Two Ways for Ensuring That All Students in a Classroom Can Interact With and Understand the Curriculum

 

Two Ways for Ensuring That All Students in a Classroom Can Interact With and Understand the Curriculum

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Every teacher in the classroom is expected to create nurturing, equitable learning environments for every student. A teacher can give students access to flexible learning options and efficient pathways for accomplishing educational goals in settings that allow students to feel a sense of belonging within themselves by creating an inclusive learning environment in the classroom. An inclusive classroom regards each student equally without making any distinctions, giving everyone in the class similar opportunities through fair access to the course materials. It adheres to the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). That are several ways we can make the classroom inclusive in which students get an opportunity to interact with and understand the curriculum. This discussion will discuss two ways to make sure that all students in a classroom can interact with and understand the curriculum.

Accommodating Different Learning Styles

We anticipate that each student in the class will have a unique set of learning requirements and learning styles. It's crucial for me to have a solid understanding of my kids based on who they are and how they learn the most to foster equity in my classroom. I should be aware of how everything in the classroom can be accessed to accommodate the needs of my students. For students with various learning needs, it might occur if I use audio recordings, watchable movies, interactive online classes, editable documents, live lessons, and more. The classroom's necessary teaching and learning resources should all be available to students. Next, I should use various materials and employ various teaching strategies to engage pupils with the teachings. For instance, anytime I want to present new topics, I organize videos, textual materials, worksheets, and activities. And it should be carried out either through solitary, pair, or group activities. We are aware that pupils learn more effectively in groups because they become more tolerant of one another's differences in learning preferences. To the benefit of all pupils, it also increases systemic adaptability in the classroom (Kampen, 2022).

On the other hand, students learn most effectively when they are both listening and talking for the auditory learning style and the linguistic multiple intelligence. They usually learn new things while speaking and pondering. In this instance, I should instruct the group utilizing a quick speech, a discussion, word games, and other exercises. For people who learn best visually, it is best to learn through observation. It would be preferable if they made use of illustrations, photos, models, or movies. On occasion, we might also ask students to finish an assignment or take notes. For those who learn best by touching, moving about, and handling things. Roleplaying or using action cues would be the greatest options for them. Similarly to this, we must recognize various tactics for various learning requirements and make accommodations according to those requirements and learning preferences.

Incorporating Culturally Responsive Teaching to Promote Cultural Diversity in The Classroom

To close the social gap with constructive interventions, teachers should exercise caution when it comes to exclusion in the classroom. Due to numerous factors like gender bias, racial/ethnic discrimination, religious convictions, and socioeconomic status that would deprive students of having positive well-being, weak emotional strengths, and supportive networks among peers, students who experience exclusion will struggle to manage their behavior, be with their peers, and pay attention in class (Freud, n.d.). Understanding the advantages of inclusive teaching through diversity and cultural awareness is crucial for all teachers so that they can enjoy great educational outcomes and pupils are protected from any challenges. Therefore, adopting culturally responsive teaching to foster cultural variety in the classroom is essential for the student's overall development because doing so will increase their self-confidence and help them achieve more beneficial learning outcomes (Ruggs and Hebl, 2012).

Given that literature has a lot of content about gender, race/ethnicity, prejudice, religion, etc., I can utilize a variety of tactics as a literature teacher to raise awareness of diversity and encourage it in my classroom. The literary text is usually read aloud to my pupils before I make the text-to-real-life connections and help them derive values that are pertinent to their current situation in the context of my nation and the entire world. For instance, the play "The Merchant of Venice" addresses issues such as religious conflict, social status, gender, and other forms of discrimination, and does so sensitively by encouraging discussion about how these issues negatively affect society and the individual, as well as the values and roles that each individual can play in resolving these issues for a peaceful society. We also talk about the values of our own cultures and values personally in class during the class so that we may build trust between one another for better camaraderie, openness, and values (DUSE, n.d.). Students can thereby draw meaningful and pertinent connections. I must remember to provide them with opportunities to work together and learn because this will improve their skills.

To Conclude, teachers meet each student's unique learning requirements in inclusive learning settings by utilizing a variety of tactics. When teachers are aware of each student's potential for learning and the importance of providing a quality education for all students, they can provide modifications that support each student's academic achievement.

 

References

DUSE. (n.d.). Importance of Diversity and Cultural Awareness in the Classroom: https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/importance-of-cultural-diversity-in-classroom/

Freud, A. (n.d.). School Exclusion. https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/risks-and-protective-factors/school-based-risk-factors/school-exclusion/#:~:text=Children%20and%20young%20people%20who,and%20skills%20and%20support%20networks.

Kampen, M. (2022). 8 Powerful Ways to Promote Equity in the Classroom. https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/equity-in-the-classroom/

Ruggs, E. & Hebl, M. (2012). Literature overview: Diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness for classroom and outreach education. In B, Bogue., & E, Cady (Eds.). Apply research to practice. http://teach.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/ARP_DiversityInclusionCulturalAwareness_Overview.pdf

Study.com. (2012). Developing Management Skills. https://www.studymode.com/essays/Developing-Management-Skills-917711.html