Diverse Teaching Strategies

When beginning to read these articles on diverse teaching strategies, I did not expect to find so many different statistics and ideas behind "diverse learners". I initially thought of diverse learners as students with special needs, but after reading through some valid thoughts I realized that diverse learners are not just students with special needs, but all learners with needs depending on their circumstances. It opened my mind to see that you and I are both "diverse learners" because we come from different backgrounds, family lives, and races. We all have individual needs that can help use to become more successful.

Reading about the graduation rates was an eye opener. To think that so many children will not graduate this year alone because they were not given the tools that they needed was extremely disheartening. Even worse was that we know how to close this achievement gap but can't because so many schools don't have the opportunity or the means to contribute to closing the gap. I agree that we all need to embrace diversity as soon as possible and encourage the development of diversity at a young age. Diversity is not something we are going to "fix" but rather something that we are going to be able to help an control so that each child is given a fair chance at being successful in schooling and therefore in a career afterword.

Some strategies that we can use would first start with setting the same playing field for all children. This means not expecting less from students because you think they don't want to or are unable to learn. Setting high expectations and high standards for each individual is important to drive each child and show them that as a teacher you believe in them and in their success.

Showing children that you care about them and their future is the key to them trusting you and wanting to do well not only for themselves but for you too. Therefore developing an individual relationship with each student is essential to your classroom. Surely you classroom is a type of "family" but showing each child you care personally and see them as a unique individual in a group setting helps them establish the confidence necessary to learn in difficult situations. This means learning about their backgrounds, their home lives, and tailoring your lessons to their individual interests and strengths. Giving multiple forms of assessment gives students the means to choose and therefore succeed in areas that they may not have been strong in before.

Technology is another aspect to learning that needs to be embraced by teachers at this day in age. Technology allows for different instruction methods that may be more relatable to students of different demographics. By enhancing electronic resources you are opening more chances for students to learn on their own terms and at their own pace. Having interactive communication also helps diverse learners by allowing them to read and comment on eachother's work as well as ask questions when they need a hand. Having computer based learning materials allows for flexibility to help support all types of diverse learners and should be incorporated into each classroom.