Equity & Diversity for Educators and Administrators

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    Intercultural Sensitivity  
    REFLECTIVE THINKING Resource: Teaching Tolerance

    Educators need to reflect on their actions and interactions to discern personal motivations that govern their behaviors. Understanding contributing factors of behaviors (e.g. racism, ethnocentrism) provokes changes in behavior. This can be achieved through self-reflective writing and discussion.   

    EXPLORING ONE’S BACKGROUND
     Educators and Administrators need to explore their early and familial experiences which have contributed to their perspectives and understanding as racial or nonracial beings. Informed educators who understand their backgrounds and values can better relate and interact with others. This can be achieved through informal family interviews and writing.

    Dept Picture SOCIAL IDENTITY
    Educators and Administrators need to acknowledge their affiliation with various groups in society, and the advantages and disadvantages of belonging to that group. The perspective of who one represents in society influences one’s sensitivity, relations, and interactions with people different from one’s own group. This can be achieved by considering factors like socio-economic status, gender, race, linguistic ability, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status (NRS….) or other membership.
     
    EDUCATION OF DIVERSE GROUPS Resource: Teaching Diverse Learners
    It is important that educators and administrators educate themselves about the lives and experiences of different cultures to grasp how historical events have shaped societal attitudes, perspectives, and values of different groups. This can be achieved through exposure to historically accurate and current media, including autobiographies, literature, documentaries, and current events.
     

    FAMILY & COMMUNITY OUTREACH
    Educators and Administrators need to know student’s families and communities to achieve a depth of relationship with their students and understand them as social and cultural beings. Familiarity of student’s lives outside of school provides insight into the influences of their attitudes and behaviors. This can be achieved through neighborhood walks, parent-teacher meetings, and open-house nights. Further, family and communities can be resources like classroom helpers or speakers, which can contribute to students’ educational growth.

    EQUITABLE PRACTICES OF EDUCATORS Resources: The Knowledge Loom
    Educators and Administrators need to learn about the effective practices of other teachers and districts to gain models to develop their own skills in teaching students from diverse backgrounds. This can be achieved by visiting classrooms, schools or other districts, watching recorded lessons, reading about successful accounts, and being up to date on research-based methods. See our Strategies Page.  
     
    PARTICIPATE IN SYSTEMIC REFORM Resource: The National SEED Project
    The educational system has historically fostered the achievement of one segment of the school population by establishing culturally biased standards and values. Mono-cultural values have promoted biases in curriculum development and instructional practices that have detrimental outcomes to the achievement of students of diverse backgrounds, but reform can be implemented. This can be achieved by using equitable practices in one’s classroom that individualize, support the strengths, and nurture areas of underdevelopment to promote student achievement. Teachers can also support district, regional, state, and national efforts of various organizations.