Connecting With Diverse Learners In The Classroom

It is important for teachers to be able to identify the types of diverse learners in their classrooms. Diverse learners are students of all abilities from racially, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse communities and backgrounds. Being able to identify the types of diversity and the types of diverse learners in your classroom can help you to learn strategies to reach these learners, and even strengthen your relationship with your diverse learners.

To reach diverse learners, it is important to recognize the type of diversity, accommodate diversity by creating a classroom environment that allows every student to achieve their personal best, and value diversity by accepting, modeling, and fostering a classroom that embraces diversity.

The best way to build an authentic relationship with your diverse students is by getting to know them. Have conversations with your learners, ask them:

• What really matters to them?

• What obstacles are they facing?

• What do they see in their environment?

• What do they see in their future?

• What influences impact their thinking?

It’s important to continue to learn about your students by creating a student profile. This profile should include both demographics and psychographic profile descriptions. This should include descriptions like the number of family members, home responsibilities, transportation, cultural background, languages spoken at home, and their personal interests and hobbies. Take a moment and think about learning strategies as well. In what learning situations is the student most engaged? (small group, peer to peer; one on one with the teacher), are all going to be valuable. Use the information in the profile to teach the student (or student group) to create a learning environment where your students thrive.

Being able to identify and reach your diverse learners allows you to plan your lessons, activities, and products to meet the needs of all learners, the benefit is academic success for learners in your classroom. 

Click here for a free Thinking Tool for Diverse Learner Lesson Plan Template and other resources to help make your classroom a welcome space for all learning types. Follow Coach Raychelle on Instagram for more instructional development resources.