Diversity and equity are important to include in the workplace. There are many people that feel the need to have more diversity and equity at work. It’s become a topic that is highly discussed and focused on since the pandemic has started. Everyone needs to be aware of it, especially when it comes to our social and professional interactions with others.
Diversity should be included in all workplaces, but there is one work environment that definitely needs it: academic settings. Diversity and equity are big issues that teachers and other school staff need to incorporate in schools daily. Doing this helps improve the learning and teaching that is done in schools.
There are students put in a classroom together with different views they’ve been taught, whether at home or what they’ve seen around them when it comes to culture and race. A teacher can help with this tremendously by being a positive role model and showing how everyone, no matter the race, gender, etc., should be respected. They can do this by having class activities that students can participate in. Students can take what they learned in school and bring it to other places.
Diversity and equity can be incorporated in education settings in a number of ways. For this to happen, staff need to be trained on this so they feel comfortable with it in a classroom. Activities and lessons about diversity can help create a classroom environment where the students show a greater appreciation for each other’s differences. The curriculum taught to students plays a role as well when it involves diversity and equity and should be engaging, help all students learn and have success in school.
All students should have equal opportunity to express their needs, to learn, and grow academically. It’s important for teaching staff to be open and have conversations with students, even if it’s uncomfortable in the beginning. Being well aware of what each student needs is key to creating a school setting that emphasizes diversity and equity. Having an understanding of this is important to improve learning outcomes. Also, teachers learning about themselves and knowing what they are biased about will help aid in teaching in an environment with equity.
A lot comes into play when it comes to diversity and equity and making sure it is applied in classroom settings. The administration has to take the lead and make sure that diversity and equity are applied in the classroom. By doing this, along with their staff, schools will see a difference in their students.
