How to Support Diversity in the Classroom

Written by Sasha Blakeley

What is Multicultural Education?

When multicultural teachers work with multicultural students, there is great potential for creating a multicultural classroom where students' differences are uplifted and their perspectives are valued. The goal of multicultural education is to treat students as individuals with valuable perspectives rather than treating education as essentially an assimilationist venture.

There are many different ways that teachers can structure their classrooms and their teaching styles to incorporate multiculturalism and celebrate diversity among their students. In the long term, multicultural education can provide students with a firm grounding in respecting others and a thorough understanding of the cultures of the world. Multicultural education is paramount to allowing all students to feel included and understood. The education system in the United States is for everyone, and promoting multiculturalism in the classroom is one way teachers can emphasize inclusivity.

Importance of Multiculturalism in the Classroom

The United States is a highly diverse country, and it is becoming more diverse all the time. People from cultures, races, and ethnic groups from all over the world live in the United States; according to research from the Census Bureau, 13.6% of all people living in America were born in other countries, and many more are descended from immigrants. In addition to race, ethnicity, and national origin, the United States is also home to people practicing many different religions and speaking different languages. For many students, their culture and all the elements that culture entails are an important part of their identity and heritage.

Cultural differences between groups of people in the ways they approach life and understand the world can be a site of tension among people when there is disagreement between cultural groups. However, the differences inherent to humans can also be a great source of strength. In the contemporary United States, people from many cultures around the world all coexist. In any classroom, students and teachers will likely have diverse cultural experiences. Multiculturalism is a value system and a philosophy that aims to celebrate different cultures and find common ground between them.

Traditional educational policies have often viewed students as essentially blank slates; their job is to learn the requisite materials in the most uniform way possible to ensure that education is an equalizing force. Contemporary pedagogical theory is increasingly moving away from this model. Students are being recognized as complex individuals with unique interests, needs, and histories that impact how they interact with the school system. Although the blank slate approach may seem equal on its face, it actually imposes a rigid set of characteristics onto students that are generally in line with cultural hegemony in the United States. That system actually makes it much easier for students who already fit the expected cultural mold to succeed and makes it more difficult for students whose cultural experiences place them outside of that cultural context to thrive in the classroom.

Much of pedagogical theory today explores how to create an inclusive and respectful classroom for all students and their experiences. That means being inclusive toward students with disabilities, students who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, students with diverse learning styles, and students from all cultures. There are many ways that teachers can improve their approach to multiculturalism in the classroom; they may be surprised at how much these simple adjustments improve the classroom experience for all students, regardless of their cultural background. Multiculturalism can benefit everyone, not just those whose cultures are under-represented or misunderstood.

Educational Strategies for the Multicultural Classroom

All teachers will have their own ways of creating a multicultural classroom, and the best strategies will depend on the age of the students in question, the subjects being taught, and the cultural makeup of the classroom. The following are a few possible strategies teachers can use or adapt as needed. No matter how teachers aim to create more multicultural schools, they should always do so respectfully and avoid tokenizing students or turning them into spokespeople for their entire cultures. While it is good for students to be encouraged to share their cultural heritage and practices, they should never be required to do so if they are uncomfortable. With this in mind, these options can help teachers and students build cultural bridges in education.

Learn About Students' Experiences

A good starting point for teachers working with a new group of students is to learn about students and their cultural experiences with an open mind. Teachers should be prepared to do their own research to learn more about the cultural demographics they are teaching rather than placing the onus on students to educate their teachers. Ideally, this research should include writing and other media created by members of the cultural groups that teachers want to learn about. This perspective can help teachers avoid falling into stereotypes or being ignorant of important aspects of a student's culture. For example, it is helpful for teachers to familiarize themselves with the major holidays that different cultures observe throughout the year. That way, they will be better prepared to accommodate students who need to take time off for their holidays or have specific cultural practices at different times of the year.

Show Diverse Perspectives

One of the most important ways to incorporate multiculturalism into the classroom is to introduce diverse perspectives when teaching. That could mean providing students with a wide range of books featuring writers and characters from varying cultural backgrounds or hiring a more diverse staff. For students from cultures that are minorities in the United States, having access to media where their own experiences are reflected can be an important and validating experience. For all students, learning about different cultural perspectives is crucial for learning about the world and having an open mind. Options might include:

When teaching a particular topic, educators can also look at the subject from diverse points of view. This is particularly effective when teaching students about history. When they learn about the history of the United States, many students in a traditional educational program learn about the pilgrims and pioneers who arrived in what would become America before the country was established. When covering this period of history, teachers can also discuss the perspective of Native American groups who had already been living in North America for thousands of years. Questions teachers could ask are:

• Who wrote these historical documents?
• What did the writers think was important or unimportant?
• Which perspectives are missing from this account?
• What might it have been like to be present at this event?
• Why are some perspectives missing from this account?

Seeing this period of history from more than one viewpoint would give all students a more well-rounded view of history and would also provide a cultural voice in the narrative for Native American students who may have significant personal ties to that time period.

Give Multicultural Assignments

Multiculturalism does not have to be limited to the lessons that teachers provide in class. It can also extend to the assignments students work on throughout their school careers. Assigning students multicultural projects can be a great way to allow students to share their own experiences and explore cultures they might not be as familiar with. There are two main ways to give multicultural assignments. The first way is to allow students to do assignments that reflect their personal cultural background. That might mean asking students to research their own family trees or having them write an essay on how they feel that their cultural background has informed their lives in the present day. If students are invited to share their assignments with the class, the result could be a fruitful discussion that teaches students about perspectives that differ from their own. There may also be opportunities for students from very different backgrounds to find common ground through this kind of assignment.

The other form of multicultural assignment teachers can give their students is one based on exploration rather than self-reflection. Students could do a research project on a cultural holiday or a religion that is not theirs and then present their findings in an essay, poster, or another medium. Projects like this allow students to consider perspectives and cultures they might not yet be familiar with. They are also an opportunity to discuss finding reliable sources, avoid making assumptions or relying on cultural stereotypes, and be respectful when learning about a different culture. Projects like this could apply to students of varying ages and could range in complexity and scope.

Encourage Reflection on Diversity

Learning about other cultures and incorporating diversity into the classroom is bound to raise many questions for students as they learn more about the world. Those questions are one of the positives of multicultural education teachers should encourage students to reflect on and discuss cultural diversity in the classroom. When teaching a lesson that utilizes varying cultural perspectives, it is often a good idea for teachers to provide students with the time and space to discuss what they have learned and to add their own perspectives to the lesson. When learning about a particular period in history, it may be helpful for teachers to ask students to imagine how they would have behaved if they had been present for those events or to ask students to consider which perspectives are prioritized in the mainstream historical narrative and which perspectives are less likely to be given the same weight.

Essentially, these discussions teach students about historiography and the power of dominant cultural narratives to overshadow other perspectives. Students can learn critical thinking by carefully examining what information is presented and how it is presented. Another great way to have these discussions is to examine how different cultures construct their stories and histories. What are the differences between history based on written sources and history based on oral storytelling? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each mode of cultural development? Teachers can bring in diverse texts and media to explore these complex questions and even ask students to create their own cultural and historical narratives utilizing different styles that are prevalent in cultures around the world.

Deconstruct Cultural Biases

Everyone has cultural biases that impact how they see the world, and teachers are no exception. People are more likely to consider their own culture's way of doing things to be the norm and other ways to be strange, even if they do not want to. When teaching a multicultural classroom, teachers should take a step back, look at their own cultural biases, and try to deconstruct them. Shifting one's way of thinking to be more open-minded can make it easier to provide less biased and more inclusive instruction to students. By its very nature, cultural bias is something that can be hard to spot because it is often unconscious.

Teachers may want to ask themselves things like, does everyone believe this? Does everyone behave this way? What are the alternatives to this viewpoint? Would I still behave this way or hold this belief if I had grown up in a completely different cultural context? Have people always believed this, or is this belief specific to my cultural context? These questions can provide teachers with insight into their own biases and help them deconstruct those biases to accommodate students and their backgrounds in the classroom.

Provide Students with Options

One of the important tenets of multicultural education is that not all students learn and behave in the same ways. An intuitive learning style for some students may seem foreign to others. When creating lessons and assignments, this diversity of learning styles and perspectives is something teachers should keep in mind. When possible, give students options for how they want to complete their assignments, so they can leverage their own cultural viewpoints and skills effectively. If an assignment expects students to interview a family member, some students may find this challenging; they may speak another language at home, are in foster care, or are otherwise isolated from family members. Students can be provided with alternatives for completing assignments in cases like these. Teachers can give students options like:

• Whether or not to present their results to the class
• The option to bring personal items as part of the presentation
• The option to work in pairs and only study one student's background

Giving students options for their assignments is also a way to respect students' boundaries and experiences. One of the suggested assignments above is to have students do genealogical research and put together a family tree. This can be a welcome assignment for some but more complicated for others. Students from immigrant families may find it challenging to access genealogical documents from other countries. Students who are adopted may have questions about how to complete the assignment and which family members to include. Students with family trauma in their past may find the assignment painful or impossible to complete. Students with family members who died in the Holocaust or students who arrived in America as refugees, for instance, may not find the assignment as easy as other students. Awareness of these issues is part of being a multicultural instructor.

Be Open to Learning from Students

Everyone makes mistakes, including teachers. Sometimes, teachers will misstep when attempting to be inclusive or might make a mistake when discussing a culture foreign to them. In these cases, teachers should do their best to be open to learning from students and should be gracious about being corrected whenever possible. Creating an environment where students can voice their perspectives and speak up about their concerns is part of making an inclusive classroom. A truly multicultural classroom is where students' experiences and thoughts are valued and elevated through class discussion. Teachers who want to make their classrooms multicultural should cultivate flexibility and an adaptable mindset, so they can make the necessary changes to improve the curriculum and the classroom environment and meet the needs of all students.

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Benefits of Diversity in the Classroom

There are many benefits of multicultural education for teachers and students. Teachers may improve as educators when they deconstruct their cultural biases and take an open-minded approach to their students' cultural perspectives. They may find it easier to learn from their students and to find new ways of teaching that engage students on a deeper level. Multicultural learning can also teach educators more about the world and could even lead them to different pedagogical approaches used in other parts of the world that make it easier to create an inclusive classroom. Traits that teachers and students can develop in a diverse classroom include:

• Open-mindedness
• Critical thinking
• Empathy
• Curiosity
• Mutual respect

For students, multicultural education is very important for academic success and future learning. Students who come from cultures largely ignored in the dominant cultural narratives of the United States can benefit from multicultural classrooms because they will be able to see themselves and their families represented in the learning material. They will be more likely to understand that their cultural perspective is valued and can carry their learning forward into other areas of life. For all students, learning about other cultures in an open-minded way that avoids stereotypes is an important part of learning about the world and becoming a global citizen. Understanding how to approach questions about other cultures with respect and genuine curiosity can help students be more empathetic and compassionate individuals. They can use their multicultural education in all areas of life and are more likely to be able to work with and befriend those whose cultural frameworks are very different from their own.

The world is multicultural and becoming more so all the time. The education that students receive should reflect the genuine diversity of the world because emphasizing and celebrating diversity is to everyone's benefit. Students who grow up with a multicultural education may be better equipped to dismantle their own cultural biases and find it easier to engage with the world and each other in a way that helps everyone learn about each other without placing cultures in a hierarchy of importance or relevance.