How Diversity Aects the Classroom

Much discussion about diversity focuses on the following forms of marginalization:

race, class, gender, and sexual orientation and rightfully so, given the importance
of these forms of dierence. In fact, students come to the university classroom with
dierent backgrounds, sets of experiences, cultural contexts, and world views.

However, diversity is an issue that plays a role in the classroom beyond these
categories. For example, much educational and psychological literature
demonstrates that students have diverse ways of learning. Some learn visually,
through charts, graphs, tables and drawing; others may learn primarily through
aural means (i.e. through listening to lecture); and others still may be primarily
kinesthetic (i.e. learning by doing, project work, etc.). Attention to learning styles is
an important aspect of addressing dierences among all students. For more on this
topic see Teaching Students with Dierent Learning Styles and Levels of
Preparation.

Additionally, issues of diversity play a role in how students and teachers view the
importance of the classroom and what should happen there. For example,
assumptions about what a typical student should know, the resources they have
and their prior knowledge are extremely important.

Students may perceive that they do not belong in the classroom setting a
feeling that can lead to decreased participation, feelings of inadequacy, and other
distractions. Teachers may make flawed assumptions of students capabilities or
assume a uniform standard of student performance. Teachers may themselves feel
out of place based on their own ascriptive traits (i.e. dierences based on class,
privilege, etc.).

Identifying and thinking through notions of dierence and how they aect the
classroom allow both students and teachers to see the classroom as an inclusive
place. Please see the handout on dierence and its classroom eects for additional
details.

Diversityinstudentneedshandout

I.Multiplestylesofteaching.
Tomaximizeinclusivenessinaclassroom,itmaybeidealtoteachinsuchawayso
thatallofthesestylescanbeaddressedinsomeways.
*Encouragestudentstoassesshowtheylearnbest.Youcangetatthisbymeansof
aninclasssurveyabouthowtheyliketohavematerialpresented,orbydirecting
studentstoselfassessmenttestsaboutlearningstyles.
*Switchingbetweendierentmodesmayoermultiplewaysofexpressingdifficult
conceptstostudents.i.e.astudentwhoisprimarilyvisualmayhavetrouble
followingaconceptbysimplyhearingalecture.Encouragingthemtotrytosketch
outtheideaonpapermayhelpthemvisualizetheconceptandmakesenseofit.
*Orientinglectures/presentationstoinfusedierentstylescanbeofuse,andkeep
theattentionofaclass.
Tryincorporatingvisual,auralandkinestheticelementstopresentations.
Examples:
*Havealecturewhereconceptsareexplainedverballyandbyuseofachart/graph
demonstratingthelogicofaconcept
*Usesoundandvideoclipsascasestudies/examplesofaphenomenon.
II.Settingupaclassroomtobewelcomingforall.
A.Fromateacher'spointofview:
1.)Defineyourrelationshipwithyourstudentsandtheprofessorearly.Thisis
especiallyimportantforinternationalTAsand minorityTAs.
Becertaintohaveadiscussionwithyourprofessoratthebeginningoftheterm
aboutthoseareaswhereonesauthoritymaybequestioned,namely,whatwill
happenininagradedispute?Latepolicies,extensionpolicies,etc.
2.)Reframeyourrelationshipwithstudentsasamentor,asopposedtoasan
evaluator.Especiallywithundergraduatestudents,iftheyfeelthatyouarethereto

assisttheminunderstandingthematerialbyanymeanspossible,thenissuesof
authoritychallenges,etc.arelesslikely.Thisincludesbeingopenabouthavingoffice
hours,answeringemailsandpromotingtransparencyregardingexpectations
(especiallyintermsofhowgradesareassigned).
B.Fromthestudent'spointofview:
DiversityintheClassroomModule.
AnthonyBerryhillandGraduateTeachingCenter,(c)2008.
Studentscometouniversitieswithalargevarietyofbackgrounds,obstaclesand
environments,soitisimportanttobesurethatweareassensitivetosuchdiversity
aspossible.Smalladjustmentscanhelpensurethattheclassroomisasinclusiveas
possible.
Asanoverallcomment,tryasmuchaspossible,nottoassumeaparticular
backgroundofstudents,eveniftheschoolisaveryprestigiousschool,ormaybe
locatedinahomogeneousarea.
Morespecificdetails:
1.)Whenusingcultural,historicalorsocialreferences,explainthecontextfirst,and
thengointotheexample.Notallstudentswhoareinaclassroommaycomefrom
thesameschoolbackground(orquality),ormayevenbeUScitizens.Explainingthe
contextofareference/examplewillhelppromotediversitybykeepingeveryoneon
thesamepage,thusavoidingexcludingstudentsfromthestart.
2.)Minimizeeconomicconstraintsasmuchaspossible.Studentsmaycometoa
classroomunderrestrainedresources,butmaybetooembarrassedtosaythatthey
cannotaordthebooks.Havingcoursepacksandrequiredbooksonreservefor
suchstudentswillensurethattheycanparticipatewithouthavingtoworry.
Makeitclearthatifstudentsdohavespecialconcernsorproblemsthattheycanfeel
comfortablediscussingthosewithyousoyoucanprovideassistance.

3.)Listresourcesforstudentassistanceonsyllabi,coursewebsites,etc.Many
studentswhomayhavespecialneedsgowithoutsimplybecausetheydonotknow
ofsuchoptions.Alertingthemtowritingcenters,freetutoringoncampus,disability
resource
centers,etc.willallowthosewhoneedsuchoptionsthefreedomtodoso.
4.)Announceallstudentsbynameandattributecontributionstotherespective
students.
Doingthishelpsensurethatallstudentsfeelwelcomeandrelevantmembersofthe
classroomandtheuniversityoverallbycommunicatingthattheyarebeingtaken
seriously.Thisisespeciallyhelpfulinsituationswherestudentsmayfeel
uncomfortableasminoritymembersofaclass(basedonrace,gender,class
background,etc.)orwhomayhaveanunpopularordissentingpointofview