How do you develop inclusion in your classroom? We collected seven community perspectives that discuss the importance of identity and diversity in the classroom as we lead up to a larger discussion on equitable education.
How can we ensure that a classroom is equitable and open? This conversation has taken on a new meaning as students, teachers, educators and leaders examine their own environment to assess the range of voices within a class and how it facilitates intercultural understanding. Every student analyzes problems differently. This enables us to solve problems in a creative and innovative manner when we work together. Below, we hear seven perspectives to provoke thought into how we can make our classrooms more inclusive.
“The workshop changed my perception and understanding of the continent”.— student from the Amsterdam International Community School (AICS).
“When we are confronted with national and global issues, learning to act locally in a meaningful way is integral to an IB education”.— Dr James Minor, Diploma Programme (DP) coordinator at Riverview High School in Florida, U.S.
“As a filmmaker, my goal has always been to tell the stories that matter”.— Liezl Bitas, DP graduate of British School Manila.
“When we’re talking about students of colour, we are not talking about students aren’t smart. We’re not talking about students who aren’t driven. We’re not talking about students who aren’t able to do the work. We’re talking about students for whom the expectation hasn’t been placed”.—Shannon Gundy, executive director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Maryland.
“When we chose the IB, we didn’t just choose a challenging programme that would prepare us to get into an excellent collegiate institution. We chose a lens through which we would come to see, believe in and love ourselves, others, and our own responsibility to make a change”.—Tyra Beaman, DP graduate of Henrico High School.
“IB values and ethics were lived and taught everyday through a student lifestyle that put the local perspective first.”.— Inaara Gangji, DP graduate of Aga Khan Academy Mombasa.
“The acknowledgment of each student’s different struggles can initiate the discussion for inclusion”.—Kymberley Chu, DP graduate of the Universal American School in Dubai, UAE
Be sure to register for the IB Virtual Conference to learn more about how you can create a more diverse and inclusive classroom. This online gathering of IB educators will take place from 30 November – 11 December 2020.