Today, on The Weekly Planner, we will look at establishing and maintaining an inviting and enriching multicultural classroom.
To begin, we must understand the term culture.
LiveScience.com takes a deep dive into the term and discusses how “the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition defines culture as shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs and understanding that are learned by socialization” (McKelvie and Pappas, 2022). The authors went on to say, “culture can be seen as the growth of a group identity fostered by social patterns unique to the group” (McKelvie and Pappas, 2022).
So how does that multi level definition apply within our four walls?
Whether you teach in a rural, suburban or urban area, there are clear social patterns unique to the group of people within that area. These social patterns can be felt wherever you go within that given community.
As educators, it is our responsibility to be in tune with the social patterns of our students. In order to get ‘in tune’ with these social patterns we have the responsibility to visit different points of interest within the community we teach in especially if we live outside of it. These social patterns will give us a general idea of the culture within that community; however, the website, Learning for Justice, reminds us that “culture isn't just a list of holidays or shared recipes, religious traditions, or language; it is a lived experience unique to each individual” (https://www.learningforjustice.org/professional-development/culture-in-the-classroom).
In order to create a multicultural classroom we have to take the experience of being familiar with the general culture and realize that each of our students may experience similar social patterns but they live a unique reality. This unique reality incorporates wealth disparities, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, disabilities, parental expectations, stereotypes, prejudices, and more.
That is a lot to unpack when we are having to create lesson plans, manage behaviors, complete the laundry list of tasks from Administration, and deal with our own personal issues; however, if we are to “create a group identity fostered by social patterns unique to the group” (McKelvie and Pappas, 2022) we have to understand those unique realities which create the foundation our students are built upon.
All students want to feel loved and needed; however, I argue there is a third component which is, students want to be understood. They want their identities, their individual experiences to be understood. Once an understanding has been established, we as educators, have the power to bring together the similarities within our students' identities and create empathy when learning about each other's differences.
Respecting the diversity of each student is the key to creating a multicultural classroom.
Drexel University’s School of Education provides 6 strategies to promote diversity and multiculturalism within the classroom. These include, getting to know your students, maintaining consistent communication, acknowledging and respecting every student, practicing cultural sensitivity, incorporating diversity into lesson plans, and giving students freedom along with flexibility” (https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/importance-of-cultural-diversity-in-classroom/).
The challenge with being an educator is not meeting and exceeding the demands of the state, the parents, and Administration. No, the real challenge is taking those unique student identities and creating a shared experience that ultimately produces a multicultural classroom. When we are able to sustain this multicultural classroom, we “expose our students to various cultural and social groups, preparing them to become better citizens within the community” (https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/importance-of-cultural-diversity-in-classroom/) and the world.
In the end, a positive, caring classroom culture doesn’t just happen. It emerges as a result of thoughtful reflection and purposeful planning and actions” (https://learn.cli.org/best-practices/classroom-culture-and-environment/culture/). As a future tax paying citizen, we want every student to be a contributing member of society that is prepared for a diverse work environment and is open minded to the differences of others. Creating a multicultural classroom prepares our students for those diverse life and work experiences. Always keep in mind, the culture of a classroom takes time to develop and can ‘fall off the rails’ at times, but always focus back on the plan and actions that it took to create a multi-cultural climate within the room to ensure a positive and productive learning environment remains intact.
