A quality education can open doors to all kinds of possibilities for students—but what happens when not every student has equal access? Students come from diverse backgrounds, which means they may face a wide variety of challenges. School administrators and staff can implement inclusive teaching practices to help level the playing field and ensure access for everyone.
5 Inclusive teaching practices every school can use:
- Consider students’ basic needs
- Make classrooms safe spaces
- Provide relevant and accessible content
- Utilize technology
- Get student feedback
1. Consider students’ basic needs
It’s difficult for students to focus on literature or science if their tummies are rumbling, they’re cold or they don’t have proper school supplies. Consider ways to help meet students’ basic needs if they aren’t already being met:
- Snacks: Have a snack bucket in the front office or in teachers’ classrooms with crackers, pretzels or other snacks to help alleviate hunger and help students concentrate.
- Clothes closet: If your school building has space, consider starting a “clothes closet” of donated jackets, shoes, gloves and other items for students in need.
- Hygiene items: The school nurse or counsellors can store travel-size shampoo, soap, toothpaste and feminine hygiene products for students who might not have these supplies at home.
- School supplies: Teachers can keep extra pencils, notebook paper or art supplies on hand for students who run out.
2. Make classrooms safe spaces
Learning best occurs in classrooms where students feel safe and supported. To help build a classroom culture of inclusivity, teachers can model social-emotional skills, like empathy and compassion, and teach respectful conversational skills. Giving students opportunities to collaborate and discuss complex ideas with their classmates also exposes students to new points of view.
Reward students who show empathy and compassion to their classmates with an educational promotional product, like a stress reliever in the shape of an apple or a pop fidget game.
3. Provide relevant and accessible content
Students tend to be more excited about content that is relevant to personal experiences, which can make the curriculum more accessible to even the most reluctant learners. Some ways to make content relevant might include:
- Diverse imagery: Pictures of people of different racial or ethnic backgrounds, differently abled people and different genders on posters or in presentation slides can help normalize inclusiveness in the classroom. Students may feel empowered when they see themselves represented.
- Varied authors: Reading work written by authors with diverse backgrounds can help students see the world from different perspectives. Students may find they relate to points of view that may not have otherwise considered.
- Differentiated learning materials: Having curriculum materials accessible for all students is crucial for learning to take place. For example, having copies of a story in a large font size is necessary for a visually impaired student, whereas translation software may be needed for a student who speaks a language other than English at home.
- Usage of varied instructional strategies: Remember that not every student learns the same way. Some students will learn better visually, while others may need to move around, watch videos or use their hands to understand important concepts. Try to switch up the strategies used in the classroom to give all students a chance to succeed.
4. Utilize technology
Technology can be a game-changer for educators who want to use inclusive teaching practices to level the playing field. Many educational websites have built-in tools to make meeting students where they are much easier. For example, some websites with independent practice questions automatically adjust the questions’ difficulty for students at lower reading or math levels.
Technology can also make it easier for teachers to record class lectures and share them as videos, post lesson materials for absent students or utilize tools, like read aloud software, for students with disabilities.
5. Get student feedback
One of the most effective ways to empower students to take control of their learning is to put them in the driver’s seat. Educators can do this by asking for student feedback and taking their comments seriously. Conducting frequent student surveys and implementing the suggestions shows you care about students’ opinions. Educators may want to ask about the types of topics students want to learn, what their favourite learning activities during a particular unit were or what questions about the content students may still have.
Teachers can thank their students for submitting honest feedback with education promotional products, like colour-changing mood pencils, a MopTopper Screen Cleaner Phone Stand or Hershey’s® Kisses.
Make learning accessible for all students by using inclusive teaching practices
By using inclusive teaching practices, like considering students’ basic needs, making classrooms safe spaces and making content relevant and accessible, school administrators and staff can help make sure every student has a chance to learn and succeed.