How to encourage and celebrate diversity in the classroom

Why is it important to educate children about diversity? There are around 14.1 million people with a disability in the UK, around 6.2 million people living in the UK are non-British, and 1.2 million people identify as being a part of the LGBT+ community. These statistics just cover a few of the different groups in society and recognise that every classroom will be a mix of pupils of different cultures, abilities, orientations, as well as genders and socio-economic backgrounds.

One of the best lessons you can teach your students is that each person has something valuable to contribute. By creating a space where everyone is heard you can foster an inclusive environment and expose your pupils to people from different areas of life. It all starts with celebrating communities and accepting that we can learn better together.

Here’s how to encourage and celebrate diversity in the classroom:

Calendar

Calendars are a fun way to get your students involved in a theme throughout the academic year. A reading awareness day calendar can be used to get your pupils reading for pleasure, while a diversity and inclusion calendar will expose your pupils to the different cultural holidays celebrated in a year like Chinese New Year and Diwali. You should also look for more obscure days, like International Day of Sign Languages and National Autism Awareness Month to encourage an understanding of learning differences.

A diversity and inclusion calendar will teach your class to respect other people’s differences, whether it’s the country they’re from, their beliefs, their learning differences or the way they choose to identify.

Introduce them to role models

According to a survey, only one in four children have a role model, yet research has shown that having someone to look up to is really important for a child’s development. As a teacher, you can help students find a positive role model and introduce a diverse mix of people so that each student can seem themselves in someone.

A young student might hear Malala Yousafzai’s story and realise they too are passionate about education. Discussing Greta Thunberg may teach them that can also fight for something they believe in and make their voice heard. Marcus Rashford, being a younger footballer, may be someone children can relate to and appreciate how he used his platform to help vulnerable children.

Role models don’t just have to be people in the public eye and stories of regular people may resonate powerfully with students. Read them news articles about the first women that became Prime Ministers and stories about how Paralympians won gold medals for their countries.

Be selective with your reading

Stories convey powerful messages and sometimes a fictional story can be more compelling. When choosing which books to read in class, think about whether they have diverse images and represent people from minority groups. Choose books that celebrate differences, like “All Kinds of Families” by Mary Ann Hoberman and “I, Too, Am America” by Langston Hughes introduce children to different family dynamics and backgrounds, and will help students from different groups feel accepted.

Start a diversity and inclusion week at your school

Dedicating a week to diversity is an important step towards awareness of inclusive values, the negative impacts of exclusion and will help to illustrate that the classroom is a place where everyone’s individuality is accepted and embraced.

Take a thematic approach to learning during this week, where every subject – history, religion, art, even science – incorporates diversity into the lesson plan. This will help students understand that diversity is everywhere, and therefore it matters to everyone. Other ideas for diversity and inclusion week include show-and-tell, workshops that encourage discussion and debate, and the use of diversity worksheets.

This doesn’t mean to say that your school should focus on diversity for one week only, but it’s an opportunity to actively promote mutual respect and shows pupils that they can each make their own stamp on the world.

Browse our wide range of teaching roles

No matter which school you work in, primary or secondary, mainstream or special, teaching students about diversity and inclusion is a chance to foster a sense of belonging and acceptance. Are you ready to take action and encourage diversity in the classroom? Browse our primary teacher jobs, secondary teacher jobs or special needs teacher jobs and we’ll help you find a job that is right for you.