Learning the importance of diversity should be a part of every child’s education. There are several ways that diversity could benefit your students’ experience. Here are a few of the main reasons why diversity matters in your kid’s classroom and what you can do to encourage more.
Cultural Awareness
If your classroom is full of kids from other cultural backgrounds, they will have a better opportunity to learn about the world. Learning about different languages, traditions, and other important cultural aspects can shape any child’s mind for the better. And what better way to learn than from their friends in the classroom?
Sensitivity toward Others
Diversity also teaches children how to be more sensitive toward others. Some cultures and religions are known to have certain rules of etiquette that may be different than yours and your child’s, and learning about these rules and how to respect them will foster a better sense of compassion toward other people.
Better Preparedness for a Higher Education
Being exposed to a diverse school setting at an early age can help make your child more prepared to earn a degree in higher education in the future. Your child will have the chance to learn new life skills from people of different backgrounds, which can be especially useful when the time comes to start applying for colleges.
Improved Social Life
Children in diverse school settings have a better chance of making a variety of new friends. Having a strong network of friends will enable your son or daughter to learn better communication and problem-solving skills and can even boost your child’s self-esteem.
Sharper Creative Thinking Skills
Those with a masters in higher education will often say creative thinking skills can be improved when in a diverse environment. Your child will be able to look at problems from different angles and perspectives and come up with more effective solutions. Diversity will teach your child how to draw upon different influences to solve problems and not just view these issues through a single-focus lens.
Combatting Cultural Stereotypes
All too often, people tend to adopt stereotypical views of different cultures, and these negative beliefs can create animosity among different groups. If your child is able to learn about other cultures from an early age, they will be less likely to adopt these stereotypical views later on.
Start by Learning Diversity Yourself
The first step to successful diversity in your classroom begins with you. Learn about various cultures and points of view, particularly those that belong to your individual students. Knowing their holidays, beliefs, and values will give you a well of knowledge to pull from and help students find out these things for themselves. Encourage students to ask each other questions about their values.
Appreciate Individuality and Cultivate Respect
Knowing is only half the battle. You must foster a spirit of acceptance and individuality in your classroom. Encourage your students to be proud of their individual values and cultures, but to accept others’ as valuable as well. This means forbidding judgmental remarks and, as appropriate, gearing your lessons toward multiculturalism as needed. As you plan your curriculum, add perspectives from other cultures into your teachings; celebrate your students’ traditions and allow them to explain aspects of it that are important to them. This will give an ongoing reminder to your students that everyone comes from diverse circumstances, and that diversity is something to be proud of and embrace.
Being in a diverse school setting can help your students. Having the ability to understand people of different backgrounds while learning new life skills can be used to build a brighter future filled with tolerance and understanding.
Dixie Somers is a freelance writer and blogger for business, home, and family niches. Dixie lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and is the proud mother of three beautiful girls and wife to a wonderful husband. She can be found on Facebook and Twitter.
All views and opinions of guest authors are theirs alone and are not representative of the views of Petersons.com.
