The benefits of diversity in the classroom have been most noticeable for me during my time teaching plant material classes. Any teacher would probably agree that utilizing students’ past experiences as examples is, arguably, one of the most effective teaching tools out there. Doing so encourages active, student-engaged learning while also demonstrating the wide array of applicability of the subject matter. In my plant identification lab, this could come in the form of exploiting one student’s familiarity with a plant indigenous to his/her state or country by allowing that student to familiarize another student with the plant based on, for example, a childhood memory associated with that plant (this actually happens in some classes). Allowing one student to “teach” another student in such a way enables a classroom to embrace diversity and use it to its fullest potential.
Such diversity can also allow me, as an instructor, to learn from my students. Similar to the aforementioned situations, there may be a time in which a student can offer me new insight into a plant based on of their personal experiences. Additionally, this may give me an opportunity to utilize the various cultures represented in my classroom as a way to add value to the material being taught. For example, a certain species of a plant may seem less applicable or useful to a student until they realize the plant originated in his/her home country. Moments like this creates a connection between the student and the material that may not happen otherwise, and it provides a richer, more personal learning experience.
Therefore, even though diversity and inclusion can, at times, be challenging, they are both incredibly important in the classroom, no matter the field. Without diversity in the classroom, students lose the opportunity learn from each other in a way that instructors alone may not be able to provide. Additionally, we, as instructors, could miss out on lessons we may never otherwise learn.
When has diversity within the classroom lead to unique learning experiences in your field?
This definition and application of diversity is appropriate, but is not what is being promoted at the administrative level. Diversity has become synonymous with racial diversity and inclusion with gender inclusion. Unfortunately we are selling ourselves short, and I daresay that utilizing the methods you mention here are the very heart of what we should aim for in our praxis. Kudos for being a sensitive instructor, and kudos for a good post.
Cody, thanks for your feedback. I definitely think diversity goes beyond physical attributes. Just because you are of a different ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, doesn’t always mean you will have a unique perspective relative to the majority. I think it’s more valuable to students’ learning experience if my classroom is ‘monochromatic’, yet includes students from 15 different states, 3 different social classes and 5 different countries.
Interesting take on making connections in the classroom. This is definitely a great pedagogical approach to push students to bring their own lived experiences into the classroom to promote learning.
Cody, diversity is a hot topic with university administration. However, I do think it is important that we have the conversation about inclusion and diversity in academia. Pedagogical methods are important, but we must also be cognizant of how the experiences of our students within academe may drastically differ based on race, gender, and many other aspects of a persons identity. Trying to understand our differences is vital to promoting an inclusive classroom.
Thank you so much for your post! Your post was very insightful. I think that covert and overt diversity are things to be talked about, respected and society today really needs to figure out where the balance is. I remember this past month I had designed a lesson plan to talk about Grief and Loss with final year Master students and we had talked about all the big “C” (culture, ethnicity, race) related traditions or Grief and Loss and the small “c” (family cultures) related to how people deal with Grief and Loss. I was extremely happy with the results because it built capacity in the class topic for inclusivity and acceptance of diverse practices. I hope that for the younger generations if teachers continue to pursue building capacity within their courses for inclusivity, we will at some point be able to achieve a balanced view on the topic.
You are absolutely right! Diversity in a classroom can be beneficial for the professor and the student. I had a similar experience here in Virginia Tech, where I have been expose to different cultures, religions and languages. In my country we don’t have such diversity in college, but in here I feel that due to such interactions I learned so much from everybody else and I feel that already traveled almost the whole world. Considering this diversity in a classroom helped me understand how one thing can have more than one meaning due to the different point of views.