Many urban public schools in the United States have a significant number of students from minority groups. However, their teachers are from different communities. This scenario makes it impossible for more learners to benefit from the attributes of culturally responsive teaching. In diverse learning environments, existing ethnic differences will affect the learning and teaching of individuals in the context of education (Wah & Nasri, 2019). For instance, the learners will find it hard to relate efficiently with their educators or receive appropriate answers to the asked questions. The teachers will be unaware of the culturally sensitive motivators that are applicable to improve the learning process. Such issues will create a gap whereby the tutors and learners portray outstanding differences that can disorient the learning process. With the increasing classroom diversity, the tutors lack the relevant skills that could be applied in the class setting. Consequently, most of the students continue to face diverse challenges, thereby being unable to develop superior competencies.
The introduction of both short-term and long-term solutions to this kind of a problem will change the situation. The first short-term strategy includes redesigning classrooms by grouping children and allowing them to receive instructions from educators who are aware of their linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Such teachers will “involve all students in learning activities and provide opportunities for them to practice language” (Eggen & Kauchak, 2020, p. 153). The second one is transferring teachers to institutions that have students who share their cultural backgrounds. However, these initiatives might only solve the identified problem for a short period. Long-term measures are recommended to improve the experiences of both the educators and the learners. The first tactic will be to introduce superior programs in colleges to equip teachers with additional skills to meet the needs of diverse classes. The strategy will equip them with the relevant competencies and be in a position to focus on their learners’ needs (Samuels, 2018). The second one could entail programs aimed at equipping professionals with similar skills that can make their classes comprised of learners with diverse backgrounds successful. The third approach is ensuring that different stakeholders are involved in the learning process. Such an evidence-based model will meet the demands of more students with diverse backgrounds.
References
Eggen, P., & Kauchak, D. (2020). Using educational psychology in teaching (11th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall.
Samuels, A. J. (2018). Exploring culturally responsive pedagogy: Teachers’ perspectives on fostering equitable and inclusive classrooms. SRATE Journal, 27(1), 22-30. Web.
Wah, Y. L., & Nasri, N. B. M. (2019). A systematic review: The effect of culturally responsive pedagogy on student learning and achievement. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(5), 588-596. Web.