How will I develop literacy skills and develop engagement in K-6 learners from diverse (race, gender, ethnicity, etc. .) cultural backgrounds in urban settings?

Physical Environment

Books

Introduce books that present a variety of cultural ideals, backgrounds, experiences, contexts, traditions, and beliefs

Ensure that a plethora of students are represented in the books that we read and study in class

Encourage critical thinking about privilege, different cultural perspectives, and various beliefs.

Have multilingual books on hand that encourage critical thinking about multiple languages and cultures

Encourage reading outside of the classroom to develop literacy skills and reading abilities

Reading log for fun -- NOT homework. Fosters extrinsic motivation and encourages reading for fun, not just for school

Classroom Environment

Physical Environment

Emotional/Social Environment

Create a physical classroom environment that reflects the community that students are a part of outside of the environment.

Create posters and images that encourage critical thinking about diversity and refrain from endorsing privilege-centered biases.

Encourage active discussion about privilege, culture, and systemic racism/injustice

Include posters and anchor charts that depict variety of sociocultural perspectives and experiences

Seating chart that is actively changing and reflecting an environment off equality and inclusivity (seating arrangement that is circular)

Make sure each student feels heard and accepted for their words and thoughts

Welcome all kinds of ideas and perspectives that come from all cultures

Teacher-Student Relationships

Teacher should make an active effort to get to know their students and where they come from

Culturally-relevant pedagogies

Teaching with the knowledge of what students are used to based on their own cultures, community, and experiences

This makes it more engaging for students and leads them to make connections between their learning and their prior knowledge

Teachers need to care about their students outside of the classroom. They need to care about their wellbeing and success in 1, 5, 20 years

Teachers should make an effort to get to know the families of students and the access that they come from

Outside Learning

Field Trips

Guests/Speakers

Students and classes should be able to go on trips to places that will encourage them to think critically about privilege, race, ethnicity, and diversity

Expose students to a variety of different speakers who share their beliefs and thoughts on a wide array of topics

This will help prevent students from being taught one thing or learning that there is only one single way to approach an idea

Invite a diverse group of guests and speakers to come to the class and share their experiences, teach students about diversity and the importance of it, and introduce a plethora of ideas to students.