A Culturally Diverse Classroom
Every classroom should offer a feeling of comfort and belonging for the students in it. In today’s diverse world, providing a culturally diverse classroom is essential. The first step in creating a culturally diverse classroom is to understand the cultures and ethnicities of the students. As educators it is important to do a little research into several cultures. As your class changes from one year to another, so will the cultural make-up of your students.
In order for students to be successful they need to feel that someone cares whether or not they succeed. Teachers need to encourage all students to perform to their potential regardless of their culture. Creating an atmosphere of tolerance, acceptance, and caring would involve the whole class. When cultural differences cause problems it should be addressed as a group. The children need to be aware that it is okay to be different from others. By bringing the differences out in the open, it will open the minds of those students not yet exposed to cultural differences.
The room should be decorated in a way that reflects the various cultures of the students. In an early education setting there should be toys that reflect the various cultures also. For older students, reading materials should be diverse. When celebrating certain holidays it is important to remember that not everyone celebrates the same way. Due to cultural or religious differences, there may be a large variety of the holidays your students celebrate. Each one is important to the students so it should be recognized by the teacher.
In my area there is a high percentage of students that are from low socioeconomic homes. I do not believe this should be a factor when learning. However, it often is. In many cases the students that have low socioeconomic status do not do as well academically as those that have a higher socioeconomic status. This can happen for several reasons and should be addressed.