Multicultural Education in the Classroom

Multicultural Diversity in the Classroom

Matthias Valan

Throughout the course of this semester we have read multiple sources educating readers on multicultural diversity in the classroom and how to engage students in welcoming this subject. As an instructor, it is our job to find and utilize educational strategies that will assist students into accepting and embracing these teachings.

“Racial Bias in the Classroom” authored by Darlene Leiding offers and in depth approach on strategies that are effective in increasing comprehension and understanding in the content area of multiculturalism. Should teachers choose to adopt these tactics into their diverse classrooms, we will begin to see commitment to anti-racism and welcoming of diversity in all areas of life.

The first strategy that would move schools in a positive diverse direction is the adoption of Hybridization. This is the term used to describe the cultural changes resulting from the intersection of two different cultures. This is said to happen when an individual is exposed to and influenced by more than one cultural context (Deculturalization and Struggle for Equality, 2010 Pages 8-9). This has affected most cultures in the United States. As a teacher, recognizing that students in your classroom have diverse backgrounds you can use hybridity to your advantage. Promoting the enlightenment of other cultures in the classroom by use of the students is a way for peers to connect with one another. By knowing someone who is apart of a specific culture it allows for increased understanding by those who interact with that person. The holder indirectly educates the outsider simply by communicating with one another. It is up to the instructor to recognize this coinciding factor and encourage dialogue and connection between these various cultures. Education thus becomes not a lesson or an assignment, but rather a casual experience that can fashion offhand enlightenment.

The second educational strategy is the art...