Teaching policy in the multicultural classroom.

Philipiah J Antony
Major Theme

Educate yourself
Become as sensitive as you can to racial, ethnic, gender and cultural
groups other than your own.
At the same time

Never make assumptions about an individual based on the racial, ethnic,

or cultural groups to which he or she appears to belong. Treat each
student first and foremost as an individual. Get to know each student
individually.

Teaching policy in the multicultural classroom.

A teacher must recognize the unique differences that each and every student brings to the
classroom. Eachs needs must be met by adapting instruction to students with diverse
backgrounds and exceptionalities. Educators must be aware of the exceptionalities in learning
such as learning disabilities, difficulties, physical or mental challenges, gifts, and talents. A
teacher must recognize biases, discrimination, prejudices, institutional and personal racism and
sexism. A teacher must also understand the benefits of various lifestyles, racial, cultural and
economic groups in our society. Incorporating students experiences allow them to bring their
culture and background into instruction. In instructing students, use teaching strategies that are
appropriate to the students stage of development, learning style, strengths, and needs.

Plan the course with the multicultural classroom in mind by considering syllabi, course
assignments, examples, stories, and potential classroom dynamics.
Find ways to make the actual class open and safe for all students, and to make the material
accessible to all students.
Learn how to intervene tactfully and efficiently in racially charged classroom situations and to
manage hot moments or hot topics.
Assess conscious and unconscious biases about people of cultures other than your own.

The goals of multicultural education.

Creating a safe, accepting and successful learning environment for all
Increasing awareness of global issues
Strengthening cultural consciousness
Strengthening intercultural awareness
Teaching students that there are multiple historical perspectives
Encouraging critical thinking
Preventing prejudice and discrimination

What Can teacher in Classroom

Integrate a diverse reading list that demonstrates the universal human experience across
cultures
Encourage community participation and social activism
Go beyond the textbook
By supplementing your curriculum with current events and news stories outside the textbook,
you can draw parallels between the distant experiences of the past and the world today.
Creating multicultural projects that require students to choose a background outside of their
own. Suggest that your school host an in-service professional development on multicultural
education in the classroom

Criterion

Element

Artifacts/evidence
Incorporate multicultural, gender equality
examples, materials, and visual aids as much
as possible in lectures.

Criterion 1
Centering instruction on
high expectations for
student achievement

Establishing
Human relation in
multicultural classroom

Structure project groups, panels, laboratory

teams, and the like so that membership and
leadership roles are balanced across ethnic and
gender groups.
Encourage students to explore different racial
and cultural perspectives.
Assign work of scholars from a variety of
racial and ethnic backgrounds relevant to the
topic being studied.
Create opportunities for interactive teacherstudent participation so that everyone feels a
responsibility and openness to contribute.

Communicating with
students with diversity

Take note on home language.

When appropriate, encourage students to share
their thoughts on the subject, acknowledging
their statements as they are made.
When necessary, create opportunities for
students to personalize course content with
examples from their cultural perspective so
that they can make connections between ideas
learned in the classroom and those learned
through life experiences.
Let students know from the very beginning
that their thoughts have a place in the class,

that we all have unique perspectives, and that

these different perspectives are an essential
component of the learning process.
Make it safe for everyone to voice regardless
of ethnicity and gender views by accepting all
points of view as worthy of consideration.
Don't permit scapegoating of any student or
any view. Don't leave students alone out on a
limb. Avoid creating situations where students
are placed in the position of being
representatives of their race.

Engaging Students
in learning

Divide the class into smaller groups, and when

appropriate, assign one person with the
responsibility of reporting on the small group's
work.
Each group has combination of gender and
race balance students
Encourage students to form study groups.
Create opportunities for students to present
their work to each other and the whole class.

Criterion 2: Demonstrating
effective teaching practices

Uses a variety or series of questions

Questioning will challenge students cognitively.
Create advanced high-level thinking and
discourse and promote divercity.
Using questioning and
discussion techniques

Students formulate questions, initiate topics and

make voluntary contributions.
Students themselves ensure that all voices are
heard in the discussion.

Reflecting on Teaching

Suggestion for improvement and ethical and

gender tolerance
written reflection
Explain how can they improved.

Criterion

Recognizing individual
student learning needs
and developing
strategies to address
those needs
Demonstrating
knowledge of students

Create opportunities for mutual teacherstudent participation so that everyone feels a

responsibility and openness to contribute.
When appropriate, encourage students to share
their thoughts on the subject, acknowledging
their statements as they are made.
When necessary, create opportunities for
students to personalize course content with
examples from their history so that they can
make connections between ideas learned in the
classroom and those learned through life
experiences.
Let students know from the very beginning
that their thoughts have a place in the class,
that we all have unique perspectives, and that
these different perspectives are an essential
component of the learning process.
Make it safe for everyone to voice their views
by accepting all points of view as worthy of
consideration. Don't permit scapegoating of

any student or any view. Don't leave students

alone out on a limb.