Strategies for Equality in the Classroom
It can be a struggle to strain to call on every student equally and treat your students, who are inherently different, the same. Nevertheless, classroom equality is a hot-button issue, especially for some parents, and you value fairness and equality. Consider the myriad number of ways that you can work to ensure classroom equality for your students while keeping your focus on teaching.
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Discussions with Parents
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Talk about your desire to treat your students equally with their parents in the beginning of the school year. If you make a verbal commitment to classroom equality, your parents will respect you for it. Talk about the things that concern them and ask for their help in suggesting ways to embrace diversity and stress equality at school. They know their children better than you do, so they will have valuable insight into their preferences. If one parent in particular has additional concerns, schedule regular parent-teacher conferences or exchange e-mails with her on a regular basis to discuss and address her concerns.
Classroom Conversations
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Talk to your students about their definitions of fairness and equality, and ask them for suggestions on how you can all work together to have a fair classroom. Be open and honest with them about your desire to be a fair teacher and to ensure that they all have an equal opportunity to succeed. When you provide an accommodation, such as 15 extra minutes on a test, to a student who, for example, has a learning disability, explain the reasons behind your actions if a student becomes upset so that he can understand.
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Individual Backgrounds
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Instead of trying to treat everyone the same and seeing each student as equal to any other, accept that your students are all different and have unique sets of strengths, weaknesses and histories. A student with a learning disability may receive 15 more minutes on a test than other students, but a student who consistently finishes her tests 15 minutes early may earn the opportunity to explore an outside interest during her free time. Allow that same learning-disabled student to star in the class play, even if it means she'll have trouble memorizing her lines. Some students come from wealthy families who can afford to hire private tutors, so focus on those who don't enjoy that opportunity and who are struggling with a particular subject when you can so that they may receive equal guidance and instruction.
Equality Among Demographics
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When they raise their hands to answer a question, call on boys and girls and children of all races as equally as you can without letting it distract you from the task at hand, teaching. Don't stereotype tasks as being feminine or masculine. Assign girls to do tasks that were traditionally masculine and boys to do tasks that were traditionally feminine. Encourage girls to do well in math and science and boys to shine at reading and writing. Provide extra school supplies to the children whose families can't afford them when you can. The way you conduct your classroom provides an example for your students of how to conduct themselves, so look for these little opportunities to make an impression.
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References
- Photo Credit kids image by Siberia from Fotolia.com
