Practise respect for all learners from all cultures, including, specifically, Indigenous learners
Embracing Diversity and Incorporating Inclusive Practices
Today’s classroom has diverse students with diverse needs. How can you meet the needs of all of your students? What are your responsibilities to all of your students?
Start by recognizing that diversity can include but is not limited to culture, race, ethnicity, religion, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, socio-economic status, life experience and language. In order to ensure your classroom celebrates its diversity, develops its own sense of community, and is inclusive, there are many things that you incorporate into your practice during field experiences.
- Examine your worldview and how it influences the decisions that you make
- Consider how you might learn about the worldviews of your students
- Get to know your students beyond what makes them diverse – what strengths and talents does each student bring to the classroom and to the learning community?
- What strategies can be used to ccommodate diverse learning needs?
- Implement diverse materials, multimodalities, resources and ideas into the curriculum
- Utilize universal design principles
- Personalize learning
- Involve students in reflection
- Assist students in setting personal goals for their learning
- Consult and collaborate with your students’ other teachers and support staff
- Incorporate the First Peoples Principles of Learning into your curriculum, planning, assessment and teaching philosophy
- What community resources would help your practice in being culturally responsive?
Reflection
- What experiences have you had with diversity and inclusion?
- What attributes do you bring to these concepts?
- What can you learn from others? What can others learn from you?
- How do educators work with one another to support students? How does this happen in formal and informal ways?
- Where are diversity and inclusion recognized in the curriculum? In assessment practices?
- How does your worldview impact your understanding of diversity and inclusion?