Transcript Success in a Diverse Classroom

Agenda
Introduction
 Question
 Types of Diversity
 Tools

 Inventories
 Class

Profiles
Tips
 Creating
a culturally comfortable classroom
 Things to be AWARE of.

Conclusion
Question
What is your biggest problem or concern in
working with a culturally diverse group of
students?
Success in a
Diverse Classroom
Tools and Tips
Jennifer Feck
“Public education is going to reach a point
where it will not work unless we learn how
to address growing diversity successfully.”
Julia Jasmine
What are the Types of Diversity?
People differ in their abilities, both mental
and physical.
 People differ in their backgrounds – racial,
ethnic, cultural, and economics.
 People also differ as they always have
because they are individuals.
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Terms to Keep in Mind
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Diversity – The condition of being different from one
another.
Multiculturalism – A multifaceted effort designed to help
all children-regardless of ethnicity, gender, disabilities
or social class-understand and appreciate events and
people from various points of view.
Ethnocentrism – Inability to accept another's culture's
world view; “my way is the best”.
Discrimination – Differential treatment of an individual
due to minority status; actual and perceived.
Stereotyping – Generalizing about a person while
ignoring presence of individual differences.
Cultural Blindness – Differences are ignored and one
proceeds as though differences did not exist.
Cultural imposition – Belief that everyone should
conform to the majority.
Tools for Teachers

Inventories
 Check
learning
environment
 Check learning
styles
 Check
student’s
understanding
of cultures

Class Profiles
Gender
 Race
 Language
 Religion
 Economic status
 Learning styles

Tips for a
Culturally Comfortable Classroom
Teacher Behaviors
 Instructional Strategies

Teacher Behaviors
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Appreciate and accommodate the
similarities and differences among the
students’ cultures.
Build relationships with your students.
Focus on ways students learn and
observe students to identify their task
orientations.
Teach students to match their behaviors
to the setting.
Instructional Strategies
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Use a variety of instructional strategies and learning
activities.
Consider students’ culture and language skills when
developing learning objectives and instructional
activities.
Incorporate objectives for affective and personal
development.
Communicate expectations
Provide rationales
Provide frequent reviews of the content learned
Facilitate independence in thinking and action
Monitor student academic progress during lessons and
independent work.
Provide frequent feedback.
Require mastery
Tips on different Ethnic Groups
Looking at:
Communication Style
 Mexican-American
Social Interaction Style
 African-American
Response Style
 Asians
Linguistic Style
 Native Americans
Mexican-American
Communication Style:
-verbal play, which includes the use of jokes and humor, in order to avoid verbal
disagreements.
-Diplomacy and tact valued communication skills
Social Interaction Style:
-Working together, participating in cooperative or collective efforts, less emphasis on the
competitive individualism. Prefer learning environments that are student-centered
with hands-on activity.
-developing interpersonal relations is considered important; sensitive to the feelings of
others.
-identify closely with their community, family, and ethnic group.
Response Style:
-Wants to experience life to its fullest.
-Desires to seek rewards and self satisfaction.
-Religion and Art are important
Linguistic Style:
-Through the language children construct their perceptions of the world and learn
abstract
African-American
Communication Style:
-Have an expressive or verbal presentation style.
-”Telling it like it is” tones, gestures, and signals are often seen as confrontational to other cultures. In
African-American community signals honesty and courage.
-Makes use of back channeling – the use of short sounds to indicate they are listening.
-Nonverbal is also important with body language being a cue as to support or nonsupport of the
speaker.
-When speaking to a person, the speaker faces the individual while the listener looks in the distance.
Social Interaction Style:
-Prefer to work in groups
-Deep respect for spirituality and humanness.
-Some see it as demeaning to be touched on the head
Response Style:
-”Who am I?” is a major question answered in their unique clothing, body movement, hair styles, and
facial expressions.
-Love to express individualism through clothes, music, dance, facial expression, and verbal and
nonverbal expression
Linguistic Style:
-Characteristics of Black English
-absence of gender and the “th” sound.
-absence of s when showing plural or possession
Asians
Social Interaction Style:
-Function within the clan.
-Defined gender roles.
-Maintaining family is important. (Asian-American)
-Respect and obedience for elders. May seem more formal or even
distant. (Asian-American)
-Learning independently is preferred.
Response Style:
-Influenced by rituals
-Harmony with nature is an important value.
-Dedication to work ethic and success. (Asian-American)
-Lower eyes when spoken to as sign of respect. (Asian-American)
-Asking for a teacher’s help suggest a lack of understanding. (AsianAmerican)
Linguistic Style:
-Tonal language; clear communication and meaningful understand can
cause problems.
Native Americans
Communication Style:
Mainstream Values
Speak loudly and quickly
Address listeners directly
Interrupt frequently
Self-expression
Verbal encouragement
Native American Values
Speak softly and slowly
Avoid eye contact
Interject seldomly
privacy
Nonverbal encouragement
Response Style:
Mainstream Values
Native American Values
Competition and aggression
Personal goals important
Power over nature
Cooperation and patience
Group needs important
Harmony with nature
Warnings
The styles that we just went over are
generalizations
REMEMBER even individuals are different
from group to group
It has also been stated by recent observers
that second and third generation of
immigrants seem to lose some of these
generalizations.
Concepts Bridging Cultural
Differences
Everyone has a culture.
Take time to collect relevant cultural information.
Hold all judgments.
Notice and negotiate differences in understanding of
teaching and learning.
Involve cultural resources as appropriate.
Collaborate to develop objectives and educational
strategies.
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