How Can Schools Embrace Diversity

Over the years, my children have learned they're biracial. They realized they were different than their friends and that our family does things differently. We wear Indian clothes for holidays and special events. We eat Indian food with our hands. Daddy speaks two languages. Mommy is white. Daddy is brown. At first, I was worried they would be insecure over feeling different, but their differences are normal to them. They've grown up being biracial, it didn't just happen over night. They grew up blending cultures. Their normal is what they'll compare everything else to.As parents, we need to shape what's normal for our children. This means we show them diversity at home and every where they go.What about when they get old enough for school?It's becoming more common for schools to be made up of a diverse student body. The problem is the school itself isn't teaching diversity as what's normal. They get worried about highlighting a student's differences instead of teaching them to embrace it. If schools were to teach children to embrace what makes them unique, I truly believe bullying would go down. 

How Can Schools Embrace Diversity

Focus On All Major Holidays

During Holi (an holiday celebrated in India), my Facebook feed went crazy! My friends in India and the US were celebrating. Colleges in the US were even celebrating the colorful holiday by taking the colored powder to the lawn and having a great time! However, the one place I didn't see students celebrating or even talking about it was in elementary schools. They missed a huge opportunity to teach kids about India. Schools say they don't celebrate most holidays because of the religious ties to them. Just because you talk to your students about a holiday in India doesn't mean you need to convert them to hinduism while you're at it. By teaching students about major holidays celebrated around the world, you make students from those countries feel accepted and normal. You're also opening up your student and teacher's minds about something different to them. 

Ask Questions Instead Of Avoiding Situations

I recently heard about a school where the principle will avoid saying international student's last names. During an assembly, he will list off first and last names until he gets to them and then he just uses their first name... Do you think that student feels normal or accepted when their own principle is too embarrassed to try and say their last name? No. All he had to do is get to know his students and ask them. By asking how to say their last name correctly, the student can see that the principle cares. Often times, teachers and adults will avoid topics because they're embarrassed. It only leads to students feeling ostracized and abnormal. Instead, they should be facing those situations head on and educate themselves.

Teacher Trainings 

Teachers need to be educated on their students. They need to understand who they are, where they came from, and general religious practices. These trainings are the perfect time for teachers to ask their questions without a fear of saying the wrong thing. As teachers become more comfortable with different cultures, their teaching style will change. You need to know your students to know how you can teach them and how to really speak into their lives. --We need to bridge the cultures gap at home and in our schools. Diversity needs to be what's normal for our children, rather than teaching them to avoid talking about what makes us different. 

What else can schools do to embrace diversity?