Differences can be daunting, but that doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful. In a classroom setting, these differences may be challenging for educators. With that said, the formula of inclusivity can take place to help educators realize the importance of inclusion among students. Here’s the formula of inclusivity and how to answer it.
The Addends: Teacher and the Students
A classroom is the little version of the world. Therefore, this four-cornered room houses diverse people that possess different races, cultures, languages, personalities, and unique traits. Inside this little world, the teacher and students comprise the population. Interactions and relationships manifest through the shared efforts of the teacher and students. In order to bind the differences that every student possesses, the teacher must be the agent of change and promote inclusivity.
The Operation: Recognition and Celebration of Students’ Diversity
Inclusivity is beyond ensuring everyone is present; it’s about making everyone feel they belong. With that said, it is crucial for teachers to be the catalyst for recognizing and celebrating every student’s diversity. By acknowledging their uniqueness, this acts as the operator, binding the people to create meaningful interactions with one another, open new perspectives, nurture the seed of respect and understanding, and realize the importance of good listening.
The Sum: Fostered Relationships and Motivated Learning
A good classroom is composed of motivated students. Motivation in learning can be achieved through classroom inclusion and experiencing a sense of belongingness. Just like in Grace Claustro’s book, My Friends and I: We Are One, the author showcased how the main character is excited to meet her classmates despite bearing different cultures and nationalities. But it is worth noticing how the main character sees past these differences and is open-minded in learning important information about her classmates. In the end, she pointed out that all of them are one. This point emphasizes the positive effect of inclusion since the learning environment is non-discriminatory and gives everyone equal opportunities to share their unique background. Through this, the students not only build connections among themselves but also learn about each other’s culture and world realities.
Inclusivity is important in establishing the students’ identities, recognizing their strengths, building meaningful relationships among their peers, being motivated to learn, and developing competent skills. With that being said, nothing’s a better answer or sum to any formula than these.
by Ella Mae Importado