“Inclusion requires the teacher to believe that all students have something important to offer in the classroom and that we really are better off learning together”
Beth Foraker
I wholeheartedly believe the above quote and it is what I practice when I teach students. I think this mindset is key to an inclusive and decolonizing classroom environment.
During my practicums, when I grouped my students together for activities, I put those who exhibited leadership qualities and were supportive of their peers with ones who needed a little more guidance. These pairs still had equal amount of strengths and I think it was beneficial to pair up students with skills they could both share with one another. Although there are a variety of strengths and stretches in the classroom, I think that all students can learn something unique from one another whether it is a skill, positive attribute or facts.
In my lessons, I tried to incorporate a variety of ways for students to demonstrate their learning. For example, non verbal communication (thumbs up, thumbs down), think pair share, group discussions, paper work, hands on building activities and presenting in front of the class individually and in groups. There are many types of learners and I remember as a child, I found it beneficial to have a variety of ways to demonstrate my learning which is why I think it is important to incorporate a variety of assessment techniques throughout the lessons that I teach during my practicums.
Shifting to a Different Lens
Inclusion- the right for all students to feel like they belong and this includes diverse learning needs of diverse students.
After watching Shelly Moore’s video “Teaching to Diversity” it got me thinking about standardized curriculum. We are seeing more and more diverse students so we need to change our approach in the way we teach. This shift includes teaching to the difference instead of just trying to including the couple students that are diverse. This new approach includes shifting to a new model away from the standards based curriculum where students would fall under a continuum of growth rather than being compared to the average.
A big aspect for ethnic students is being able to see themselves and their culture accepted in society. In my school experience, any examples where the teacher gave for students names for example in math, if there was a scenario “student had 4 apples and gave 2 away to another student”. Those student names were typically always Caucasian names. In University, I saw a shift where there were a variety of names being used and I have seen some textbooks with examples of ethnic names, however, this shift is still happening. I still see some using stereotypical names. This may seem like a small thing for those individual not of color, however, for ethnic students they can feel left out and not de-valued.
This picture above, highlights the three components that are important in an inclusive classroom; inclusion, culturally responsive teaching and multicultural education. What all three components have in common is diversity. Focusing on diversity in a classroom can teach students to be open minded and reduce racial discrimination.
Inclusion
- Students feeling safe, included and valued in their classrooms.
- Providing multiple ways of learning in a lesson activity.
- Providing a variety of assessments.
Culturally Responsive Teaching
- Having tough conversations of race, bias, racism.
- Acknowledging bias in the system.
- Draw on students’ culture to shape curriculum and instruction.
- Discuss real-world issues into the classroom.
Multicultural Education
- Celebrating all types of holidays and acknowledging the diversity in students.
- Acknowledging and respecting every student.
- Encouraging cultural storytelling of all cultures.