Rosemary ,
Being prepared to deal with different people is the first step.
Philip Campbell
I teach nursing in Phoenix. We have a real mix of both ethnicities and religions in this area. Nurses need to be ready to care for a rich mix of very diverse groups. As part of the course each student researchs a cultural group or a specific religion. We discuss why it is important to be culturally competent care providers, the beliefs, customs, etc of specific groups and then how the nurse would adapt care to be suitable to that patient.
This exercise helps students to see beyond their own beliefs and customs and understand how other people perceive our world.
At the end of all the presentations, students are asked to list similarities as well as differences between groups. We usually have more commonalities than they initially expected so hopefully that give them "food for thought".
Simona,
Recognizing the learning styles shows you are an effective instructor. Good Job!
Philip Campbell
Some people have different ways of learning. Some are hands on and some are visual. Either way, you would need to learn how to teach to that student.
Karen I agree and I think it is important to for students to know the difference between IQ and EQ because especially in law anwers can become very emotional when a student is comparing a situation they encountered.
There is so much diversity in a career college classroom. You have generational diversity - the Gen Y (and Gen Why) student is very different than the Gen X student and/or the Baby Boomer, yet I have all 3 in the same classroom.
There is diversity among races, religions, cultures, socio-economic factors, learning styles, motivation, and types of intelligence.
I remember a Super Bowl commercial that showed how difficult it is to wrangle cats - sometimes the classroom can feel that way. You have multiple generations/personalities/motivations/intelligences all tearing off in multiple directions. You're trying to guide the discussions and cover the course objectives while remaining aware of the diversity. It can be a challenge!
Besides cultural and ethnic diversity I think it's important that we understand diversity in regards to learning styles. Every student learns differently and it is beneficial to present subject matter in different ways.
Until I became an Instructor I was very closed minded. My eyes were opened quickly and I had to adapt and change my teaching style. Still, after 5 years I am constantly changing the way I present and evaluate to fit with each different, diverse group of students.
Absolutely it's best to recognize this from the start. Of course, the hardest part is diversifying the way you present concepts - especially outside of your own preferred learning/teaching style!
Melissa,
Trying to do that on the front side of a class is better than realizing it 3/4 of the way through the class. Keep coming up with many different ways to present concepts and you will hit all the learning styles.
Philip Campbell
In addition to the many other kinds of diversity discussed by others, I was thinking about learning type diversity. There are so many individual ways that people learn - types of learning visual or auditory or hands on. And some don't fit neatly into any of these categories. I think it's vital to be sensitive to all kinds of learners you may have. It may not be possible to taylor your learning to each person, but including many diverse ways to learn will help all students.
In one of my classes (at another institution) approximately 90% of my class is Arabic, and those students are more or less evenly divided between Christian and Muslim backgrounds. I have found that it works best to celebrate their diversity and generate an atmosophere of mutual curiosity. Curiosity breeds tolerance. Satisfied curiosity breeds respect, at least to a degree. It is, of course, more difficult when one is dealing with a couple of thousand years worth of learned behavior and attitudes. Those years have to be acknowledged and respected, too.
Peggy,
That is a great question that i am sure many instructors face on a daily basis. Many times they come to our schools and this is their quiet time, so we should really empower them and make them feel like this is a great opportunity for themselves and their families, which it is. Many do not feel like that though. many feel like it is hard to be away from their kids, especially if they are sick. Additional support from their peer group will also help them on their journey. Small victories for them will help them on their way as well. Keep up the good work.
Philip Campbell
I have many single mothers in my class and I detect that they are unfocused. They have multiple young children and have a hard time balancing their educational and personal lives. I have never been in that situation-I am married with 3 kids-and I cannot imagine how you find that balance. Is there any tips I can give them so they can stop struggling with their academic achievements?
In reading all the posts for this topic, I saw the following diversity issues that respondents felt we need to be aware of / respectful of: sexual orientation, socio-economic status, gender, language, culture, age, trauma, learning disabilities, mental illness, politics, race, aesthetic (?), past experiences and learning styles. (Interestingly enough, I do not remember seeing anybody mention religion.)
I am going to go in a different direction in responding to this post. There are 6-7 billion people on Earth. Theoretically, each person is unique. It is impractical, if not impossible, to learn about / be aware of every possible way that someone might be different from me. I would also argue that it is not necessary depending on your goal. If your goal is political correctness, not being sued, or some other superficial aim, then by all means worry about all these factors. If your concern is truly about people, then it is probably much more helpful to focus on how people are alike rather than how they are different. Human beings have basic needs (and failings) that are common to all people. Genuine concern / compassion for meeting these needs will overcome those barriers. With regards to the classroom or the workplace, set an expected standard for behavior. Participants don't get to opt out of expected norms for behavior because they are poor / rich, straight / gay, black / white / yellow / red, male / female, etc. Be respectful (accept that other people have different opinions and allow them to express them even if you don't agree without responding violently), and use active listening and assertive response skills. Focusing on diversity by definition places the emphasis on how people are different. Unity can never be achieved if people keep focusing on how they are different.
Dr. Campbell: The backgrounds of each of our students is diverse. Some have a language barrier, which makes communication in the classroom both online and in class difficult. Others have different cultural backgrounds that make their answers potentially right in their eyes, but wrong in the eyes of the law. (I teach law). Sometimes the diversity helps to make a class discussion even more interesting. The differing points of view. Advising students to not react emotionally, to some things that others say in class, is also very important.
I agree. Issues of socioeconomic status must be addressed with sensitivity. These are very sensitive and emotional issues for students.
Each person in every room will have something were they are diffent from at least one other person in the room. We are all different in our own ways and catagories. Though we are not our catagories. I feel if we respect the diversities seen and unseen in each person and honor each persons dreams we can help them succeed.
Tom,
Many students do bring in abundance of knowledge already. It is wise to see how we can use that to our advantage.
Philip Campbell
Diversity means a lot of things. In a technical class, each student brings knowledge, skills, and behaviors related to the subject. As an instructor, I must be willing to assess those "diverse" elements in order to help the student to learn.
