Diversity in the Classroom Essay

INTRODUCTIONTeachers be faced with the quarrel of savants bringing with them, vastly different effs, cultures, interests and abilities. These characteristics fecal librate drive a great refer on how disciples learn. article of belief to much(prenominal) a diverse group requires instructors to be more(prenominal) flexible and place a great ferocity on the individual. Through the serve of variety and choice, instructors drop differentiate demo to motivate interest in the individual, and thus aid the pupil to become an independent learner. (Tomlinson, C. A., Brighton, C., Hertberg, H., C every last(predicate)ahan, C. M., Moon, T. R., Brimijoin, K., Conover, L. A. and Reynolds, T. 2003)LEARNING STYLESWhile it is unfair to require teachers to fully grasp the psychological & angstrom unit cognitive complexities that comprise breeding, they should have a solid understanding that individual students have different privilegeences in the track they take to receive, perceive, interact and respond to information cognize as their privilegered culture genius.A widely mapd exercise of erudition styles is based on Howard Gardners triplex intelligence possible action, which suggests learners twilight into seven distinct categories of program line intelligence. Visual/spatial learners prefer pictures and images Aural learners prefer weighed d avow and music Verbal/Linguistic learners prefer words in writing and wrangle Physical/Kinesthetic learners prefer the expend of touch, movement & action, and Logical learners prefer reasoning and sequence. Aligned with these nurture styles is in like manner a preference by students toward complaisant/Interpersonal acquire, in groups or l maven(a)/Intrapersonal learning where the student prefers to learn alone. (Howard Gardner, six-fold intelligences and education. 2007)Most students have a preferable learning style, but atomic number 18 non solely dependent on one style. They can adj ust to other styles and use them in combination with their like style.APPROACHES IN THE CLASSROOMDiversity in the classroom inevitably creates complexities for teachers in formulating learning and breeding models that suit their specific context, situation, and the students change needs. (Rayner, S. 2007) approximately look forers, agreeing that learning styles are important, suggest that teachers should consort instruction to the content being taught earlier than the preferred learning style of the student (Glenn, D. 2009). This seems plausible in light of research into brain plasticity, which suggests that the brain has the ability to transform, accommodate and increase its capacity to learn (Walker, S. 2010). separates place greatest emphasis on matching instruction with the learning styles of the individual student, which the overwhelming literature suggests is the noble-minded approach for the benefit of the student. However, in practice, theory and expectation can ofte n f alone short of reality.CHALLENGESWith class sizes often ranging from 20 to 25 students, trying to cater to both students individual learning preference can be re aloney resource intensive. Very few teachers depart have the knowledge and understanding of every(prenominal) form of kind within their classroom. principle students with special needs is a kick example, often requiring assistance from specialist aids. This is all good and well in principle, however, superfluous assistance usually comes at a financial cost, where often schools are curtail by budgetary constraints.High wager testing such as NAPLAN can to a fault create conflicts between what is best for the students and what is best for the school. This may exacerbate the involuntariness of school hierarchy to deviate from conventional core curriculum/structures, as general results can often be united with a schools spirit as well as political relation funding. (Tomlinson et al. 2003)LESSONS FROM JESUS re scuer was the epitome of what a teacher with a diverse student body needs to do. He taught in parables imbued with illustrations familiar to the daily lives of all the pile in his audience, who had a diversity of experiences. By command by means of stories, of shepherds, fishermen, seasons of growth and harvest, well-situated men, servants, kings and slaves, he was able to impart the comparable message, to a diverse audience, so that all could relate to, and understand according to their deliver experiences.Teaching methods of old sought to correct the student to the real being presented. Jesus methods aptly illustrate that todays teachers need to be able to adapt to the learning capacity of the students.Jesus also differed in many focuss to those rough him but transformed the lives of others by the way he lived. By his example, he helped exercise many into his own image (The persona of the Christian Teacher 2013).As teachers who are Christian, our aim should not be to now preach ab pop out Christianity. This can be left to the local church non-Christian priest or pastor, and the testamentingness of the individual to accept such a direct approach. In a diverse classroom there will be students with vastly different beliefs and experiences that personal credit line our own, and that impact on their learning capabilities. The mark would then be, like Jesus, to subtly introduce our Christian understanding by our own actions, therefore becoming a manipulation model to students. Jesus taughteveryone who is fully practised will be like his teacher Luke 641 As exercise models, we should be aware that students may replicate and model their behaviour according to the way we as teachers act, speak and behave. Therefore, unless our behaviour is aline with fundamental Christianprinciples, it can do more harm than good. It would be flip to follow the encouragement given by the apostle Paul Imitate me as I imitate Christ 1 Corinthians 111by living out our faith, we show our students the essence of God through our own words and deeds.CONCLUSIONIn light of existing research and Christian philosophy, a meshing of theories is necessary which tends toward a balanced approach. Making sure all learning style preferences are intercommunicate in some way as students will need to garner at least some of the attributes of all learning styles, for future success. Also using experience and expertise in our own learning preferences, to bridge the divide between teacher and student and become that positive parting model that developing students need.Employing a balanced approach is no easy task, but can be aided in a bet of waysFirstly, inclusive teaching, were students are not segregated or made to tonicity inferior due to differences in preferred learning styles or abilities. Aligned to this is the melodic theme of flexible grouping where research shows that when students are put in small groups comprising varying learning preferences an d abilities, weaker students attain better learning outcomes, without detriment to stronger students. (Tomlinson et al. 2003)Secondly, Scaffolding where teachers, peers or teaching aids support, assist and guide the student, in particular those who have difficulty. This is a more modify approach to the flexible grouping.Thirdly, Engagement with parents/carers and students enables the teacher to attain valuable information astir(predicate) the student, and engagement with colleagues can assist in gaining additional knowledge or formulating divided strategies.Finally, Methods of presentation is at the heart of give to diverse array of learners. Using applied science enables a teacher to present material in multiple styles at the very(prenominal) time.(Guidelines for responding to learner diversity in the classroom through curriculum and assessment indemnity statements 2011)Ultimately, we as teachers need to nurture students, and give out them to a variety of learning styles, disdain our own preferences, enabling them to become independent learners. Children are less flexible and cannot advantageously adapt to unfamiliar learning styles, so it is incumbent upon the teacher, to adapt and modify teaching methods, activities and environments in order to create interest, thereby stimulate and motivate a students desire to learn.REFERENCESCook, P. F. (1998). Teacher materialisation in learner-centred education. Journal for Education illuminate in Namibia, v.8, 8p. Discover your Learning Styles diagrammatically (2013.) (n.p.) lendable mesh http//learning-styles-online.com/ Glenn, D. (2009) (n.p.), Matching Teaching Style to Learning Style may Not Help learners, The Chronical of Higher education, Available Internet http//chronicle.com/article/Matching-Teaching-Style-to-/49497/ Guidelines for responding to learner diversity in the classroom through curriculum and assessment policy statements (2011), Directorate inclusive Education, Department of Basic Education, preoria South Africa. 52p.Howard Gardner, multiple intelligences and education (2007) Regis University Available Internet http// academic.regis.edu/ed205/gardner.pdfHumphrey, N., Bartolo, P., Ale, P., Calleja, C., Hofsaess, T., Janikova, Vera., bulwark Lous, A., Vilkiene, V., and Westo, G. M. (2006). Enderstanding and responding to diversity in the primary classroom an international sudy. European Journal of Teachr Education, 29(3), 305-318.Rayner, S (2007). A Teaching elixir, learning chimaera or just fools gold? Do learning styles matter? Support for Learning, 22(1), 24-30. Teachers and their influence (2010) (n.p.) Covenant Christian School Sydney Available Internet http//www.whychristianschools.com.au/wcs/teachers-influence.html The authority of the Christian Teacher (2013) (n.p.) Transforming Lives. Available Internet http//m.transforminglives.org.uk/thinking-of-teaching/role-of-the-christian-teacher Tomlinson, C. A., Brighton, C., Hertberg, H., Callahan, C. M., Mo on, T. R., Brimijoin, K., Conover, L. A. and Reynolds, T. (2003). Differentiating Instruction in Response to StudentReadiness, Interest and Learning Profile in Academically Diverse Classroom A review of Liteature. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 27(2/3), 119-145. Walker, S. (2010) (n.p.), long Learning and the Plastic Brain, Scientific Learning Internet http//www.scilearn.com/blog/lifelong-learning-brain-plasticity.php