Bekah Bryant

9/10/15
EDUG 500
PRQ #2
As teachers, we are called to be teachers, facilitators, and supporters of students of all
capabilities, learning styles, and cultures. We take on the crucial undertaking of teaching children
the fundamentals of academics who are at all different levels in their academic career. The
student diversity in the classroom is on the incline. Gardner discusses the idea that each child
will show high levels of intelligence in different areas. He argues that human beings have
evolved to carry out at least seven separate forms of analysis. (Gardner, 2015) In order to assist
students who have such diversity in the intelligences towards success, teachers must be able to
make adjustments to their planning, teaching, and classroom environment through the
information they learn about the students in their classroom.
In the book, Methods for Effective Teaching, the authors discuss five different ways to
create an inclusive, multicultural classroom. These include creating a supportive, caring
environment, offering a responsive curriculum, varying instruction, providing assistance when
needed, and differentiating instruction. (Budren & Byrd, 2013) According to the California
Teaching Performance Expectations four and seven, teachers are required to engage and support
their students through making content accessible and teach students at all levels. There are a
plethora of ways for teachers to create an environment in the classroom that supports all learners.
Teachers can celebrate diversity through first seeing every student as assets and not burdens in
the classroom, that each student individually offers something the rest of the class can learn
from. (Hollie, 2015) When students feel appreciated instead of seen as different or a problem,
they will feel more comfortable.

Teachers also need to have high expectations of their students and truly believe each one
of them can achieve success. Each student needs to be challenged and not have lower
expectations based off of learning capabilities or styles. Teachers need to encourage all students
and show them they are cared for so that they will feel supported in the classroom. Lastly,
teachers need to create an anti-bias educational environment through addressing students hurtful
comments or purposeful exclusion and speak up for what is right. (Burden & Byrd, 2013)
The next step is for teachers to offer a responsive curriculum in the classroom through
using a relevant curriculum with no bias. Teachers can also add information to lessons and
curriculum based off of the type of students they have in their classrooms in order for students to
make their own connections. Teachers must also vary their instruction to incorporate the needs of
each of their students. Teachers can do this through individualized instruction and challenge each
student based of his or her intellectual abilities or group students together who can challenge and
support each other. Teachers can consider differentiated assignments that are altered by length of
difficulty based off of the needs of the student. Lastly, teachers need to use varied methods of
assessment because each student learns differently and tests differently. (Burden & Byrd, 2013)
Teachers also need to provide assistance to the students who need it and will benefit from
additional instruction. Burden and Byrd point out that Teachers often provide individualized
assistance to students who have difficulty learning, but argue that all students can benefit from
this type of assistance. TPE 10 discusses instructional time and how Candidates allocate
instructional time to maximize student learning and achievement in relation to state-adopted
academic content standards for students. (CTC, 2015) Through creating an environment that
engages all students and supports all students and taking the time for individualized assistance,

teachers can better guide each of their students to academic success and a classroom culture that
celebrates diversity.

Works Cited
Burden, P., & Byrd, D. (2007). Methods for effective teaching: Promoting K-12 student
understanding (4th ed., pp. 39-45). Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
Gadner, H. (n.d.). Intelligence in Several Steps. Perspectives on Educational Change, 97100.
Hollie, S. (2015). Differentiated Thinking. In Culturally and Linguistically Responsive
Teaching and Learning (pp. 31-34). Shell Education.
The California Teaching Performance Expectations. (2013). Retrieved September 10,
2015.