Tips for Teaching Diversity in the Classroom

Education

Tips for Teaching Diversity in the Classroom

Written by: Wilson College • Jun 11, 2025

Six preschool students in a classroom holding flags from different countries.

Students bring a rich depth of diversity to our schools. For example, nearly half of K-12 students in the U.S. in 2023 were Black, Hispanic, or Asian American / Pacific Islander, according to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Educators need to acknowledge the variety of cultures that students bring to school and consider teaching diversity in the classroom.

Incorporating diversity into classroom instruction can help spur students’ academic growth and promote respect among students and educators. Many additional benefits to students, educators, and entire communities can result from efforts to teach diversity in schools.

Anyone considering earning a Master of Education (MEd) degree and wants to strengthen their instruction skills can benefit from exploring the importance of weaving diversity into teaching and specific methods for accomplishing this goal.

Why Teach Diversity in the Classroom?

Educators who strive to teach diversity in the classroom can produce a wide array of positive outcomes for their students. For example, students can achieve these benefits:

Strengthen their respect, understanding, and empathy for others
Glean insights from various viewpoints, which can expand their approaches to and ideas about learning
Enhance their tolerance of people from different backgrounds
Build their cultural competence
Feel safer, more secure, and less isolated in school
Learn how to thrive in a diverse world

Educators who teach diversity in their classrooms also can benefit. For example, teaching diversity can allow teachers to:

Make their instruction more meaningful to students
Better ensure that their instruction can serve all learners
Create more inclusive classrooms
Improve their own cultural competence

More broadly, teaching diversity in schools can benefit entire communities. For example, receiving education about diversity can lead students to become more active participants in their communities and can instill in them a strong sense of civic engagement.

Examples of How to Teach Diversity in the Classroom

Educators can implement various measures to infuse diversity into classroom instruction. The examples outlined below demonstrate some of the approaches that educators can consider trying.

Conduct a Classroom Diversity Audit

Educators can benefit from looking at their classrooms with a fresh set of eyes and performing a “diversity audit” of what they see. For example, they could look for a lack of diversity in classroom materials, such as books, toys, or music, and find ways to increase representation.

Include Diversity in Curriculum

Examining curriculum and individual lessons is a good way to help ensure diversity in classroom instruction. For example, a review to ensure that they encompass diverse cultural content and various perspectives can help educators incorporate diversity into their teaching.

Also, when teaching a diverse curriculum and specific lessons, teachers need to use various teaching methods. This enables them to acknowledge different styles of learning and create a more equitable environment in which all students can learn.

Look for Ways to Discuss Diversity in the Classroom

Educators can work to include discussions of diversity in their instructional methods. For example, after reading a book about diversity or asking students to draw pictures of their families, teachers can begin a class discussion in which students talk about their families. These discussions can allow students to learn how other families can be similar or different.

In addition to allowing students to learn about other cultures, these types of discussions can make students feel safe and more included in their classrooms.

Encourage Students to Learn More About Their Own Cultures

It can be beneficial for students to investigate their own cultures and share their findings with the class. For example, teachers can ask students to research how their ancestors may have adapted to changes in the environment or how they prepared food. This can allow students to strengthen their own understanding of their cultures and give them the opportunity to offer that information to other students in the class.

Promptly Respond to Incidents of Discrimination or Bullying

Part of making students feel safe in any educational environment involves ensuring that teachers and school administrators adequately address incidents of discrimination or bullying promptly. Teachers and school administrators can be proactive about reducing discrimination or bullying by engaging students in role-playing to teach them ways to demonstrate empathy and respect for others.

Tips for Teaching Diversity

Whether teaching in a classroom or working in a nonteaching job in education that supports teachers, it can be helpful to keep a few tips for teaching diversity in mind. For example, it can be beneficial to do the following:

Review school policies related to diversity. Ensuring that school policies support and encourage diversity is important in promoting diversity in the classroom.
Involve others in diversity efforts. Reaching out to students, parents, and community members, for example, to solicit their ideas for promoting diversity in classrooms can help enhance instruction in diversity.
Never stop learning about diversity. Teachers need to be lifelong learners about diversity and continue educating themselves about new ways to incorporate diversity into classroom instruction.
Encourage school-related activities to promote diversity. Encouraging schools to offer diversity-related clubs, special events, and other activities outside of the classroom can help students develop a deeper understanding of diversity.
Remember that educators are role models. Keep in mind that educators are role models who can share their own cultures and experiences with students. In addition, teachers’ actions on a day-to-day basis can show students ways of thriving in diverse environments.

Teaching Diversity in the Classroom Can Benefit Everyone

The benefits of teaching diversity in the classroom can extend to students, educators, and the members of an entire community. Enhancing students’ ability to understand and demonstrate respect and empathy for others allows them to get the most out of their education and prepares them to be productive and responsible members of society.

Those who want to strengthen their expertise in education can explore the MEd degree program at Wilson College Online to learn how it can help them achieve their career goals. Offering courses in topics such as educational perspectives in a diverse society, inclusive education, and differentiated instruction for individual learning needs, the program can help educators build expertise to promote diversity in the classroom.

Start working to reach your career goals in the field of education today.

Recommended Readings

The Benefits of Extracurricular Activities

What Are the 4 Types of Learning Styles

What Is Trauma-Informed Teaching?

Sources:

American Society for the Positive Care of Children, Celebrating Diversity and Promoting Multicultural Education in Schools"

Economic Policy Institute, “Improving Teacher Diversity Is Key to Reducing Racial Disparities in Academic Outcomes and Addressing the Teacher Shortage”

Edutopia, “5 Ways to Make Your Science Classroom More Culturally Responsive”

Edutopia, “4 Ways to Celebrate Cultural Identities All Year”

Empowering Education, “The Importance of Diversity in Schools”

GreatSchools, “Why Diversity in Classrooms Matters”