diversity in classroom essay

• Our Mission

A Classroom Where Everyone Feels Welcome

Six strategies for building the strong relationships with students that are the heart of a culturally inclusive classroom community.

In the United States, students spend the majority of their day in the care of adults who are not their parent or guardian. Those school-based adults assume the responsibility of caregiver for children who are not their own. The cultural upbringing of the teachers and the cultural upbringing of the students form an intersection that is critical to the academic success of the students and the professional success of the adults.

It’s imperative that students and teachers know each other beyond the subjective cultural experiences that each may bring to the classroom, and that educators possess an understanding of diverse cultures but not stereotype people into a one-size-fits-all cultural mold. Students need to be related to as full, complex, multidimensional people.

To achieve this desired objective, school leaders and classroom teachers should view their school or classroom spaces as culturally inclusive classroom communities where everyone is welcome.

Fostering a Sense of Inclusion in the Classroom

When we talk about the dynamics of creating a culturally inclusive classroom community, the typical focus is on the diversity of the students in the room or school building. All too often the culture and diversity of the adults are on the periphery. But in order to navigate the intersection of student and adult cultural diversity, we must first acknowledge and understand our adult beliefs and practices.

This thinking requires educators to be willing to explore and analyze our own history and its effects on our behavior. First we must consider our historical and current living situations and conditions. When we examine our childhood, young adult, and present-day lives, we examine how our experiences influence us today and how they might have an effect on our work with children and families who have vastly different experiences.

While culture refers to a collective worldview, schools as culturally inclusive communities must relate to individual students first in addressing the distinct needs of the students who make up the those communities. I’ve used several relationship-building approaches that I feel could help educators and students successfully navigate the cultural intersection of the school community.

1. Learn your students’ names and learn to pronounce them. Our names are our identities. Students feel valued and acknowledged when teachers and other school-related adults take the time to learn their names.

Name recognition is so personal that mobile assistance programs like Siri for the iPhone have a pronunciation feature so that the device can correctly pronounce the name of the owner. If mobile technology can recognize the importance of name recognition, it seems that the same can be said for the classroom community.

Intentionally mispronouncing someone’s name is a passive-aggressive form of disrespect.

2. Set aside time for relationship housekeeping. Teachers can set aside a short time each class period for students to ask questions, share brief short stories of their lives, and just check in and transition into the new class period, or the second half of the day for elementary students.

As humans we are relational. Children and adults desire a connection with those they trust.

3. Have one-on-one conversations, discussions, and informal meetings with students. Remember: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. These conversations should occur early in the year and routinely during the year. Don’t wait until there’s a problem or the student is in trouble to talk with him or her.

4. Connect with parents. Conferences, phone calls, and brief emails are ways to bond with parents or guardians. These interactions should start early, prior to any problems that may occur, and they should be used simply as a means of getting to know your students and their families.

5. See yourself as the students see you. What type of facial expressions do students see? What does your body language tell them about how comfortable you are around them? What tone of voice do you use to show your students that you respect them as individuals? What biases and perceptions do the students have of you based on how you look, dress, and talk?

Let your students get to know you. Do they know your favorite color? Do they know your pet peeves? Do they know what you like to do for fun? In any relationship, both people come to know each other—a teacher-student relationship is no exception.

6. Know your content. Students want teachers who are well versed in their content. Teachers should be able to demonstrate their content knowledge by anticipating student misconceptions and have the ability to explain the content in a variety of ways.

To create culturally inclusive classroom communities, both teachers and students build relationships with each other. Students are motivated by teachers they respect. Teachers show genuine care and concern for students by holding them accountable and by acknowledging their good work. And teachers who show that they care are more successful in reaching students.

An elementary-school-age student may not be able to articulate his or her specific needs as they relate to learning and safety. However, student behavior may indicate which path the teacher should take to address what is in the student’s best interest. So the student is the navigator and the teacher is the driver at this cultural crossroad.

The Benefits of Inclusion and Diversity in the Classroom

It’s been a little more than 60 years since Brown vs. Board of Education, one of the most important Supreme Court cases in the history of the United States. The decision made it illegal to segregate public schools on the basis of race. That cornerstone decision of the civil rights movement has played a major role in breaking down racial barriers in the decades since. It has also enabled social scientists to study how diversity in the classroom leads to students’ increased cultural understanding, stronger critical thinking skills and enhanced creativity, which all better prepare them for adulthood.

The National Education Association reports that 2014 was the first year in which the majority of students in American public schools represented racial and ethnic minorities. In addition, the Southern Education Foundation found that in 2013, a full 51 percent of public school children were from low-income families. While student demographics vary greatly across the country, there is no question that cultural respect and inclusion are values that matter greatly in the modern classroom. Those considering enrolling in a Doctorate in Education (EdD) program should seek out one that emphasizes the importance of inclusion and diversity in the classroom, and the benefits they can provide.

Exploring the Benefits of Classroom Diversity and Inclusion

Diverse schools feature differences in ethnicity, socioeconomic class, religion, reading level, athletic ability, background, gender, personality, and much more. Strong EdD programs teach educators to value the unique aspects of what makes each student different, and helps them embrace those differences in the classroom.

An in-depth research review of dozens of other studies on diversity—conducted by The Century Foundation, a New York-based think tank—found that having different and divergent perspectives can create positive learning outcomes. Those outcomes, explored below, can have benefits that reflect well beyond students’ graduation and can impact their lives going forward.

Diversity Improves Cognitive Skills and Critical Thinking

The presence of diversity in the classroom allows students to consider perspectives and opinions beyond those they’ve already formed or were shaped in early life by family and friends. By presenting students with viewpoints far different from their own, it gives them the opportunity to think critically about their own beliefs and examine the world in fresh ways. As noted by an article in Scientific American, exposure to diversity alters the way individuals think by promoting creativity and innovation, as well as decision-making and problem-solving skills. As the article summarizes, “Diversity jolts us into cognitive action in ways that homogeneity simply does not.”

Exposure to Diversity Helps Students Enter Adulthood

When students enter the professional world, they join a vast and diverse workforce. Interacting with people of all different backgrounds and mindsets can present a challenge without prior exposure to diversity, especially at a younger age. Companies are taking note of their employees’ ability to handle diversity with grace and maturity; 96 percent of major employers, according to the Century Foundation, say it is vital that employees are able to work with people from diverse backgrounds.

Diversity Prepares Students for Citizenship

As part of the Century Foundation’s research study on diversity, the authors reviewed 27 different studies about the effects of diversity on people’s willingness to interact with and improve their local community—a concept known as civic engagement. The study found that experiences with diversity in college do lead to increased civic engagement. This indicates the more involved citizens are with their government and political landscape, and the more educated they become about government processes, the more informed decisions they can make about how they are governed. As the U.S. Department of Education notes, students’ experiences with diversity help mold them into more engaged citizens.

Diversity Promotes Creativity

At its core, creativity is all about bringing together different ideas and transforming them to make something new, unique, and personal. The more ideas and experiences people are exposed to, the more creative they can be. Indeed, Scientific American cites a study conducted by several research professors who found that groups with racial diversity significantly outperformed groups without diversity in a problem-solving scenario. In professional and nonprofessional situations that call for creativity, it is a wise choice to bring together diverse perspectives.

Discover How to Encourage Inclusivity and Diversity as an Educator

As has been discussed, diversity in the classroom has numerous positive benefits for students, but how can educators ensure their pupils are getting the most out of interacting with their diverse peers? Well-trained educators, like those with an EdD, are equipped with the tools to encourage the exchange of ideas and interpersonal understanding. No matter what level of education, elementary school teachers through college professors can all utilize the following strategies to benefit their classrooms.

Learn about Students’ Cultural Backgrounds

Classroom students aren’t the only ones who can benefit from learning about what makes them diverse. According to the NDT Resource Center, an academic source committed to nondestructive evaluation, educators should also get to know their students and what makes them unique, thereby discovering the viewpoint from which they see the world and their personal learning style. For an educator, understanding cultural diversity in the classroom is a crucial part of being able to anticipate where certain lessons might lead, or any issues that might arise between students of different backgrounds. Educators can establish a tone of inclusion, emphasizing that all perspectives are valuable.

Create a Culturally Responsive Learning Environment

An educator who properly creates a culturally responsive environment will have fostered a classroom where students become respectful and understanding of cultures different from their own. Those students are typically more willing to listen respectfully to different viewpoints, rather than mock, scorn, or fear the unfamiliar. The best way for educators to achieve this, according to The Edvocate, is to teach students that people who do not look the same as them—or who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, follow different religious traditions, speak different languages, or have a different sexual orientation or gender identity—are still just the same as them on the inside.

Allow Students to Learn about Their Community

Learning about one’s own culture is just as important as learning about others when it comes to developing cultural understanding among students. Educators with a strong teaching background such as an EdD can facilitate projects for their students that encourage them to get to know their own history. The NDT Resource Center suggests activities such as visiting community landmarks of importance to their culture, and interviewing important members of their community. Students can then be given the opportunity to share what they discover with their classmates.

Establish a Zero-Indifference Negative Behavior Policy

In recent years, schools have enacted zero-tolerance policies in an attempt to curb bullying, harassment, and intimidation. However, the tide is now shifting toward zero-indifference policies instead, according to GLSEN. Zero-indifference is an alternative that promotes safety in schools by consistently and firmly addressing disrespectful behavior. Unlike zero-tolerance, in which a first offense results in punishments as harsh as suspension or expulsion, zero-indifference allows the teacher to use culturally insensitive moments as opportunities for learning and understanding. The Tolerance.org project of the Southern Poverty Law Center recommends zero-indifference policies when it comes to addressing bullying and harassment, as does the Anti-Defamation League; the American Civil Liberties Union; the Respect for All Project; and the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network—according to research by Jacqueline Leung on the Oregon Commission on Black Affairs.

Learn How to Foster Cultural Diversity in the Classroom

Teachers who wish to be at the forefront of their profession should have a strong foundation in understanding diversity and how to create an environment of inclusion in the classroom. To accomplish this, educators would do well to explore an award-winning education program, such as American University’s online Doctorate of Education . The curriculum is designed to provide educators with the tools and understanding to adapt to any classroom, regardless of its diverse student makeup—and to ultimately foster a wider appreciation of our human differences.

Education Week, “Six Ways Teachers Can Foster Cultural Awareness in the Classroom”

Leung, Jacqueline, “Reforming School Discipline for Equity and Excellence in Oregon: Recommendations for Policy and Practice”

National Education Association, “Diverse Student Populations Are in the Classroom”

Scientific American, “How Diversity Makes us Smarter”

The Century Foundation, “How Racially Diverse Schools and Classrooms Can Benefit All Students”

The Edvocate, “Ways to Promote Diverse Cultures in the Classroom”

Tolerance.org, “Critical Practices for Anti-Bias Education”

Request Information

Center for Teaching

Increasing inclusivity in the classroom.

The goals of this teaching guide are threefold: 1) to discuss the importance of inclusivity in the classroom, 2) to present examples of teaching more inclusively, and 3) to provide additional resources for further guidance.

Why is inclusivity important?

What does inclusivity look like, reducing stereotype threat, additional resources at vanderbilt.

Drawing from the literature on inclusive teaching in higher education, the current section considers the importance of increasing inclusivity and is framed by two overarching issues. The first issue is that of student belonging in their classrooms and in the broader campus culture. Most students struggle to transition into college, but students of less privileged and more marginal backgrounds face even greater challenges as they enter what they can perceive to be an unwelcoming or even hostile environment (Carter, Locks, Winkle-Wagner, & Pineda, 2006; Kalsner & Pistole, 2003). To help students overcome challenges integrating into college life, teachers can work to cultivate a sense of belonging among their students. Section Two of this teaching guide provides resources for teachers to increase the sense of belonging in their classrooms.

At the institutional level, increasing a sense of belonging among students is embodied in the following four goals, as derived from a review of inclusion statements across campuses (Hurtado 2003, in Locks, Hurtado, Bowman, & Oseguera, 2008 p. 279):

• Ensuring that students of underrepresented populations have the support they need to be academically successful.
• Building relationships and developing multicultural skills with members from diverse backgrounds.
• Enhancing students’ ability to participate in a pluralistic, interdependent global community.
• Increasing the participation of students of color in campus life.

Studies repeatedly find that positive diverse interactions increase students’ sense of belonging on campuses (e.g., Locks, Hurtado, Bowman, & Oseguera, 2008). Conversely, interactions that result in feelings of social anxiety and fear decrease a sense of belonging. Accordingly, student cultures that foster positive diversity experiences help students – all students – feel like they are a valued part of a campus community.

The second theme of inclusivity is stereotype threat, which refers to the fear of confirming a negative stereotype about their respective in-group, a fear that can create high cognitive load and reduce academic focus and performance (Steele & Aronson, 1995). The effects of stereotype threat are profound and can impact students from a variety of backgrounds.  Multiple studies have found that stereotype threat significantly reduces performance for undergraduates from less privileged socioeconomic statuses (Croizet & Claire, 1998; Spencer & Castano, 2007), African American students  (Steele & Aronson, 1995), women in math and science courses (Good, Aronson, & Harder, 2008), as well as Latino (Schmader & Johns, 2003) and LGBT students at traditionally religious institutions (Love, 1998). Stereotype threat is especially detrimental for individuals who identify strongly with the stigmatized group (Marx, Stapel, & Muller, 2005). Identifying and eliminating stereotype threat should be a central goal for teachers who want to increase inclusivity in the classroom. Sections Two and Three describe specific examples and strategies to increase the sense of belonging in the classroom as well as to reduce stereotype threat.

When instructors attempt to create safe, inclusive classrooms, they should consider multiple factors, including the syllabus, course content, class preparation, their own behavior, and their knowledge of students’ backgrounds and skills. The resources in this section offer concrete strategies to address these factors and improve the learning climate for all students.

• Creating Inclusive College Classrooms : An article from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan which addresses five aspects of teaching that influence the inclusivity of a classroom: 1) the course content, 2) the teacher’s assumptions and awareness of multicultural issues in classroom situations, 3) the planning of course sessions, 4) the teacher’s knowledge of students’ backgrounds, and 5) the teacher’s choices, comments and behaviors while teaching.
• Teaching for Inclusion: Diversity in the College Classroom: Written and designed by the staff of the Center for Teaching and Learning at UNC, Chapel Hill, this book offers a range of strategies, including quotes from students representing a range of minority groups.
• Managing Hot Moments in the Classroom , from the Derek Bok Center at Harvard University, describes how to turn difficult discussions into learning opportunities.

The  Faculty Teaching Excellence Program (FTEP) at the University of Colorado has compiled a series of faculty essays on diversity in  On Diversity in Teaching and Learning: A Compendium . This publication is available for download (as a PDF file) from the  FTEP website (scroll down towards the bottom of the page for the download links). The essays in this volume include, among others:

• Fostering Diversity in the Classroom: Teaching by Discussion: Ron Billingsley (English) offers 14 practical suggestions for teaching discussion courses (with 15-20 students) and creating an atmosphere in the classroom that embraces diversity.
• Fostering Diversity in a Medium-Sized Classroom: Brenda Allen (Communications) outlines seven ways to create an interactive environment in larger classes (with 80-100 students) and thus promote diversity in the classroom.
• Developing and Teaching an Inclusive Curriculum: Deborah Flick (Women Studies) uses the scholarship of Peggy McIntosh and Patricia Hill Collins to support a useful syllabus checklist and teaching tips that include techniques to provoke discussion about privilege and stereotypes among students.
• The Influence of Attitudes, Feelings and Behavior Toward Diversity on Teaching and Learning: Lerita Coleman (Psychology) encourages instructors to examine their own identity development and self-concept to determine how they feel diversity and bias affect their teaching. She also shares 14 specific teaching tips.

Steve Stroessner (Columbia) and Catherine Good (Baruch College) provide guidelines and concrete strategies to reduce stereotype threat in the classroom. Their work can be found here . These psychologists classify strategies to reduce stereotype threat into the following categories:

Reframe the task This portion of the website describes ways that teachers can reduce stereotype threat by acknowledging the steps that they have taken to make a task or test fair for stereotyped groups.

Deemphasize threatened social identities This activity encourages test givers to modify questions that might make stereotyped groups recall their stigmatized identity while they are performing a graded task. The modifications can include moving identity questions to the end of the test or asking questions that highlight students’ valued identities to empower students to perform well.

Encourage self-affirmation Repeatedly, studies suggest that self-affirmation – where students think about their valued characteristics, skills etc. – leads to increased performance. This section of the website presents evidence and examples of self-affirmation activities.

Provide role models Positive role models, who perform well in fields that typically invoke stereotype threat, can increase otherwise poor performance for stigmatized groups.

Provide external attributions for difficulty Help students attribute their anxieties to causes other than stereotype to lessen anxiety for students who would normally suffer from stereotype threat. For example, some studies posited that instructors reduced poor performance by suggesting that anxiety might actually help with test taking, without connecting the anxiety to any stereotype.

Emphasize an incremental view of intelligence This portion of the website suggests that instructors should assist students to overcome fixed notions of intelligence. When notions of genius or inherent talent were downplayed, stereotype threat was greatly reduced.

University Programs and Centers

• Antoinette Brown Lectures – Vanderbilt University Divinity School Established in 1974, this lectureship brings distinguished women theologians and church leaders to the Divinity School to speak on a variety of concerns for women in ministry.
• Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center This center, dedicated in 1984, provides educational and cultural programming on the Black experience for the University and Nashville communities, and serves as a support resource for African-descended students. The center’s programs are open to the Vanderbilt and Nashville communities.
• Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender and Sexuality Established in 1995, this program fosters conversation about religion, gender, and sexuality by providing education and encouraging communication within and across religious affiliations, ideological bases, and cultural contexts. The program facilitates courses of study, workshops, lectures, and provides consultation and information services. Their website includes news items on gender, religion, and sexuality, as well as a list of syllabi, papers and student projects.
• Office for Diversity in Medical Education This office administers an active recruitment program that involves visits by students and staff to other campuses; encourages contacts between applicants and matriculating students; and arranges visits to the Vanderbilt campus for newly accepted under- represented minority applicants. This site also links to related programs fostering diversity at the School of Medicine, such as the  Vanderbilt Bridges Program and the Meharry – Vanderbilt Alliance .
• The LGBTQI Resource Office provides information about a variety of organizations that serve the needs of gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and staff.
• Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Providing activities on women, gender equity, and feminism through lectures, This center sponsors campus workshops and special events. These programs are open to students, faculty and staff, as well as interested members of the local community. The center’s 2000-volume library houses the only collection on campus devoted to gender and feminism, and is available for reference, research and general reading.
• Vanderbilt launched new Title IX and Student Discrimination , Student Access Services and Equal Employment Opportunity offices to serve students, faculty and staff Jan 15, 2018. The mission of these coordinated offices is to take a proactive stance in assisting the University with the interpretation, understanding, and application of federal and state laws and regulations which impose special obligations in the areas of equal opportunity and affirmative action.
• Project Dialogue Project Dialogue is a year-long, University-wide program to involve the entire Vanderbilt community in public debate and discussion, and to connect classroom learning with larger societal issues. Project Dialogue has been run every other year since 1989, each year centering on a particular theme. Recent speakers have included Naomi Wolf, Cornel West, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Oliver Sacks, and Barbara Ehrenreich.
• Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities The Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities promotes interdisciplinary research and study in the humanities and social sciences, and, when appropriate, the natural sciences. The center’s programs are designed to intensify and increase interdisciplinary discussion of academic, social, and cultural issues. Recent and upcoming fellows program themes include: “Memory, Identity, and Political Action,” “Constructions, Deconstructions, and Destructions in Nature,” and “Gender, Sexuality, and Cultural Politics.” Lectures, conferences, and special programs include: Race and Wealth Disparity in 21st Century America, a Gender and Sexuality Lecture Series, Rethinking the Americas: Crossing Borders and Disciplines, Diversity in Learning/ Learning and Diversity, Feminist Dialogues, and the Social Construction of the Body.
• The Office of the University Chaplain This office offers programs to students to help them understand their own faith and the faith of others, clarify their values, and develop a sense of social responsibility. The office also provides leadership for Project Dialogue, as well as the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Series and the Holocaust Lecture Series.

International Services and Programs

• English Language Center This center is a teaching institute offering noncredit English language courses for speakers of other languages. The center provides English instruction to learners at all levels of proficiency to enable them to achieve their academic, professional, and social goals.
• International Student and Scholar Services This office offers programs and services to assist international students and scholars across the university.

Student Offices and Programs

• Office of Leadership Development and Intercultural Affairs – Dean of Students This office initiates, develops, and implements multicultural education in the areas of policies, services, and programs for the entire student body.
• International Student Organizations Lists information on organizations sponsoring programs and offering support systems for international students at Vanderbilt.
• Religious Student Organizations Lists information on a range of fellowship and worship services provided by Vanderbilt’s diverse religious community.
• Representative Student Organizations Lists information on a range of additional student groups, such as the Asian-American Student Association, Black Student Alliance, etc.

Outreach Programs

• Girls and Science Camp This camp was established at Vanderbilt University in the summer of 1999 in response to the gender differences in science achievement found in high school. Its goals are to engage girls in science activities, to foster confidence in science achievement, and to encourage girls’ enrollment in high school science courses.

Carter, D. F., Locks, A. M., Winkle-Wagner, R., & Pineda, D. (2006, April). “ From when and where I enter”: Theoretical and empirical considerations of minority students’ transition to college. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association annual meeting, San Francisco.

Croizet, J. C., & Claire, T. (1998). Extending the concept of stereotype threat to social class: The intellectual underperformance of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 24 , 588–594.

Good, C., Aronson, J., & Harder, J. (2008). Problems in the pipeline. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29 , 17–28.

Kalsner, L., & Pistole, M. C. (2003). College adjustment in a multiethnic sample: Attachment, separation-individuation, and ethnic identity. Journal of College Student Development, 44(1), 92–109.

Locks, A.M., Hurtado, S., Bowman, N.A., & Oseguera, L. (2008). Extending notions of campus climate and diversity to students’ transition to college. Review of Higher Education, 31, 257-285.

Love, P. G.(1998). Cultural barriers facing lesbian, gay, and bisexual students at a catholic college . Journal of Higher Education, 69, 298–323.

Marx, D.M., Stapel D.A, & Muller, D. (2005). We can do it: The interplay of construal orientation and social comparisons under threat. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 88, 432–446

Schmader, T., & Johns, M. (2003). Converging evidence that stereotype threat reduces working memory capacity. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 85, 440-452.

Spencer, B., & Castano, E. (2007). Social class is dead. Long live social class! Stereotype threat among low socioeconomic status individuals. Social Justice Research, 20, 418 – 432.

Steele, C.M., & Aronson. J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69 , 797–811.

Teaching Guides

• Online Course Development Resources
• Principles & Frameworks
• Pedagogies & Strategies
• Reflecting & Assessing
• Challenges & Opportunities
• Populations & Contexts

Quick Links

• Services for Departments and Schools
• Examples of Online Instructional Modules

Advertisement

Diversity in the Classrooms: A Human-Centered Approach to Schools

• Published: 17 April 2020
• Volume 51 , pages 429–439, ( 2020 )

Cite this article

• Daniela Fontenelle-Tereshchuk 1 , 2  

2983 Accesses

5 Citations

2 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

This article explores the perceptions of experiences and insights of four Alberta teachers on the understanding of diversity in the classrooms. The teachers in this multiple case study argue that the popular understanding of diversity, especially in schools, is often supported by American contextualized narrative of polarized racial views focusing on assumptions of contrasting ‘whiteness’ visible in race, culture and socio-economic status associated to ones’ skin colour, for instance it recognizes dark-skinned students as diverse as opposed to teachers who are perceived simply as a large group of ‘white, middle-class ladies’. Such conceptualization of diversity is problematic as its social-constructed understanding implies that teachers of European descent share a common ‘Euro-centered’ history, culture, and ethnicity, while Europe is in fact an ethnically, historically and culturally diverse continent. These assumptions have serious implications on teaching and learning as it directly reflects on teacher preparation programs, professional development practices and educational policies. The selective approach to diversity based on race and culture does a disservice to education’s purpose as it over-focuses on visible aspects of differences among students while it disregards the universal needs of a community of learners in schools. This paper advocates for a human-centered understanding of diversity in schools, which seeks to understand diversity beyond the socially constructed borders surrounding race, culture and gender, often used to define teachers as simply ‘white’ in the context of diversity in Canada.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

The Role of School in Adolescents’ Identity Development. A Literature Review

Inclusion and equity in education: Making sense of global challenges

Intersectionality: A pathway towards inclusive education?

Alberta Education (2010). Making a difference: Meeting diverse learning needs with differentiated instruction . Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/384968/makingadifference_2010.pdf

Aoki, T. T. (2005) Toward curriculum inquiry in a new key (1978/1980). In Aoki, T. T., Pinar, W. F., Irwin, R. L., & Ebrary, I.  Curriculum in a new key: The collected works of Ted T. Aoki . Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum.

ATA -Alberta Teachers Association (2014). Report of the blue ribbon panel: Inclusive education in Alberta school . Retrieved from https://www.teachers.ab.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/ATA/News-Room/2014/PD-170-1%20PD%20Blue%20Ribbon%20Panel%20Report%202014-web.pdf

ATA -Alberta Teachers Association (2009). Mental health in Schools: Teachers have the power to make a difference . Edmonton, Canada. Retrieved from https://www.teachers.ab.ca/Publications/ATA%20Magazine/Volume%2090/Number%201/Articles/Pages/MentalHealthinSchools.aspx

Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A. M. (2004). Handbook of research on multiculturalism education (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Google Scholar  

Bhabha, H. (1994). The location of culture . New York, NY: Routledge.

Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Courtland, M. C., & Gonzalez, I. (2013). Imagining the possibilities: The potential of diverse Canadian picture books. In I. Johnston & J. Bainbridge (Eds.), The pedagogical potential of diverse Canadian picture books: Pre-service teachers explore issues of identity, ideology, and pedagogy (pp. 96–113). Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto.

Cranston, A. J. (2015). Navigating the Bermuda Triangle of teacher hiring practices. In N. Maynes & B. E. Hatt (Eds.), Canada the complexity of hiring, supporting, and retaining new teachers across Canada (pp. 128–149). Polygraph Series: Canadian Association for Teacher Education (CATE).

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design (international student edition): Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Crocker, R. K., & Dibbon, D. C. (2008). Teacher education in Canada: A baseline study. Society for the Advancement of Excellence in Education. Kelowna, Canada: University of Calgary. Retrieved from https://deslibris.ca/ID/216529

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2008). Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials (3rd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Fontenelle-Tereshchuk, D. D. (2019). Exploring teachers' insights into their professional growth and other experiences in diverse classrooms in Alberta. University of Alberta, Canada. Doctoral unpublished dissertation.

Gérin-Lajoie, D. (2012). Racial and ethnic diversity in schools: The case of English Canada. Prospects, 42 (2), 205–220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-012-9231-0 .

Article   Google Scholar  

Gérin-Lajoie, D. (2008). Educators' discourses on student diversity in Canada: Context, policy, and practice . Toronto, Canada: Canadian Scholars.

Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L (1967). The discovery of grounded theory. Chicago, IL: Aldine. Retrieved from https://www.sxf.uevora.pt/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Glaser_1967.pdf

Guess, T. J. (2006). The social construction of whiteness: Racism by intent, racism by consequence. Critical Sociology, 32 (4), 649–673. https://doi.org/10.1163/156916306779155199 .

Guo, Y. (2011). Perspectives of immigrant Muslim parents: Advocating for religious diversity in Canadian schools. (Researching bias). Multicultural Education, 18 (2), 55–60.

Howe, E. (2014). Bridging the aboriginal education gap in Alberta: The provincial benefit exceeds a quarter of a trillion dollars. Rupertsland Centre for Métis Research .

McLaren, P. (1994). Life in schools : An introduction to critical pedagogy in the foundations of education (2nd ed.). Toronto, Canada: Irwin.

McLeod, K. (1975). Education and the assimilation of new Canadians in the North-West territories and Saskatchewan1885–1934 . University of Toronto, Canada. (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation).

Miller, J. (2018). Residential Schools in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-schools

Milner, H. R. (2010). What does teacher education have to do with teaching? Implications for diversity studies. Journal of Teacher Education, 61 (1–2), 118–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487109347670 .

Moore, A. (2004). The good teacher: Dominant discourses in teaching and teacher education . New York, NY: Routledge Falmer.

Book   Google Scholar  

Padula, A. P., & Miller, L. D. (1999). Understanding Graduate Women's Re-entry Experiences: Case Studies of Four Psychology Doctoral Students in a Midwestern University. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 23 , 327–343.

Palmer, H. (1982). Patterns of prejudice: A history of nativism in Alberta . Toronto, Canada: McClelland and Stewart.

Peacock J., Holland D., (1993) The Narrated Self Life Stories in Process. Ethos 21(4): 367–383

Rodrigues, S. (2005). Teacher professional development in science education . In S. Rodrigues, International perspectives on teacher professional development: Changes influenced by politics, pedagogy and innovation (pp.1 13). New York, NY: Nova Science

Ryan, J., Pollock, K., & Antonelli, F. (2009). Teacher diversity in Canada: Leaky pipelines, bottlenecks, and glass ceilings. Canadian Journal of Education, 32 (3), 591–617.

Syed, K. T. (2010). Canadian educators’ narratives of teaching multicultural education. International Journal of Canadian Studie s, 42, 255–269. Retrieved from https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/ijcs/2010-n42-ijcs1516360/1002181ar.pdf

Statistics Canada (2017). Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98–404-X2016001. Ottawa, Ontario. Data products, 2016 Census. Retrieved from https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-pr-eng.cfm?Lang=Eng&GK=PR&GC=48&TOPIC=7

U.S. National Library of Medicine (2019). Help me understand genetics: Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing. Retrieved from PDF version of https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/dtcgenetictesting/ancestrytesting .

Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Secondary Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Daniela Fontenelle-Tereshchuk

Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniela Fontenelle-Tereshchuk .

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest.

We have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Fontenelle-Tereshchuk, D. Diversity in the Classrooms: A Human-Centered Approach to Schools. Interchange 51 , 429–439 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-020-09402-4

Download citation

Received : 03 January 2020

Accepted : 08 April 2020

Published : 17 April 2020

Issue Date : December 2020

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-020-09402-4

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Diversity in the Classroom Essay

How it works

• 1.1 Recognizing the Importance of Diversity
• 1.2 The Power of Classroom Diversity
• 1.3 Preparing for a Globalized Workforce
• 1.4 Overcoming Challenges
• 1.5 Fostering Humanizing Traits
• 1.6 Conclusion

Introduction

The modern classroom is a microcosm of our heterogeneous world, bringing together students from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and talents. Accepting and embracing this variety in the classroom is crucial for creating a dynamic learning environment that encourages student growth, understanding, and empathy. This essay will explore the value of diversity in the classroom, examining its challenges and benefits in educating students for the future.

Recognizing the Importance of Diversity

Cultural variety in the classroom encompasses age, ethnicity, social class, gender, geography, race, and sexual orientation.

Embracing these differences requires acknowledging and valuing each individual’s uniqueness. When students from diverse backgrounds engage and contribute, they bring valuable insights and perspectives that enrich their understanding of the world. This fosters an inclusive learning atmosphere where students feel respected, valued, and heard, ultimately enhancing their educational experience.

The Power of Classroom Diversity

Classrooms that embrace diversity become melting pots of ideas and experiences. Students learn to listen, converse, and empathize with their peers from various backgrounds. For example, a child may come to appreciate that, despite ethnic differences, their best friend is still someone they cherish and enjoy spending time with. This type of understanding fosters a sense of unity and breaks down potential barriers.

Preparing for a Globalized Workforce

In today’s globalized job market, professionals interact with colleagues and clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. A classroom that promotes inclusion prepares students for this reality. Through collaborative learning experiences, students develop essential skills, such as effective communication, teamwork, and cultural sensitivity. These skills are invaluable in navigating the complexities of the modern workforce, where boundaries between countries and cultures are blurred.

Overcoming Challenges

While diversity brings numerous benefits, it also presents challenges for educators. Class sizes may be large, and catering to individual learning preferences can be resource-intensive. However, employing a balanced approach that considers different learning styles and preferences is crucial. Inclusive teaching, flexible grouping, and scaffolding are strategies that can effectively address diverse student needs.

Fostering Humanizing Traits

Beyond academic growth, diversity in the classroom helps develop humanizing traits such as empathy and tolerance. Students engage in civic discourse, discussing issues that may elicit emotional responses, such as civil liberties and affirmative action. Through these discussions, students learn to respect and appreciate opposing viewpoints, fostering a more compassionate and understanding society.

Accepting diversity in the classroom may present hurdles, but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. It creates a vibrant and inclusive learning environment where students learn to appreciate and respect differences. The modern workforce demands individuals who can navigate a globalized world with cultural sensitivity and effective communication skills. By cultivating classroom diversity, we equip children to be well-rounded, sympathetic, and open-minded. As educators, we are responsible for fostering an inclusive culture that values diversity and ensures that every student feels valued and supported throughout their educational journey.

Cite this page

Diversity in the Classroom Essay. (2023, Aug 08). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/diversity-in-the-classroom-essay/

"Diversity in the Classroom Essay." PapersOwl.com , 8 Aug 2023, https://papersowl.com/examples/diversity-in-the-classroom-essay/

PapersOwl.com. (2023). Diversity in the Classroom Essay . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/diversity-in-the-classroom-essay/ [Accessed: 1 May. 2024]

"Diversity in the Classroom Essay." PapersOwl.com, Aug 08, 2023. Accessed May 1, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/diversity-in-the-classroom-essay/

"Diversity in the Classroom Essay," PapersOwl.com , 08-Aug-2023. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/diversity-in-the-classroom-essay/. [Accessed: 1-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2023). Diversity in the Classroom Essay . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/diversity-in-the-classroom-essay/ [Accessed: 1-May-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

Search form

• About Faculty Development and Support
• Programs and Funding Opportunities

Consultations, Observations, and Services

• Strategic Resources & Digital Publications
• Canvas @ Yale Support
• Learning Environments @ Yale
• Teaching Workshops
• Teaching Consultations and Classroom Observations
• Teaching Programs
• Spring Teaching Forum
• Written and Oral Communication Workshops and Panels
• Writing Resources & Tutorials
• About the Graduate Writing Laboratory
• Writing and Public Speaking Consultations
• Writing Workshops and Panels
• Writing Peer-Review Groups
• Writing Retreats and All Writes
• Online Writing Resources for Graduate Students
• About Teaching Development for Graduate and Professional School Students
• Teaching Programs and Grants
• Teaching Forums
• Resources for Graduate Student Teachers
• About Undergraduate Writing and Tutoring
• Academic Strategies Program
• The Writing Center
• STEM Tutoring & Programs
• Humanities & Social Sciences
• Center for Language Study
• Online Course Catalog
• Antiracist Pedagogy
• NECQL 2019: NorthEast Consortium for Quantitative Literacy XXII Meeting
• STEMinar Series
• Teaching in Context: Troubling Times
• Helmsley Postdoctoral Teaching Scholars
• Pedagogical Partners
• Instructional Materials
• Evaluation & Research
• STEM Education Job Opportunities
• Yale Connect
• Online Education Legal Statements

You are here

Diversity in the classroom.

Promoting diversity is a goal shared by many in American colleges and universities, but actually achieving this goal in the day-to-day classroom is often hard to do. The goal of this teaching module is to highlight a few of the key challenges and concerns in promoting diversity, and illustrate ways to incorporate an understanding of diversity in the classroom and beyond.

Diversity is a term that can have many different meanings depending on context. This module will not offer a comprehensive definition of the term, instead, this module will highlight two key areas related to diversity:

• Identify how diversity affects the classroom
• Provide practical tips for promoting an inclusive classroom

How Diversity Affects the Classroom

Much discussion about diversity focuses on the following forms of marginalization: race, class, gender, and sexual orientation — and rightfully so, given the importance of these forms of difference. In fact, students come to the university classroom with different backgrounds, sets of experiences, cultural contexts, and world views.

Additionally, issues of diversity play a role in how students and teachers view the importance of the classroom and what should happen there. For example, assumptions about what a typical student should know, the resources they have and their prior knowledge are extremely important.

Students may perceive that they do not “belong” in the classroom setting — a feeling that can lead to decreased participation, feelings of inadequacy, and other distractions. Teachers may make flawed assumptions of students’ capabilities or assume a uniform standard of student performance. Teachers may themselves feel out of place based on their own ascriptive traits (i.e. differences based on class, privilege, etc.).

Identifying and thinking through notions of difference and how they affect the classroom allow both students and teachers to see the classroom as an inclusive place. 

Practical Tips for Promoting an Inclusive Classroom

While many discussions concerning diversity focus on talking about the importance of diversity and recognizing difference, it is equally important to move to the next step: incorporating specific tips for addressing differences and how they play out.

One way to form strategies for promoting an inclusive classroom is to use self-reflection and think of potential classroom scenarios and how one might address them. The solutions to such scenarios are ones that each teacher should consider for him- or herself, since there are no immediate right or wrong answers.

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

Instructional Enhancement Fund

The Instructional Enhancement Fund (IEF) awards grants of up to $500 to support the timely integration of new learning activities into an existing undergraduate or graduate course. All Yale instructors of record, including tenured and tenure-track faculty, clinical instructional faculty, lecturers, lectors, and part-time acting instructors (PTAIs), are eligible to apply. Award decisions are typically provided within two weeks to help instructors implement ideas for the current semester.

Reserve a Room

The Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning partners with departments and groups on-campus throughout the year to share its space. Please review the reservation form and submit a request.

The Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning routinely supports members of the Yale community with individual instructional consultations and classroom observations.

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Diversity — Importance of Diversity in The Classroom

Importance of Diversity in The Classroom

• Categories: Cultural Anthropology Diversity Gender Discrimination

About this sample

Words: 630 |

Published: Mar 16, 2024

Words: 630 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Enhances learning experience, fosters inclusivity and equity, enhances intercultural competence (optional).

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Heisenberg

Verified writer

• Expert in: Arts & Culture Social Issues

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 483 words

2 pages / 774 words

1 pages / 467 words

7 pages / 3279 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Diversity

In E Pluribus Unum: A Quilt of a Country Summary, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anna Quindlen explores the diverse tapestry of American society and the challenges and opportunities it presents. This essay will focus on the [...]

Diversity is an essential aspect of human society and encompasses a range of primary and secondary aspects that have shaped the world throughout history. This essay will explore the importance of historical perspectives in [...]

Cletus, H. E., Mahmood, N. A., Umar, A., & Ibrahim, A. D. (2018). Prospects and challenges of workplace diversity in modern day organizations: A critical review. Journal of Business and Public Administration, 9(2), 35-52. [...]

Diversity in the workplace has become an increasingly important topic in today's globalized and interconnected world. With the growing diversity of the workforce, organizations are faced with the challenge of managing and [...]

In a rapidly growing globalised economy, workforces that are culturally diverse can help organisations expand their business in global markets. Being able to communicate effectively in different parts of the world is a crucial [...]

Diversity is a hallmark of the modern world, with people from various backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives coming together in an interconnected global community. While this diversity brings richness and vibrancy to our [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Diversity in the Primary Classroom Essay

Diversity in a classroom is a complex issue that needs a thorough examination. In particular, ability, special needs, and cultural backgrounds would be considered in this paper. Diversity refers to a variety of differences that are inherited to every learner. Moreover, each of the students possesses certain expectations, predispositions, and interactions that compose their identity. In order to understand the learners’ experience, it is essential to take into account classroom diversity.

The first factor under discussion is the cultural background. It goes without saying that plenty of ethnicities and nations might live together in the same community. As a result, learners from different origins study in the same class. Newly moved ethnicities might also experience several difficulties with language and adjustment to a new area. Groundwater-Smith, Ewing, and Le Cornu (2003) state that “Australian-born children of immigrant parents are also likely to have been raised in a culturally different environment and this might affect their ability to learn at school” (p. 57).

Family peculiarities affect students’ performance on the level of their expectations. In other words, some parents are strict and require excellent marks, while others prefer to help their children with studying. Finally, a teacher should be sensitive to the gender peculiarities of every learner avoiding generalizations.

The second factor consists of the special needs of learners. For instance, gifted and talented children have more inherited potential. However, this issue is rather controversial as some people argue that every student is talented in his or her own way. Howbeit, such students might need more psychological support to use their advanced skills and knowledge. Some of the talented learners tend to downplay their abilities or conceal them.

Students with disabilities present another group that requires a specific approach and programs. At the same time, the above issues might lead to the decreased isolation of children and the decline of their self-esteem. As a rule, children with disabilities do not have problems with mastering school material, yet the problem of communication with peers appears at the forefront of these students. Children at risk include those with temper tantrums or chronic illnesses and also compose diversity.

Abilities or learning styles are the third factors defining classroom diversity. Every student learns differently. According to Gardner’s multiple bits of intelligence, there are eight types of learning including linguistic, spatial, interpersonal, and others (Groundwater-Smith, Ewing, and Le Cornu, 2003). Consequently, learners might understand and remember information in a variety of ways that also should be considered by a teacher.

Seeing the above diversity issues, it seems appropriate to discuss a set of strategies aimed at providing equal learning outcomes for diversity classroom. McInerney and McInerney (2006) note that multicultural education is the best solution for the identified problem. In particular, bilingual education would suit to the learners’ expectations. Teachers might engage parents to contribute to the equal education as well. It might be performed by means of different meetings, conferences, and other mutual control measures.

Inclusive learning is another way to achieve the stated goal. Gargiulo and Metcalf (2013) consider that inclusive learning involves the formation of a joint education of children with disabilities or other peculiarities and their peers. As a result, all the children with special educational needs would be able to develop and learn together attending regular schools and having friends. The idea is that in order to get an equal education and psychological adaptation, children with special needs would actively interact with other children (Cheminais, 2013).

It should also be stressed that there is a need to provide indigenous children and children belonging to minorities with equal access to quality education on the same basis as other children. Efforts should be made to make sure that education is ensured with respect to their heritage (Petrovic, 2010). It is also necessary to make efforts to create opportunities for learning so that indigenous children and children belonging to minorities may be more aware of and maintain their cultural identity including significant aspects such as language and values (Skutnabb-Kangas & Heugh, 2012).

Being aware that some children are often insufficiently prepared for school, have learning difficulties, or do not get family support, the teachers should make maximum efforts to develop their learning motivation, to orient to the highest possible academic results, and support the interest and activity in the study (Shernoff, 2013). To this end, it is of great importance to actively involve diverse classroom members in project activities and academic studies starting with their primary class and associating with themes close to the students: the history of their family, local environment, or global issues.

Rapidly developing information and communication technologies should support education processes while reducing inequality in access to education (Ashman & Elkins, 2011). In particular, technology allows improving some functional tools such as glossary or thesaurus. Also, technology-based learning promotes children integration. For example, it is possible to design a digital storybook to share with others.

Ashman, A. F., & Elkins, J. (2011). Education for inclusion and diversity . Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Australia.

Cheminais, R. (2013). How to create the inclusive classroom: Removing barriers to learning . London, UK: David Fulton.

Gargiulo, R. M., & Metcalf, D. J. (2013). Teaching in today’s inclusive classrooms: A universal design for learning approach . Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R. & Le Cornu, R. (2003). Teaching: Challenges and dilemmas (2nd ed.). Southbank, Victoria: Thomson.

McInerney, D. & McInerney, V. (2006). Educational psychology: constructing learning (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Education.

Petrovic, J. E. (2010). International perspectives on bilingual education: Policy, practice, and controversy . Charlotte, NC: IAP.

Shernoff, D. J. (2013). Optimal learning environments to promote student engagement . New York, NY: Springer.

Skutnabb-Kangas, T., & Heugh, K. (2012). Multilingual education and sustainable diversity work: From periphery to center . New York, NY: Routledge.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, October 16). Diversity in the Primary Classroom. https://ivypanda.com/essays/diversity-in-the-primary-classroom/

"Diversity in the Primary Classroom." IvyPanda , 16 Oct. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/diversity-in-the-primary-classroom/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Diversity in the Primary Classroom'. 16 October.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Diversity in the Primary Classroom." October 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/diversity-in-the-primary-classroom/.

1. IvyPanda . "Diversity in the Primary Classroom." October 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/diversity-in-the-primary-classroom/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Diversity in the Primary Classroom." October 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/diversity-in-the-primary-classroom/.

• Critical Thinking and Paraphrasing: The Word "War"
• Diverse Cultural Background in the School
• Curriculum Development: Learning to Read and Compose
• Gifted and Talented Aboriginal Students in Queensland
• Inclusive Education: Advantages and Disadvantages
• Inclusive Education' Benefits
• Inclusion of Gifted and Talented in Regular Classroom
• Inclusive Education Factors and Challenges
• The Inclusive Education Concept
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusive Education
• Exposing Whiteness in Higher Education
• Janesville School District Food Services Leadership
• Illiteracy as a Global Issue
• Canadian Education Association: Resources Usage
• Houston Independent School District Robbing

Which program are you applying to?

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

May 11, 2023

Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

What is the diversity question in a school application, and why does it matter when applying to leading programs and universities? Most importantly, how should you respond?

Diversity is of supreme value in higher education, and schools want to know how every student will contribute to it in their community. A diversity essay is an essay that encourages applicants with disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds, an unusual education, a distinctive experience, or a unique family history to write about how these elements of their background have prepared them to play a useful role in increasing and encouraging diversity among their target program’s student body and broader community.

In this post, we’ll cover the following topics: 

How to show you can add to diversity

Why diversity matters at school, seven examples that reveal diversity, how to write about your diversity, diversity essay example, want to ensure your application demonstrates the diversity that your dream school is seeking.

If you are an immigrant to the United States, the child of immigrants, or someone whose ethnicity is underrepresented in the States, your response to “How will you add to the diversity of our class/community?” and similar questions might help your application efforts. Why? Because you can use it to show how your background will add a distinctive perspective to the program you are applying to.

Download this sample personal background essay, and see how one candidate won over the adcom and got accepted into their top-choice MBA program.

Of course, if you’re not from a group that is underrepresented in your field or a disadvantaged group, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have anything to write about in a diversity essay.

For example, you might have an unusual or special experience to share, such as serving in the military, being a member of a dance troupe, or caring for a disabled relative. These and other distinctive experiences can convey how you will contribute to the diversity of the school’s campus.

You could be the first member of your family to apply to college or the first to learn English in your household. Perhaps you have worked your way through college or helped raise your siblings. You might also have been an ally to those who are underrepresented, disadvantaged, or marginalized in your community, at your previous school, or in an earlier work experience. 

As you can see, diversity is not limited to one’s religion, ethnicity, culture, language, or sexual orientation. It refers to whatever element of your identity  distinguishes you from others and shows that you, too, value diversity.

Admissions officers believe diversity in the classroom improves the educational experience of all the students involved. They also believe that having a diverse workforce better serves society as a whole.

The more diverse perspectives found in the classroom, throughout the dorms, in the dining halls, and mixed into study groups, the richer the discussions will be.

Plus, learning and growing in this kind of multicultural environment will prepare students for working in our increasingly multicultural and global world.

In medicine, for example, a heterogeneous workforce benefits people from previously underrepresented cultures. Businesses realize they will market more effectively if they can speak to different audiences and markets, which is possible when members of their workforce come from different backgrounds and cultures. Schools simply want to prepare graduates for the 21st century job market.

Adcoms want to know about your personal diversity elements and the way they have helped you develop particular character and personality traits , as well as the unusual experiences that have shaped you.

Here are seven examples an applicant could write about:

• They grew up with a strong insistence on respecting elders, attending family events, or learning their parents’ native language and culture.
• They are close to grandparents and extended family members who have taught them how teamwork can help everyone thrive.
• They have had to face difficulties that stem from their parents’ values being in conflict with theirs or those of their peers.
• Teachers have not always understood the elements of their culture or lifestyle and how those elements influence their performance.
• They suffered from discrimination and succeeded despite it because of their grit, values, and character.
• They learned skills from a lifestyle that is outside the norm (e.g., living in foreign countries as the child of a diplomat or contractor; performing professionally in theater, dance, music, or sports; having a deaf sibling).
• They’ve encountered racism or other prejudice (either toward themselves or others) and responded by actively promoting diverse, tolerant values.

And remember, it’s not just about who your parents are. It’s about who you are – at the core.

Your background, influences, religious observances, language, ideas, work environment, community experiences – all these factors come together to create a unique individual, one who will contribute to a varied class of distinct individuals taking their place in a diverse world.

Your answer to the diversity question should focus on how your experiences have built your empathy for others, your embrace of differences, your resilience, your character, and your perspective.

The school might well ask how you think of diversity or how you can bring or add to the diversity of your school, chosen profession, or community. Make sure you answer the specific question posed by highlighting distinctive elements of your profile that will add to the class mosaic every adcom is trying to create. You don’t want to blend in; you want to stand out in a positive way while also complementing the school’s canvas.

Here’s a simple, three-part framework that will help you think of diversity more, well, diversely:

• Identity : Who are you? What has contributed to your identity? How do you distinguish yourself? Your identity can include any of the following: gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion, nontraditional work experience, nontraditional educational background, multicultural background, and family’s educational level.
• Deeds : What have you done? What have you accomplished? This could include any of the following: achievements inside and/or outside your field of study, leadership opportunities, community service, , internship or professional experience, research opportunities, hobbies, and travel. Any or all of these could be unique. Also, what life-derailing, throw-you-for-a-loop challenges have you faced and overcome?
• Ideas : How do you think? How do you approach things? What drives you? What influences you? Are you the person who can break up a tense meeting with some well-timed humor? Are you the one who intuitively sees how to bring people together? 

Learn more about this three-part framework in this podcast episode.

Think about each question within this framework and how you could apply your diversity elements to the classroom, your school, or your community. Any of these elements will serve as the framework for your essay.

Don’t worry if you can’t think of something totally “out there.” You don’t need to be a tightrope walker living in the Andes or a Buddhist monk from Japan to pass the diversity test!

And please remember, the examples I have listed are not exhaustive. There are many other ways to show diversity!

All you need to write successfully about how you will contribute to the rich diversity of your target school’s community is to examine your identity, deeds, and ideas, with an eye toward your personal distinctiveness and individuality. There is only one you .

Want our advice on how you can best show diversity?

Click here to sign up for a free consultation.

Take a look at this sample diversity essay, and pay attention to how the writer underscores their appreciation for and experience with diversity. 

When I was starting 11 th grade, my dad, an agricultural scientist, was assigned to a 3-month research project in a farm village in Niigata (northwest Honshu in Japan). Rather than stay behind with my mom and siblings, I begged to go with him. As a straight-A student, I convinced my parents and the principal that I could handle my schoolwork remotely (pre-COVID) for that stretch. It was time to leap beyond my comfortable suburban Wisconsin life—and my Western orientation, reinforced by travel to Europe the year before. 

We roomed in a sprawling farmhouse with a family participating in my dad’s study. I thought I’d experience an “English-free zone,” but the high school students all studied and wanted to practice English, so I did meet peers even though I didn’t attend their school. Of the many eye-opening, influential, cultural experiences, the one that resonates most powerfully to me is experiencing their community. It was a living, organic whole. Elementary school kids spent time helping with the rice harvest. People who foraged for seasonal wild edibles gave them to acquaintances throughout the town. In fact, there was a constant sharing of food among residents—garden veggies carried in straw baskets, fish or meat in coolers. The pharmacist would drive prescriptions to people who couldn’t easily get out—new mothers, the elderly—not as a business service but as a good neighbor. If rain suddenly threatened, neighbors would bring in each other’s drying laundry. When an empty-nest 50-year-old woman had to be hospitalized suddenly for a near-fatal snakebite, neighbors maintained her veggie patch until she returned. The community embodied constant awareness of others’ needs and circumstances. The community flowed!

Yet, people there lamented that this lifestyle was vanishing; more young people left than stayed or came. And it wasn’t idyllic: I heard about ubiquitous gossip, long-standing personal enmities, busybody-ness. But these very human foibles didn’t dam the flow. This dynamic community organism couldn’t have been more different from my suburban life back home, with its insular nuclear families. We nod hello to neighbors in passing. 

This wonderful experience contained a personal challenge. Blond and blue-eyed, I became “the other” for the first time. Except for my dad, I saw no Westerner there. Curious eyes followed me. Stepping into a market or walking down the street, I drew gazes. People swiftly looked away if they accidentally caught my eye. It was not at all hostile, I knew, but I felt like an object. I began making extra sure to appear “presentable” before going outside. The sense of being watched sometimes generated mild stress or resentment. Returning to my lovely tatami room, I would decompress, grateful to be alone. I realized this challenge was a minute fraction of what others experience in my own country. The toll that feeling—and being— “other” takes on non-white and visibly different people in the US can be extremely painful. Experiencing it firsthand, albeit briefly, benignly, and in relative comfort, I got it.

Unlike the organic Niigata community, work teams, and the workplace itself, have externally driven purposes. Within this different environment, I will strive to exemplify the ongoing mutual awareness that fueled the community life in Niigata. Does it benefit the bottom line, improve the results? I don’t know. But it helps me be the mature, engaged person I want to be, and to appreciate the individuals who are my colleagues and who comprise my professional community. I am now far more conscious of people feeling their “otherness”—even when it’s not in response to negative treatment, it can arise simply from awareness of being in some way different.

What did you think of this essay? Does this middle class Midwesterner have the unique experience of being different from the surrounding majority, something she had not experienced in the United States? Did she encounter diversity from the perspective of “the other”? 

Here a few things to note about why this diversity essay works so well:

• The writer comes from “a comfortable, suburban, Wisconsin life,” suggesting that her own background might not be ethnically, racially, or in other ways diverse.
• The diversity “points” scored all come from her fascinating  experience of having lived in a Japanese farm village, where she immersed herself in a totally different culture.
• The lessons learned about the meaning of community are what broaden and deepen the writer’s perspective about life, about a purpose-driven life, and about the concept of “otherness.” 

By writing about a time when you experienced diversity in one of its many forms, you can write a memorable and meaningful diversity essay.

Working on your diversity essay?

Want to ensure that your application demonstrates the diversity that your dream school is seeking? Work with one of our admissions experts and . This checklist includes more than 30 different ways to think about diversity to jump-start your creative engines.

Related Resources:

•  Different Dimensions of Diversity , a podcast episode • What to Do if You Belong to an Overrepresented Applicant Group • Med School Admissions Advice for Nontraditional Applicants: The Experts Speak

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553 © 2022 Accepted

• Undergraduate Students
• Doctoral Students
• Master’s Students
• Engineering Master’s Students
• Faculty & Staff
• Parents & Families
• Asian / Pacific Islander
• Black/African American
• First Generation/Low Income
• Hispanic/Latinx
• International
• Native American/Indigenous
• Neurodiverse
• Student Athletes
• Students with Disabilities
• Undocumented
• What is a Career Community?
• Business, Finance & Consulting
• Data, Technology & Engineering
• Discovery & Exploration
• Education, Government, Nonprofit & Policy
• Energy, Environment & Sustainability
• Entertainment, Media & Arts
• Healthcare & Biomedical Sciences
• Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Design
• Know Yourself
• Explore Options
• Focus & Prepare
• Take Action
• Evaluate & Refine
• Featured Opportunities
• Career Readiness Resources
• Personalize Your Hub
• For Employers

6 Ways to Incorporate Diversity in the Classroom

• Share This: Share 6 Ways to Incorporate Diversity in the Classroom on Facebook Share 6 Ways to Incorporate Diversity in the Classroom on LinkedIn Share 6 Ways to Incorporate Diversity in the Classroom on X

In an increasingly diverse and multicultural society, educators need to incorporate culturally responsive instruction across all levels in education. Teachers should include ethnic and cultural diversity, but also other forms such as religious, socioeconomic status, gender identity, language background, and more. 

Here are six ways to manage diversity in the classroom and promote cultural awareness. 

• You should get to know your students. 

Learning about the cultural backgrounds, hobbies, and learning styles of all students will make them feel valued and allow for a trusting bond to form between you and them. 

• You should maintain consistent communication with your students. 

Having one-on-one check-ins with your students throughout the school year will make them feel included and help you to improve your classroom’s accessibility. 

• You should acknowledge and respect every student. 

Paying attention to the uniqueness of your students and allowing them to learn about their cultural background and share that knowledge with their peers promotes understanding in the classroom and beyond. 

• You should practice cultural sensitivity. 

Creating interactive and collaborative learning experiences ensures that every student is given the space to learn in their own ways. 

• You should incorporate diversity in your lesson plans.

Always try to present and connect your lessons to real-world issues to foster your student’s cultural awareness. 

• You should give your students freedom and flexibility in their educational lessons. 

Acting as more of a facilitator instead of as a lecturer gives your students the ability to connect better to the curriculum and gain more knowledge through their own directed experiences. 

It is important to teach culture because it will create greater multicultural awareness and inclusion in the classroom and help students from all backgrounds succeed. Highlighting the cultural diversity among your students will encourage acceptance and prepare students to thrive in our diversifying world. 

Other benefits to your students include:

• Becoming more empathetic and open-minded 
• Gaining a better understanding of their lessons and other people 
• Feeling more confident and safe in their communities

Teachers have to teach their students a variety of skills to contribute to society, and this also includes preparing them to adapt to our evolving world. 

If you are interested in reading more about the importance of diversity and cultural awareness in the classroom, check out this article . 

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write a diversity essay: 4 key tips.

College Essays

If you're applying to college, you've probably heard the phrase "diversity essay" once or twice. This type of essay is a little different from your typical "Why this college?" essay . Instead of focusing on why you've chosen a certain school, you'll write about your background, values, community, and experiences—basically, what makes you special.

In this guide, I explain what a diversity college essay is, what schools are looking for in this essay, and what you can do to ensure your diversity essay stands out.

What Is a Diversity Essay for College?

A diversity essay is a college admissions essay that focuses on you as an individual and your relationship with a specific community. The purpose of this essay is to reveal what makes you different from other applicants, including what unique challenges or barriers you've faced and how you've contributed to or learned from a specific community of people.

Generally speaking, the diversity college essay is used to promote diversity in the student body . As a result, the parameters of this essay are typically quite broad. Applicants may write about any relevant community or experience. Here are some examples of communities you could discuss:

• Your cultural group
• Your race or ethnicity
• Your extended family
• Your religion
• Your socioeconomic background (such as your family's income)
• Your sex or gender
• Your sexual orientation
• Your gender identity
• Your values or opinions
• Your experiences
• Your home country or hometown
• Your school
• The area you live in or your neighborhood
• A club or organization of which you're an active member

Although the diversity essay is a common admissions requirement at many colleges, most schools do not specifically refer to this essay as a diversity essay . At some schools, the diversity essay is simply your personal statement , whereas at others, it's a supplemental essay or short answer.

It's also important to note that the diversity essay is not limited to undergraduate programs . Many graduate programs also require diversity essays from applicants. So if you're planning to eventually apply to graduate school, be aware that you might have to write another diversity statement!

Diversity Essay Sample Prompts From Colleges

Now that you understand what diversity essays for college are, let's take a look at some diversity essay sample prompts from actual college applications.

University of Michigan

At the University of Michigan , the diversity college essay is a required supplemental essay for all freshman applicants.

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

University of Washington

Like UM, the University of Washington asks students for a short-answer (300 words) diversity essay. UW also offers advice on how to answer the prompt.

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the University of Washington.

Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values, and viewpoints.

University of California System

The UC system requires freshman applicants to choose four out of eight prompts (or personal insight questions ) and submit short essays of up to 350 words each . Two of these are diversity essay prompts that heavily emphasize community, personal challenges, and background.

For each prompt, the UC system offers tips on what to write about and how to craft a compelling essay.

5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

Things to consider: A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you've faced and what you've learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone?

If you're currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, "How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends, or with my family?"

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

Things to consider: Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team, or place—like your high school, hometown, or home. You can define community as you see fit; just make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community?

Why were you inspired to act? What did you learn from your effort? How did your actions benefit others, the wider community, or both? Did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community?

Think about your community: How has it helped you? What have you done for it?

University of Oklahoma

First-year applicants to the University of Oklahoma who want to qualify for a leader, community service, or major-based scholarship must answer two optional, additional writing prompts , one of which tackles diversity. The word count for this prompt is 650 words or less.

The University of Oklahoma is the home of a vibrant, diverse, and compassionate university community that is often referred to as “the OU family.” Please describe your cultural and community service activities and why you chose to participate in them.

Duke University

In addition to having to answer the Common Application or Coalition Application essay prompts, applicants to Duke University may (but do not have to) submit short answers to two prompts, four of which are diversity college essay prompts . The maximum word count for each is 250 words.

We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community .

We believe there is benefit in sharing and sometimes questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?

We recognize that “fitting in” in all the contexts we live in can sometimes be difficult. Duke values all kinds of differences and believes they make our community better. Feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different, and how that has affected you or what it means to you.

Duke’s commitment to inclusion and belonging includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Feel free to share with us more about how your identity in this context has meaning for you as an individual or as a member of a community .

Pitzer College

At Pitzer, freshman applicants must use the Common Application and answer one supplemental essay prompt. One of these prompts is a diversity essay prompt that asks you to write about your community.

At Pitzer, five core values distinguish our approach to education: social responsibility, intercultural understanding, interdisciplinary learning, student engagement, and environmental sustainability. As agents of change, our students utilize these values to create solutions to our world's challenges. Reflecting on your involvement throughout high school or within the community, how have you engaged with one of Pitzer's core values?

The Common Application

Many colleges and universities, such as Purdue University , use the Common Application and its essay prompts.

One of its essay prompts is for a diversity essay, which can be anywhere from 250 to 650 words. This prompt has a strong focus on the applicant's identity, interests, and background.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful, they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

ApplyTexas is similar to the Common Application but is only used by public colleges and universities in the state of Texas. The application contains multiple essay prompts, one of which is a diversity college essay prompt that asks you to elaborate on who you are based on a particular identity, a passion you have, or a particular skill that you've cultivated.

Essay B: Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself.

In a diversity essay, focus on an aspect of your identity or cultural background that defines you and makes you stand out.

What Do Colleges Look for in a Diversity Essay?

With the diversity essay, what colleges usually want most is to learn more about you , including what experiences have made you the person you are today and what unique insights you can offer the school. But what kinds of specific qualities do schools look for in a diversity essay?

To answer this, let's look at what schools themselves have said about college essays. Although not many colleges give advice specific to the diversity essay, many provide tips for how to write an effective college essay in general .

For example, here is what Dickinson College hopes to see in applicants' college essays:

Tell your story.

It may be trite advice, but it's also true. Admissions counselors develop a sixth sense about essay writers who are authentic. You'll score points for being earnest and faithful to yourself.

Authenticity is key to writing an effective diversity essay. Schools want you to be honest about who you are and where you come from; don't exaggerate or make up stories to make yourself sound "cooler" or more interesting—99% of the time, admissions committees will see right through it! Remember: admissions committees read thousands of applications, so they can spot a fake story a mile away.

Next, here's what Wellesley College says about the purpose of college essays:

Let the Board of Admission discover:

• More about you as a person.
• The side of you not shown by SATs and grades.
• Your history, attitudes, interests, and creativity.
• Your values and goals—what sets you apart.

It's important to not only be authentic but to also showcase "what sets you apart" from other applicants—that is, what makes you you . This is especially important when you consider how many applications admissions committees go through each year. If you don't stand out in some positive way, you'll likely end up in the crapshoot , significantly reducing or even eliminating your chances of admission .

And finally, here's some advice from the University of Michigan on writing essays for college:

Your college essay will be one of nearly 50,000 that we'll be reading in admissions—use this opportunity to your advantage. Your essay gives us insights into your personality; it helps us determine if your relationship with the school will be mutually beneficial.

So tell us what faculty you'd like to work with, or what research you're interested in. Tell us why you're a leader—or how you overcame adversity in your life. Tell us why this is the school for you. Tell us your story.

Overall, the most important characteristic colleges are looking for in the diversity essay (as well as in any college essay you submit) is authenticity. Colleges want to know who you are and how you got here; they also want to see what makes you memorable and what you can bring to the school.

An excellent diversity essay will represent some aspect of your identity in a sincere, authentic way.

How to Write an Effective Diversity Essay: Four Tips

Here are some tips to help you write a great diversity college essay and increase your chances of admission to college.

#1: Think About What Makes You Unique

One of the main purposes of the diversity essay is to present your uniqueness and explain how you will bring a new perspective to the student body and school as a whole. Therefore, for your essay, be sure to choose a topic that will help you stand apart from other applicants .

For example, instead of writing about your ability to play the piano (which a lot of applicants can do, no doubt), it'd be far more interesting to elaborate on how your experience growing up in Austria led you to become interested in classical music.

Try to think of defining experiences in your life. These don't have to be obvious life-altering events, but they should have had a lasting impact on you and helped shape your identity.

#2: Be Honest and Authentic

Ah, there's that word again: authentic . Although it's important to showcase how unique you are, you also want to make sure you're staying true to who you are. What experiences have made you the person you are today? What kind of impact did these have on your identity, accomplishments, and future goals?

Being honest also means not exaggerating (or lying about) your experiences or views. It's OK if you don't remember every little detail of an event or conversation. Just try to be as honest about your feelings as possible. Don't say something changed your life if it really had zero impact on you.

Ultimately, you want to write in a way that's true to your voice . Don't be afraid to throw in a little humor or a personal anecdote. What matters most is that your diversity essay accurately represents you and your intellectual potential.

#3: Write Clearly, Correctly, and Cogently

This next tip is of a more mechanical nature. As is the case with any college essay, it's critical that your diversity essay is well written . After all, the purpose of this essay is not only to help schools get to know you better but also to demonstrate a refined writing ability—a skill that's necessary for doing well in college, regardless of your major.

A diversity essay that's littered with typos and grammatical errors will fail to tell a smooth, compelling, and coherent story about you. It will also make you look unprofessional and won't convince admissions committees that you're serious about college and your future.

So what should you do? First, separate your essay into clear, well-organized paragraphs. Next, edit your essay several times. As you further tweak your draft, continue to proofread it. If possible, get an adult—such as a teacher, tutor, or parent—to look it over for you as well.

#4: Take Your Time

Our final tip is to give yourself plenty of time to actually write your diversity essay. Usually, college applications are due around December or January , so it's a good idea to start your essay early, ideally in the summer before your senior year (and before classes and homework begin eating up your time).

Starting early also lets you gain some perspective on your diversity essay . Here's how to do this: once you've written a rough draft or even just a couple of paragraphs of your essay, put it away for a few days. Once this time passes, take out your essay again and reread it with a fresh perspective. Try to determine whether it still has the impact you wanted it to have. Ask yourself, "Does this essay sound like the real me or someone else? Are some areas a little too cheesy? Could I add more or less detail to certain paragraphs?"

Finally, giving yourself lots of time to write your diversity essay means you can have more people read it and offer comments and edits on it . This is crucial for producing an effective diversity college essay.

Conclusion: Writing Diversity Essays for College

A diversity essay is a college admissions essay that r evolves around an applicant's background and identity, usually within the context of a particular community. This community can refer to race or ethnicity, income level, neighborhood, school, gender, age, sexual orientation, etc.

Many colleges—such as the University of Michigan, the University of Washington, and Duke—use the diversity essay to ensure diversity in their student bodies . Some schools require the essay; others accept it as an optional application component.

If you'll be writing diversity essays for college, be sure to do the following when writing your essay to give yourself a higher chance of admission:

• Think about what makes you unique: Try to pinpoint an experience or opinion you have that'll separate you from the rest of the crowd in an interesting, positive way.
• Be honest and authentic:  Avoid exaggerating or lying about your feelings and experiences.
• Write clearly, correctly, and cogently:  Edit, proofread, and get someone else to look over your essay.
• Take your time: Start early, preferably during the summer before your senior year, so you can have more time to make changes and get feedback from others.

With that, I wish you the best of luck on your diversity essay!

What's Next?

You understand how to write a diversity essay— but what about a "Why this college?" essay ? What about a general personal statement ? Our guides explain what these essays are and how you can produce amazing responses for your applications.

Want more samples of college essay prompts? Read dozens of real prompts with our guide and learn how to answer them effectively.

Curious about what a good college essay actually looks like? Then check out our analysis of 100+ college essays and what makes them memorable .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

Diversity in schools and classrooms essay

The world is a huge place; full of people with various cultures and backgrounds. When such people with their differences in language, perception, and understanding come together in a classroom setting, we refer to it as diversity. Diversity can be observed in almost all schools all around the world. It has become a hot topic for educators, since they have been working on creating a system through which they can meet the diverse needs of the students.

Articles on diversity in schools and classrooms Following are five articles from psychology journals, all referring to meeting the diverse needs of students coming from different cultures. Article one: “Our Multicultural Classroom” is an article by Nanette Avery, who teaches in America to Pre-K 8 classroom. She talks about how each year a new student or perhaps more join her class, and these students are from a different background, culture or ethnicity; as compared to the average American child.

In her article she says that it is important to treat each child differently with respect to his diverse needs, but at the same time one should not label them or put them in the front portrayed to be an alien. The problem she talks about is the language differences; not every student is fluent in English due to different cultures. For this she has designed a small English test in which each student writes a poem; just so she can understand the varying English proficiency of each student and then cater to them accordingly.

This particular article was helpful in understanding the fact that while helping students adapt to the different cultural setting, one should not make their differences so obvious, so that they do not feel more awkward. (Avery, 2005) Article two: This article is named Classroom culture and cultural diversity, it is by Olguin. Olguin in his article talks about how a typical school system of most American universities does no address to saving a person’s cultural background, his perceptions; but simply alters the student’s thinking into a typical stereotyped perceptive way of the American society.

Related essays:

• Integrative Education Essay essay
• How To Engage Students Who Receive Special Education Accommodation to Ensure They Have Success in Classroom and Athletics essay
• Multicultural Diversity and Disability in the United States of America essay

Olguin says that in universities, they educate a person according to what they school thinks is right for the student, and changes their thinking into how the school wants the students to think. This is not right because people coming in from various cultures all have a different mind set which should be respected and nourished, rather than making them all into robots who think alike. The syllabus is designed such that it is assumed that everyone who walks into the classroom has a good grip over the American systems and ways; which is not true, as people from all over the world are present.

This causes a lack of understanding and hence poor performance. Olguin says that in his class, he allows for opinions to be expressed and differences to be voiced, so each student understands the cultural diversity; and along side he assigns group projects, so that students learn to respect and understand and work with these differences. I feel this is a really good approach, to create awareness regarding the cultural diversity, to address to it so that each child develops in his own way.

(Olguin, 1991), January) Article three: This article is by Rao Shaila; addressing to the need of a multicultural educational system in order to meet the diversity in classrooms. In this article Shaila has summarized a number of studies taken place regarding the multicultural educational system. It has been identified that there are four dimensions to a multicultural educational system. The first being integration; where knowledge is related to different cultures for better understanding.

The second is construction; where a student is taught how to adapt to the new cultural ways; the third is where the teacher is expected to alter her teaching styles to fit the varying learning styles and needs and the last is empowering, where the student is in the end given the choice to learn; think and educate himself in ways that are most suitable for him. In this article Shaila reviewed a number of studies such as the ones by Banks (1995), and Sleeter and McLaren (1995). Each study had an independent variable being the diversity and the dependent variable was the progress of the students in response to multicultural education.

Basically what the studies have identified was that it is not right to have a standardized syllabus which has to be pushed inside the students minds even at the cost of changing their own ways of thinking. Each child comes from a different background, and hence needs to be treated differently; to be given the right to think and learn in the ways which are best for him. A multicultural education system ensures that such differences are recognized, and the child is given time to adapt to new settings.

Multicultural education does not simply means giving examples from different cultures so that the minorities understand the lecture well, but it allowed the students to develop in unique manners, and not become stereotypical “citizens”. I feel this article is written really strongly. I agree with most of the things stated in this article. The importance of a multicultural education system is immense since all students cannot be assumed to be the same; they have diverse needs which should be catered to effectively for their progress. (Rao, 2005)

Article four: This article is by Robert Shobe. It is called “respecting diversity. ” So in this particular article, he discusses how when he would teach incarcerated male students, he noticed how some students progressed real well, where as others, mostly of the minorities were not doing so well. It diverted his attention towards the cultural diversity which was present in his classroom. He took a survey to better understand this case. The survey was conducted in Indiana, and about 10% of the subjects were African American, Caucasian and Hispanic.

Even though the subject sample was small, it shed some light on the need to understand, respect and cater to the diverse backgrounds that students come from. The results which he obtained were mostly such, that most students from the minority groups, were identified to prefer teachers who understood their needs and catered to them; who did not force them to be like their other fellow Americans. The students from a different background stated they preferred to work alone as then their ideas are not crushed by the overwhelming majority American population.

Basically, in the survey he identified the need for cultural differences awareness. That teachers and fellow students should both have a good understanding of the fact that each person is unique and hence has differences which need to be respected, and not considered wrong. Only with this awareness will the students be able to work in harmony, and the teachers will be able to teach the different groups more effectively. (Shobe, 2003) Article five: Linguistic Diversity and Classroom Management is an article by Mary Elizabeth in which she talks about how in a classroom, there will be students whose first language is not English.

Such students when enter a school where the medium of instruction is English have a very difficult time adapting, if the teachers do not address to cultural diversity and plan their syllabus accordingly. Mary Elizabeth in her article has stated numerous ways in which these students, referred to as English language learners (ELLs) can be dealt with in order to deal with the linguistic diversity that exists due to different backgrounds. One such method she talks about is pairing the students. Each ELLs student can be paired with a student who is fluent in English.

This is will be of great help to the ELL and will help him adapt to the new setting. Another method she outlines is allowing for different students to use their native language wherever necessary. However, I feel this can be a bit too chaotic in a classroom especially if the other students and the teacher have no clue about the students’ native languages. What I strongly agree about from this article is allowing for concessions to be made when it comes to submitting assignments, the deadlines. Mary states that ELLs can be given extra time.

This I feel will make them feel more important and help them learn better. (Curran, 2003) Conclusion After reading the articles mentioned above, I have gained some insight into exactly what cultural diversity refers to and how it should be dealt with. I have understood that it is a very sensitive issue, than can actually make or break ones future. In a school, there are people from different backgrounds, culture, ethnicity, religion, race, cast, language and so forth. This adds diversity to a classroom.

It should not be perceived as negative by the students or the teachers. However, it should be identified and awareness regarding different cultures should be created so that their different ways are not labeled as wrong, but simply as being unique. Multicultural educational systems are important for the success of the students from minority groups. Teachers and students need to understand that different students have different ways of learning and perceptions, which should be encouraged and not compared against a particular culture.

This way each student will be able to develop into a unique individual who will offer different benefits to the society. From the articles, what has been identified is that a cultural awareness needs to be created. Teachers should be more flexible in their teaching styles, and open to different ideas and ways of thinking. This way the student will be able to adapt to new settings in an easier manner, guaranteeing future success. This assignment has increased my insight regarding this topic.

Lesson learnt being that one should never consider a particular culture to be the benchmark against which everyone should be compared. We need to understand that the world is a place full of millions of different people, and to respect their identity and nourish it is of key importance for the benefit of the society.

References Avery, N. (2005). Our Multicultural Classroom. 3. Curran, M. (2003, Fall2003). Linguistic Diversity and Classroom Management. Theory Into Practice, 42(4), 334-340. Retrieved July 11, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.