The Importance Of Diversity In Education

Diversity in Education Diversity is everywhere, it is part of our everyday life but when it comes to diversity in education, it becomes more apparent due to having a small group in a small area. Each student you will receive will have different personalities, will need different amounts of praise and time to complete assignments but it is important to remember that every child needs your attention. Diversity is more than just race it is gender, socio-economic class and special needs. Being a teacher is going to be hard enough but adding diversity into the mix will make it especially difficult, but only if you aren’t prepared. To be prepared you will need to understand as much about your students as possible, know how to identify a child who has special needs and openly talk about diversity in the classroom so that your students see that their differences make them unique. Getting to know different students each year will take time but it is very important to not only the teachers success but also the students successful learning. While older students are better able to communicate themselves they may be resistant to share much since they are starting to understand that they are in control of what they say, feel, and think (Ormrod. 2014). For example many teachers have an “All about me” activity at the start of the year where they allow each child a few minutes to share some information about themselves and bring in a few of their favorite things. Not only is it important for teachers to get to know their students but that the students get to know each other, as they will be a big support system for each other throughout the year. Taking the time at the beginning of the year will show the students that their new teacher is invested in their learning and wants to see them to succeed. (“Diversity. 2014). Identifying a child with special needs can be tricky but if you suspect something, you should have a conversation with the child’s parents. …show more content…
Some things to look out for may be short attention span, constant calling out, lack of eye contact or any sort of communication, asking questions more often than the rest of the students, and even acting out (Ormrad. 2014). Children with special needs are no different from their peers, they are at school to learn and they want to be there. Teachers who have a child with special needs in their class should ensure that they all of their students will be treated as an equal by their teachers and peers. Pointing out their difference in front of the class could be potentially embarrassing and can make the child feel resentful (Ormbud. 2014). No matter if, the child has special needs or not they should be treated fairly and individual attention as needed. Openly talking about the diversity of the classroom will help each child understand that being unique is okay and there is not a problem if they do not look or feel exactly like his or her fellow classmates (Sodi. 2013). When doing an activity, teachers should be sure to include all backgrounds and disabilities in their explanations and examples. Such as using names and photos of the students in your classroom rather than using photos from other sources. Setting a good example for your students by celebrating their differences without