Why Is A Culturally Inclusive Classroom Important For Your Child?

Diversity and cultural inclusion are essential in all aspects of life. By bringing together people of different backgrounds in a way that allows every person to feel confident in who they are, communities can foster new relationships, learn new perspectives, and expand their perception of life and what it entails. And when it comes to diversity and inclusion in the classroom, these concepts are even more vital. So why is a culturally inclusive classroom important for your child?

Throughout their schooling, children begin developing specific aspects of their personalities, such as interests, confidence, connection with others, and more. Because children are so impressionable during their younger years, putting them into inclusive situations allows them to abandon the notion that you must be from the same cultural background to connect with someone. Since that notion couldn’t be further from the truth, teaching children through action regarding diversity in the classroom is the best way to ensure that they reap the benefits now and well into their futures.

So what is cultural inclusion in education, exactly? And what are the benefits? Let’s investigate.

What is cultural inclusion in education?
A culturally inclusive learning environment operates under several facets of connection:

• Mutual respect
• Effective relationship building
• Clear communication
• Understanding
• Self-reflection

This means that all students, regardless of race, creed, religious status, language, or cultural background, are free to express themselves in a way that is authentic to them in an environment that provides a safe enough space to do so. Students who attend a culturally inclusive school can:

• Participate in their studies and school activities free and safe from harassment and any unfair or biased treatment or abuse
• Interact with members of their school community in a meaningful way
• Learn about different cultures, enhancing their education on the world and the people in it

Teachers, parents, and other school staff all have a role in ensuring that their students and children receive a culturally inclusive education that will benefit them throughout their lives.

What is a culturally inclusive classroom?
Many people think that a culturally inclusive classroom will be diverse in terms of the type of students attending – but having a class of mixed races, religions, and backgrounds is only one piece of the picture. Creating a culturally inclusive classroom takes more than visual diversity, because it isn’t about simply being there. It’s about showing up to a safe space where you are free to be yourself, regardless of your culture.

Students can come from all different types of cultural backgrounds. However, that is not the only thing about them that makes them who they are. To ensure that cultural inclusivity is alive and well in the classroom, each student must not be pigeonholed into their culture, but celebrated for their differences because of it and other unique characteristics they possess as human beings. Culture is essential, but so is knowing that children are multidimensional people, just like everyone else. 

What does a culturally inclusive classroom look like?
Cultural inclusivity in the classroom will look like an environment that fosters connection among students, teachers, and peers in a way that promotes unwavering acceptance. That means there will be culturally inclusive classroom activities designed to help students and teachers learn more about other cultures while celebrating their differences with their peers.

The main goal of classroom inclusivity is to make each student feel as though they fit in, regardless of how different they may seem or feel themselves to be. When children feel protected, safe, and part of the group, they are more likely to have an excellent educational experience that hones their social skills and improves their ability to progress at a reasonable rate regarding their studies.

Why is a culturally inclusive learning environment important for students?
Diversity and inclusion in the classroom are essential for students' overall satisfaction and progress. Taking pride in one’s cultural background with others from different cultures is a great way to foster confidence in a child’s sense of self.

Other benefits can be broken down into two categories:

• Academic
  Students in culturally inclusive environments are far more likely to sharpen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills because of how often they face differing opinions and perspectives. It has also been found that students in culturally inclusive environments fare better in terms of their grades than those who are not.
• Social
  Students learn how to interact in different ways when in the presence of those who aren’t exactly like them. Students who connect with those from other backgrounds develop empathy that can only come from learning more about people’s experiences that differ from yours. These students will also avoid the development of cultural biases that otherwise may have been instilled well into adulthood.

How do you create a culturally inclusive classroom?
Teachers and educators can foster a culturally inclusive education experience for their students in many ways. Some possible activities you can implement in the classroom include:

• Ensuring that course materials, textbooks, and reading materials come from a wide range of diverse individuals
• Planning cultural events that students can attend to learn more about each other
• Celebrating each student's unique name by having students learn how to pronounce those that may be more difficult for them, and planning a “What does your name mean?” activity to make it engaging
• Creating a classroom collage that each student can add to using their cultural inspiration
• Having a “Bring your favourite dish to school” potluck to share diverse food offerings from every student’s background
• Celebrating all cultural holidays throughout the year by creating a short in-class activity that represents every holiday that students and their families may celebrate
• Giving creative license to students when handing out specific projects so that they can personalize their work to what is meaningful for them
• Engaging in sports, dance, and other activities from around the globe
• Having a “Pick the music” day where students can have their choice of music played in the background for that day

By doing any of the activities above, you can make your classroom much more culturally inclusive for your students, allowing each and every one of them to feel as though they belong.

 

Featured image by MI PHAM on Unsplash