Effective ways to manage a multicultural class

Academic institutions of learning now become international communities with diverse students from varied and complex cultures. As a result, instructors must strive to create structures that accommodate all the cultural diversities of the students in their class. This is very important because educational institutions must be communities where cultural hybridism is encouraged so that it can serve as a pilot community for peace and unity. However, instructors need to be assisted with practical steps in knowing how to manage a class of students with mixed cultures. This would prevent any form of cultural abuse that can breed anger, chaos, and mar the unity that should be the hallmark of any academic institution.

The instructor must provide a learning context that is friendly to all cultures. In order to do this, the instructor must spend time studying the different cultures of the students in her class. He/she must research and know more about the cultures of the students so that he/she does not offend any of the students through teaching, behavior or attitude. For example, when citing examples to illustrate salient points in the lessons, the instructor should not use a particular society or ethnic culture and give a bad image of them. It would even be better not to cite any examples using a particular cultural group. Additionally, offensive language from particular cultural groups should be removed from instructional materials, such as reading materials that will be issued to students. Furthermore, the instructor must restrain the tongue so as not to say anything offensive. Students should note in the instructor’s speech that she speaks well of all cultures and does not favor one culture over others.

Another powerful way to deal with a multicultural class is for the instructor to ensure cultural integration among students. When giving group papers, assignments, and presentations, the instructor must carefully pair students from different cultural backgrounds in each group. This would promote cultural tolerance even among students. More importantly, students would learn how to respectfully relate to people from different cultures. These working groups would give them the opportunity to see the good characteristics evident in members of different cultural groups. It would help them correct the misperceptions people have about people from specific cultural backgrounds.

Instructors must constantly vary the people who act as facilitators in the class. This would erase any mental bias in the minds of the students. If possible, an instructor can show through her clothing that she is accepting of people from different cultures by wearing the designated attractions of her class’s particular cultural groups in class. This is, in fact, a personal decision, although it is one of the sure ways to get ahead of any cultural biases that may be in students’ minds.

In addition, instructors must tolerate the values ​​and norms that are held in high regard by the different cultural groups in the classroom. In no way should the highly valued systems of a particular cultural group be mocked, dismissed as unimportant, or denied. Students who disrespect their peers’ cultures should be punished so that they serve as a warning to others not to tread in their footsteps. Costly jokes that mock the cultures of particular groups should be avoided and not entertained by the instructor in class discussions. This would ensure that all cultures are evaluated and appreciated, reinforcing respect for diversified cultural groups and fostering unity in the class, which are the necessary tools for the provision of an environment conducive to the effective performance of teaching and learning activities. .

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