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Diversity

As educators, it's our job to stimulate the intellectual development of children, and in this

era it's simply not enough to operate on the axis of color-blindness. To truly engage students, we

must reach out to them in ways that are culturally and linguistically responsive and appropriate,

and we must examine the cultural assumptions and stereotypes we bring into the classroom that

may hinder interconnectedness. Teaching students about the importance of celebrating different

cultures and diversity in the classroom will help students tremendously and have a significant

affect on student success. Sousa & Tomlinson (2011) states that, “the foundation for successful

learning and for a safe and secure classroom climate is the relationship that teachers develop

with their students” (p.20). Teaching and living in such a diverse society presents many

challenges for educators. A teacher must effectively teach students from a variety of

backgrounds with a variety of educational needs. Differentiated lessons are important to meeting

the diverse needs of my students. “Differentiated instruction is as important for students who

find school easy as it is for those who find it difficult. All students benefit from availability of a

variety of methods and supports,” (Lawrence-Brown, 2004, p.37). 

To be truly culturally responsive and differentiate effectively, teachers must take the time

to learn about their students’ backgrounds and incorporate them into lessons. This lesson is

differentiated and tailored to meet the needs of 1st grade students, giving each child the

opportunity to be successful in their learning. Exploring different animals and their unique

coverings allowed students to explore differences. The lesson also prompted a class discussion

about how the animal differences were comparable to our own diversities. Using pictures and

rich vocabulary throughout the lesson helped ELL students immensely and the enrichment

opportunities allowed for students to build on prior knowledge. Lenski et al. (2006) suggest
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modifying teacher-written assessments to better assess what ELL students do know rather than

what they do not know, but I take this to be standard practice for all of my students regardless

of their first language. By preassessing learners’ proficiency and prior knowledge, I assisted

some students in developing precursor proficiencies necessary for continued growth and other

students in extending their competencies related to the goals.

Diverse classrooms promote creativity, high level thinking, and collaboration. Being

diverse is defined as all the ways we are alike and different. In my own classroom, I found that

getting to know my students—their interests and ability levels—allowed me to better modify my

instruction to meet their needs. Sousa and Tomlinson (2011) speak about the importance of

differentiating based on student needs: “Only when teachers can match tasks to a student’s

current point of readiness, provide support for learning, ensure appropriate practice for mastery

and then introduce new content will the student really learn” (p. 88). Implementing small group

work in my classroom enables me to provide a variety of activities, instructional approaches and

assessments that give my students multiple opportunities to practice and demonstrate their skills.

I am consistently aware that state mandated benchmark assessments show only a piece of

a student’s capabilities and it is important to me that I recognize and validate my students’

strengths. Getting to know each student and their individual strengths, interests, and areas for

growth, becomes the greatest tool that a teacher can use to differentiate instruction. Perrone

(1991) believes that, “When teachers know students well-their interests, learning patterns,

general stance, the meaning of their gestures, their ways of approaching new materials and fresh

ideas, and their outlook on the world-they can more productively engage them on a person basis,

ensuring a deeper entry into learning” (p.27). Finding the ways in which students can best
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succeed in the classroom is both the greatest challenge and the most cherished reward of my

teaching practice.

A classroom becomes like a small community, encouraging a higher level of student

engagement and each student in a classroom brings something new and distinct to the table,

including world views, backgrounds, experiences, cultural contexts, preferences, dislikes,

personalities, etc. Making sure each student feels like they belong in the classroom is essential in

order to maximize the effectiveness of the learning process and strengthens classroom

community connectedness.
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References

Lawrence-Brown, Diana. (2004). Differentiated instruction: Inclusive strategies for

standards- based learning that benefit the whole class. American Secondary Education,

32:3,34-62. Retrieved from: https://knilt.arcc.albany.edu/images/b/b9/Brown.pdf

Lenski, S., Ehlers-Zavala, F., Daniel, M., & Sun-Irminger, X. (2006). Assessing English-

language learners in mainstream classrooms. International Reading Association,60

(1), 24-34.

Perrone, Vito. (1991). A Letter to Teachers, Reflections on schooling and the art of teaching.

 San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.

Sousa, D. & Tomlinson, C. (2011). Differentiation and the brain. Bloomington, IN: Solution

Tree Press.