understanding is by educators performing workshops for parents or suggesting resourceful workshops for parents to attend to better support their child. Sometimes parents do not support their children because they lack knowledge about the concept or technology if technology is involved.

In addition, school administrators or educators should always have an interpreter available for parents from varies cultures to be able to attend and understand what is being said. If we have parents attending an event and they do not understand there is a more probability that they will never attend again since they do not understand what is being said and what to do. With proper interpretation parents will feel welcome and will be involved with their childs education.