Abstraction

Imagine a classroom of 30-40 learners or even more. What do you see? What have you
observed? Perhaps you see a roomful of learners who behave differently, varying in sizes, color
and ability and are unique in their own respective ways. They come from different families with
a distinct packaging. They bring their personal history to the classroom and each one is
different.
This is what the principle of individual variation is all about. No two persons are exactly
alike. Each person is unique. All people are genetically and biologically different from each
other. Even identical twins will have their unique features. In as much as people differ form
each other, no two people can be expected to react in a similar way to the same environmental
stimuli.
Diversity is everything that makes people different from each other (Kampen, 2019).
This includes many different factors: race, ethnicity, handicapping conditions, socio-economic
status, age, religious belief, or political conviction. Other demographic factors such as family
lifestyles, personality characteristics, and family composition may also be considered. The
University of Rhode Island defines diversity in the classroom as “understanding that each
student brings unique experiences, strengths, and ideas to our classroom. “All these factors
work together to inform how everyone encounters the world. Understanding, accepting and
valuing diverse backgrounds can help our learners thrive and survive in this ever-changing
world.

There are different types of diversity which include:

1. Diversity in terms of personal characteristics. These cover age, gender, communication
style, and socio-economic background and personality.
2. Diversity in terms of student background. These have to do with culture ethnicity,
language, political beliefs, social class, and religion.
3. Diversity in terms of cognitive aptitude to cover cognitive abilities, technical abilities
and skills as well as social abilities and skills.
4. Diversity in terms of level of motivation and diversity of opinion. Nowadays, teachers
are faced with a classroom that is a melting pot of learners with a variety of biological,
social, and cultural backgrounds. They bring diverse characteristics into the classroom
regardless of grade or subject they may be attending. Given the diversity of today’s
society, the ability to connect with peers, classmates, co-workers are invaluable or
indispensable.
The concept of diversity is oftentimes associated with inclusion. The concept of inclusion
goes beyond diversity because simply having different kinds of learners in the classroom does
not necessarily mean the exercise of inclusion. It is when people coming from different
demographics feel welcomed can we say that the classroom is inclusive.
Inclusions refers to a cultural and environmental feeling of belonging. Thus, if a child with
hearing impairment feels comfortable inside the classroom because the teacher and classmates
are accepting, then we can say that inclusion is practiced. An inclusive classroom makes the
learners feel valued, respected, accepted, and encouraged to fully participate in the class
activities. Teachers who recognize and embrace diversity should endeavor to make the
classroom inclusive.
Teachers have the responsibility to make sure that learners can learn and study in a
diverse environment and collaborate with each other. This implies the creation of a classroom
community which is supportive making the children ready to learn with the prevailing sense of
security, support, happiness, excitement, curiosity and interest. The school curriculum ought to
teach learners how to live and work in a society where every individual’s uniqueness is
respected and appreciated. Diversity improves critical thinking skills, builds empathy and
encourages students to think differently.
If a teacher recognizes diversity in the classroom this will enable him or her to plan for
teaching methodologies to maximize learning. This can also help the teacher communicate his
awareness and appreciation of each one in the classroom. It also makes the teacher conscious
of the language being used, the points to be emphasized and the manner of interaction with
them.
Pre-service and even in service teachers ought to be aware of certain assumptions that
might get in the way of building inclusive classrooms and meeting students’ learning needs.
They should avoid getting being trapped by theses assumptions. There is a need to be aware of
these faculty assumptions which are:
1. Students are not diverse. Learners share similarities but this doesn’t mean they are alike
in all respects. Many factors contribute to a diverse identity and these characteristics
influence learners behave and interact with each other.
2. Diversity doesn’t matter because everyone is diverse. This assumption surfaces when
diversity discussions stop at the idea that everyone is different.
3. Diversity does not have anything to do with learning. Diversity is in action inside the
classroom. The lesson content, the examples being given and how the teacher relates
with the learners are situations where diversity is apparent. By enabling the learners to
take multiple perspectives, they develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The teacher’s openness to classroom diversity leads to positive outcomes. First, it builds
better thinkers. Learners who are in a diverse classroom are better able to appreciate different
perspectives and draw stronger conclusions. The challenge to consider different perspectives
enable them to develop social skills, useful for the rest of their life. Second, appreciating
diversity improves academic outcomes.
Children in a diverse classroom do not only learn social skills. They also learn to become
critical thinkers that encourages academic confidence. Third, it involves more students.
Learners in a diverse classroom where acceptance prevails are more likely to feel safer, less
lonely and less bullied in school.
It is imperative that the acknowledgement of one’s diversity begins with the teacher. Once
the teacher acknowledges one’s diversity it will be easy to acknowledge the learners’ diversity,
too. Children can also be introduced to appreciating diversity at a young age. Tominey &
O’Byron (2017) outlined a number of simple strategies which can be tried out by a teacher in
the early childhood and elementary levels. These include heling children learn one another’s
names as well as the names of the teachers in school, providing children with the opportunity
to get to know each other and discover similarities and differences, and choosing classroom
themes that highlight similarities and differences within the classroom. In addition, teachers
can give children the chance to share to class what makes them special as means of building
personal identity and boosting self-esteem. They can also be taught to engage in open
conversations about stereotypes and biases such as those pertaining to skin color, of being
male or female, of having special needs with the intention of helping them adopt less biased
viewpoints.
One very interesting activity can be introduced using crayons. The children will be
instructed to draw something and color it using only one color. They will not be allowed to use
different colors. After this, they will be asked to make a second drawing and would have the
freedom to burst it with varying colors. They will later be asked what drawing do they like and
why. Chances are they would like the second drawing because it is colorful. This can be a take
off point to discuss diversity inside the classroom.
As a teacher hold the key to celebrating diversity in the classroom, s/he must convey a
positive perspective toward the presence of diversity in the class. Diversity is a strength which
every teacher can harness to ensure that the learners will find the classroom a secure and
happy place for learning as well as develop positive social relationships.

Given that accepting diversity leads to positive outcomes, teachers can utilize these tips or
ways to promote equity and diversity in the classroom:

 Self-Awareness – the most basic step in promoting equity and diversity is for the
teacher to develop self-awareness. There is a need for the teacher to recognize how the
differences in ability, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, personality, socio-economic
status, and being able-bodied impact one’s perceptions. The teacher ought to
acknowledge one’s biases and seek to understand people with different experiences.
 Get to know your learners – All the learners in your school are unique individuals, so
use that fact to build a diverse and inclusive school culture. Take the time to learn about
them. When you know your learners in terms of their strengths and weaknesses, you
will be better equipped to address their diversity.

 Class Norms – classroom norms that promote openness are set. These include being
respectful to each other, being able to share ideas, opinions, and values openly and
learning to disagree respectfully. It is important that rules are set explicitly in terms of
showing respect, sharing opinions, and ideas, etc. This should be a collaborative task
between teacher and learners. Flexibility should be exercised to refine the rules or
norms, if needed.

 Culturally Relevant Teaching - teachers are encouraged to recognize diversity by

promoting the importance of cultural awareness, creating a sense of belongingness
among learners and allowing them to celebrate differences in traditions, practices, and
beliefs. This pedagogy provides a framework which exposes the learners to cultural
variances in deep, meaningful ways and at the same time prioritizes academic
excellence for all students.

 Purposeful Planning – One important key to promoting equity and diversity is

purposeful and careful planning. If a particular topic or idea for discussion is sensitive, it
would be good to select the proper text or material to be used, the ways of facilitating
the discussion which would encourage active listening and respecting opinions.
Collaborative learning groups can be formed to enable learners to work together.

 Meet diverse learning needs – the teacher can use different teaching strategies to
address the different needs of the learners. The teacher should make sure that all
learners are actively participating in the classroom activities and discussion. Technology
can also be used to support especially for learners with special needs.

 Community Involvement – Parents, family members, community members or those

representing persons with special needs can be invited as resource person in class. The
exposure of the learners to different kinds of people will broaden their experiences and
will prepare them for life beyond the classroom. It is best to be able to connect with
parents and the community.