Shifting Demographics and Cross-cultural perspectives in our Classrooms

There was a time when the standard method of pedagogy was lecturing. We now recognize the folly in believing that every child follows the same learning style. Differentiated instruction is the current mantra, and each amongst us tries to reach out to the visual, the auditory, the kinesthetic, the self-directed, the team-worker, the ADHD, the trouble-maker, the leader, and the introvert in our classes. Why can we then, not stretch ourselves a little more and acknowledge that the diversity in our classrooms does not end there?

The United States of America, once known as the melting-pot of cultures, now resembles a salad more than a soup. Every ethnic strand stands out proudly and makes a statement for itself. Nowhere is this heterogeneity more apparent than in our classrooms. A one-size-fits-all approach cannot, therefore, work.

Last fall, I attended a seminar on brain development, and how the brain learns. One of the most important lessons I learned at the workshop was a concept called SAIL. It is an acronym for teaching strategy and student success. It implores teachers to create a SAFE learning environment, where students feel ACCEPTED and INCLUDED so that LEARNING is optimized. What a wonderful concept!

Although authors, illustrators and educators are trying very hard to create meaningful, relevant and politically correct coursework and literature, racial and gender-based stereotypes are still rampant. Due to misinformation and misrepresentation of varying cultural norms, students who appear “different” from the popular student crowd get picked on and teased or bullied relentlessly.

Students in America are still remarkably insular; they are shielded from many of the harsh realities of life that students from other parts of the world are more painfully aware of. Consequently, when, as adults, these young people have to explore realms outside their ken, they feel lost and rudderless.

The world is constantly shrinking. It is not possible anymore to live in our comfort zone. Today’s student community will have to reach out to the global business/consumer community as corporate gurus and career people tomorrow. If they must succeed and remain economically viable, we must instill in our youth a strong understanding of cross-cultural understanding and tolerance. How else will our ships SAIL?