Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Three Takeaways for New Teachers

What is diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging?

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives (commonly referred to as DEI) seek to improve learning outcomes by ensuring that all students and staff feel welcome, safe, and valued at school.  Sounds good!  But where can you start?  And how exactly does DEI look in your classroom?  

In recent years, the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging movement has met some resistance – read more about DEI pushback in this article from Education Week.  However, the primary goal of DEI — to create a welcoming school culture that values all members — can contribute to a more positive environment inside your classroom.  For that reason, it’s important to think about the implications of DEI on your teaching practice.

Three Implications of DEI on Your Teaching Practice

#1: DEI Impact on Community

Implication for you: greater emphasis on community building.  

Research shows increased academic achievement for students who feel connected to their schools.  Connectedness also results in fewer risky student behaviors such as drug or alcohol use, gang involvement, and early sexual activity.

As mentioned in this article on using student check-ins to build connections, effective teachers are more than simply kind toward students.  Great teachers provide opportunities for students to connect emotionally with adults on campus. 

To create a welcoming and affirming environment, think about ways to learn about students, their families, and their heritage.  This will establish a trusted connection between the school and home.  Dedicate class time to forging meaningful connections with your students.

What you can do as a teacher:

• Make a concerted effort to get to know your students
• Look for opportunities that enable families to be involved in the school lives of their students
• Create class time for regular check-in activities 
• Lead community-building activities
• Establish clear expectations for behavior that encourage the safety of all community members
• Involve the students in creating a shared set of classroom norms
• Incorporate discipline strategies that empower the students while holding them accountable 

#2 DEI Impact on Pedagogy

Implication for you: use culturally responsive instruction that acknowledges the personal experience, prior knowledge, and backgrounds of your students. 

Emphasizing a student-centered approach results in more inclusive forms of instruction and assessment.  What exactly does that look like?  When planning your instruction, make room for various learning styles. Allow for multiple methods of demonstrating knowledge.  Differentiating your instruction holds all students to a high standard while acknowledging the individual differences of the students.

What you can do as a teacher:

• Emphasize how the content may be relevant to the students and their lives
• Offer assignments that have several choices for students
• Provide students with a voice through opportunities to share their opinions
• Incorporate peer teaching strategies
• Vary your instructional practices; don’t rely on one strategy too heavily
• Establish a culture of participation in which every perspective is valued
• Provide clear learning goals but let students propose project ideas

#3 DEI Impact on Curriculum 

Implication for you: Curate diverse resources for classroom use.  

Thoughtfully curate educational resources.  The teacher should be sure that the learning materials accurately reflect the community.  Even if your student body could be more diverse, students gain a deeper understanding through a variety of viewpoints as well as the opportunity to think critically about the systems of power that exist in society.  

What you can do as a teacher:

• Select resources and media that positively portray a range of cultures
• Offer project or lesson ideas about diverse subjects, topics, or people
• Be proactive about including traditionally underrepresented voices
• Teach students to identify and examine topics from multiple perspectives
• Establish a culture of mutual respect and belonging

Brad has taught history at the middle and high school levels for 19 years, almost exclusively in American public schools.  He has a master’s in educational technology and is passionate about elevating the status of professional educators.