Diversity in the Classroom

1. Diversity in the Classroom Module #7 Adjunct faculty association FTLC 1000; Fall 2012 By: ashleymott Practical Ideas for Instructors to Promote Diversity Awareness and Acceptance

2. Reasons for Proactively Initiating Diversity Awareness in Your Classroom Teachers can promote diversity awareness by presenting assignments and discussions which will bring students’ attention to the diversity within the class. Regardless of content area, instructors and students should recognize the importance of what we have in common and what makes us unique. By drawing students’ attention to the diversity within your classroom, you can increase student awareness and compassion while building a positive classroom community.

3. Ideas for Bridging Cultural Gaps • Ask students to select a partner with whom they think they have little in common. • Ask them to identify three ways they are similar and three ways they are different. • Ask them to identify one thing they do better than the other person, and one thing the other person does better than they do. • Have them introduce their partner to the class, telling the class something they could learn from that person. • This is an easy way to incorporate a diversity activity into any other lesson without requiring a lot of extra time and planning; it works for almost any assignment where they would be in pairs anyway.

4. Ideas for Bridging Cultural Gaps • When assigning oral presentations or other assignments that require significant research, pair ESL students with native language speakers. • This gives the ESL student a chance to engage more fully in the research without having to spend as much time with his/her nose in a translation dictionary. • This allows the native speaker to fill a leadership or mentoring role, and active learning strategies suggest we learn best what we teach or talk about.

5. Ideas for Bridging Cultural Gaps • Assign students a reflection paper wherein they must identify: • Two of their prejudices • What they think the reasons for these prejudices are • Events when prior prejudices have been proven wrong or broken down • Goals for reducing personally held prejudice

6. Ideas for Bridging Cultural Gaps • Incorporate at least one assignment into your class that allows students to celebrate and share their culture. • Ask students to make a list of things they consider their ‘culture,’ and what that means to them • Have a kind of show-and-tell where they teach the class about their culture – this could be through an object, a dance, a saying, etc. • Some students may think they have nothing unique to share, especially if they are part of the dominant culture within the class, but encourage them to think about family traditions, celebrations or holidays, things that may be specific to their generation, etc.

7. Ideas for Bridging Cultural Gaps • Model cultural acceptance and sensitivity to diversity • Let students see you actively engaging all students – regardless of gender, age, race, nationality, etc. • Share examples of when you have overcome your own prejudices or been proven wrong about an erroneous assumption you made • Show students you are interested in their culture and experiences: invite sharing, ask follow-up questions, and repeat back what you learned from them