Ally Wolchko

ECE 300

Dr. Scrimshire

8 July 2021

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Teaching diversity in the classroom is vital to install an overall school or district

administration of cultural diversity. The schools promote policies and procedures for equality,

diversity, and inclusion, but teachers can implement diversity and inclusiveness in the classroom

daily with their students. A lack of diversity and inclusiveness in the school system can start

students feeling lonely, lead to heightened stress levels for minority or marginalized students, and

cause them to be victims of bullying at greater rates. Minorities, LGBTQ, and students who

occupy behavior that varies from accepted gender norms are held at higher risk of being teased,

leading to obstacles including academic performance, declines in mood, and even suicide

attempts—intentionally creating learning environments where students are granted support and

celebrate diversity is predominant to protect their education. Teachers can assist in helping

students understand the influence of each of their lives on each other and their ability to change

and develop the world. By supporting and admiring diversity in your classrooms, educators can

empower students to feel protected, develop healthy relationships, and make a significant

influence on others. Safe learning spaces are diverse learning areas.

Teachers can preach the importance of diversity and how to support inclusion among

students. Educators can build culturally diverse safe spaces that encourage student differences by

building relationships with students and families, using inclusive language in the classroom,
celebrating various cultures, including diversity in a lesson plan, and using culturally represented

media and books.

When deciding which supplies to introduce in the early childhood programs, it is

necessary not to display pictures, books or objects that reinforce stereotypes involuntarily. It is

needed to provide examples of cultural groups experiencing various activities, living in multiple

settings and referring to diverse socioeconomic groups and single-parent, two-parent or extended

family homes. Teachers should not confuse images of past ways of life of a group with their

contemporary life or confuse pictures of people’s ceremonial/holiday lives with their daily lives.

This confusion exists in early childhood materials that focus almost exclusively on “minority”

group holidays. Obtaining practical anti-bias elements that reflect many educational groups in a

non stereotypical manner can be difficult. A teacher should consider having parents, family

members, and other community members provide or make materials used in the classroom,

program, or center. Assure that the materials are suitable matches for what children already

understand, match to their age, need concrete, hands-on learning, and that cultural groups are

represented equally. Taking the time to create such circumstances will help communicate to

children that all people are valuable. Analysis shows that cooperative learning strengthens

diversity awareness among students. It encourages learners to use their diversity to help each

other. Because students are placed in a position where they can communicate with peers that they

otherwise may never socialize with, behaviors that might appear odd in several settings become

acceptable when students can explain and defend their thoughts. In a traditional classroom, there

is minimal opportunity for students to defend their perspectives. As students observe each other’s

reasoning processes, there is more room to understand and appreciate their differences. As a

result, a much deeper understanding of cultural and individual differences is developed. When
students are placed in a supportive atmosphere where group-processing experiences are essential,

they are more likely to allow these differences than they would in an ambitious, non-interactive

environment. This more inclusive understanding of their diversity encourages students to learn to

resolve social obstacles which might arise. Aside from getting to know your students, educators

should extend ongoing communication throughout the school year. Scheduling 1-on-1 meetings

with students to check-in will allow teachers to improve how accessible the classroom is to

everyone consistently. Students can talk about whether they felt included in the classroom

culture. This can help identify issues or ways to improve the overall experience. It’s also an

opportunity to discuss class progress.

Step 2:

a. Books about homelessness

b. Books about blended families

c. Pictures of men and women in a variety of jobs (teachers, nurses, firefighters, police, etc.)

d. Multicultural dolls

e. Items from children’s homes

f. Musical instruments from various cultures

g. Books about cultural foods

h. Traditional clothing from various cultures

i. Clothes for boys and girls in dramatic play area