Multicultural Classrooms

Multicultural classrooms are a common place in schools today. Because each classroom is different, the approach in meeting the needs of all learners will vary as well. Multicultural education incorporates values, beliefs, and perspectives from different cultural backgrounds. At the classroom level, teachers modify lessons to reflect the cultural diversity of the students in their particular class. In the broadest sense, culture can include race, ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, class, gender, sexual orientation, and exceptionality — a term applied to students with specialized needs or disabilities. As you look at the multicultural classroom, you need to look at how you design curriculum, instruct students, create, and implement assessments without bias, teacher education, and even how to staff schools.

Additionally, you can also look at diversity in two ways. Visible diversity is external and demonstrates things that cannot be changed, such as age, race, gender, and other physical attributes. However, there is also invisible diversity, which includes attributes that are not readily seen. The only way to find out the status of an individual's invisible diversity is to ask them in a kind, but direct manner. This media tool, Better Together Toolkit, will help support the concept of the multicultural classroom.

Answer the following questions in your post:

As you think of any classroom, what would you describe as the key factors a teacher deals with as it relates to multiculturalism and diversity (both visible and invisible).

How does multiculturalism and diversity impact the instruction in your own classroom?

As you consider the multicultural and diversity issues in your community, how would you say that differs from a community "opposite" from yours? For example, if you are in a large urban area, what are you dealing with that a small suburban area is not?

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