My Classroom Resources

Promoting a school culture that values diversity in the classroom will benefit your students for the rest of their lives — here's how to get started. 

How can teachers prepare for diverse classrooms? There isn't a definitive answer, but there is a wealth of resources online. Discover some helpful links for teachers.

I’ll never forget the day that Leonardo, a high school student, asked the school photographer to “paint him white” when taking a picture of him with his friends during spirit week. I asked Leo, “why did you ask the photographer to edit your picture and make you appear white?” He responded quickly “so I can be like everyone else”. I was shocked, and immediately felt sad—not just for Leo, but for us as a society. It was at that moment that I began a journey to understand how it must feel to be different than the dominant group of people—and more importantly—how could I help our diverse students feel as though they belong without giving up the essence of who they are culturally.

Update from ILA on COVID-19: We are committed to keeping you informed of all the latest developments, including the impact on the ILA 2020 Conference in Columbus, OH, and how ILA is helping educators during this period. Let us know what support you need and stay engaged using these free resources.

A descriptive list of behaviors and strategies for teaching culturally diverse students.

Diversity EDCU 5380 - Rutherford

Resources that foucs on the topic of multiculturalism and diversity. Includes professional articles and resources, lesson plans, and activities.

Today's schools are becoming increasingly diverse. Many teachers find that their classrooms are populated by English language learners, gifted students, students with disabilities, and students who are culturally diverse. Nearly half of all students in U.S. public schools (42 percent) are students of color, approximately 20 percent of students speak a language other than English at home, and approximately 14 percent of students have an identified disability (U.S. Department of Education, 2007a). Approximately half of the students who have an identified disability spend 80 percent of their school day in general education classrooms (U.S. Department of Education, 2007b). To add to this diversity, approximately 12 percent of students in public schools are labeled as gifted and talented (Friend, 2007). Like their peers with disabilities, gifted and talented students also are integrated into general education classrooms. All of these differences make teaching more interesting and exciting as well as more complex.

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