Summary: The Importance Of Diversity In Schools

Finding new ways to improve learning experiences equally for all students, as well as ways to promote healthy learning communities, is an important aspect of effective schools and effective teachers. Therefore, successful schools and teachers are interested in finding ways to support diversity in schools. Currently, teachers are taking steps to address diversity by learning about the ways students differ, about the teachers themselves, and, finally, by seeking to form one inclusive classroom community. First of all, in order for them to cultivate an inclusive classroom, teachers must learn about the ‘them’, that is, their students. The diversity of students, their abilities, and intelligences are as numerous as the students themselves. Harro Van Brummelen addresses six forms of diversity that may be …show more content…
This task is not an easy one, nor is it simple. In order to accomplish such a feat, teachers must begin by taking time to reflect on their individual diversities and learn about themselves. D. Scott Tharp considers the knowledge and owning of one’s own social identity and its impact on others to be the number one aspect an effective educator requires in order to do diversity education within a safe, and affirming environment (Tharp, 2012). School is a place where students will begin the process of finding out who they are as individual human beings. Therefore, it is important for teachers to contemplate who they are as teachers and individuals in order to help their students on their own journey. Once teachers are acquainted with their own views, they can then “engage students from a place of authenticity that inspires trust and models sincere understanding, respect, and commitment to diversity work” (Tharp,