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.

Terms to Keep in Mind 1. Diversity – The condition of being different from one another. 2. 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. 3. Ethnocentrism – Inability to accept another's culture's world view; “my way is the best”. 4. Discrimination – Differential treatment of an individual due to minority status; actual and perceived. 5. Stereotyping – Generalizing about a person while ignoring presence of individual differences. 6. Cultural Blindness – Differences are ignored and one proceeds as though differences did not exist. 7. 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 1. Appreciate and accommodate the similarities and differences among the students’ cultures. 2. Build relationships with your students. 3. Focus on ways students learn and observe students to identify their task orientations. 4. Teach students to match their behaviors to the setting.

Instructional Strategies 1. Use a variety of instructional strategies and learning activities. 2. Consider students’ culture and language skills when developing learning objectives and instructional activities.language skills 3. Incorporate objectives for affective and personal development. 4. Communicate expectations 5. Provide rationales 6. Provide frequent reviews of the content learned 7. Facilitate independence in thinking and action 8. Monitor student academic progress during lessons and independent work. 9. Provide frequent feedback. 10. Require mastery

Tips on different Ethnic Groups Mexican-American African-American Asians Native Americans Looking at: Communication Style Social Interaction Style Response Style Linguistic Style

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. (Asian- American) Linguistic Style: -Tonal language; clear communication and meaningful understand can cause problems.

Native Americans Communication Style: Mainstream ValuesNative American Values Speak loudly and quicklySpeak softly and slowly Address listeners directlyAvoid eye contact Interrupt frequentlyInterject seldomly Self-expression privacy Verbal encouragementNonverbal encouragement Response Style: Mainstream ValuesNative American Values Competition and aggressionCooperation and patience Personal goals importantGroup needs important Power over natureHarmony 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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