Bulletin Boards: Cultural Diversity Teaching Tool

Our communities reflect a culturally diverse population. It stands to reason that our classrooms should reflect the same cultural diversity. To help students develop pride in cultural heritage and validate personal worth, teachers need to affirm diversity in many facets of classroom life. This is best accomplished by building cultural diversity into lesson plans, by selecting diversity-sensitive textbooks and program materials, and through room décor--specifically, bulletin boards, posters, and wall art.

Culturally Diverse Curriculum and Classroom Environment

Unfortunately, many teachers don't have the option of replacing stereotypic or culturally-insensitive classroom textbooks. But teachers do have an element of control over teaching methods, lesson plans, and classroom environment. Bulletin boards are a great way to present diverse cultures reflecting an array of student heritage and ethnicity. In addition to mounted classroom bulletin boards, teachers can also use walls, floors, shelves--even the ceiling to express cultural diversity.

Linking Cultural Diversity Discussions to Lessons

It's important for teachers to link discussions about cultural diversity to lessons and subject material. To do this, teachers can incorporate classroom decorations, signs, posters, banners, and images representing a range of social classes within a culture. In other words, teachers should attempt to reflect a cross-ethnic group comprising different ages, genders, disabilities, family composition, and economic status. This guards against stereotypic portrayals of race, gender, age, marital status, disability, income level, or culture.

Using Bulletin Boards to Promote Cultural Diversity

Culturally diverse classroom bulletin boards promote heritage of students, parents, and teachers represented in the classroom. This may extend out from the classroom and include cultural diversity of others in the school, community, nation, or world. Here are 10 examples of what a culturally-diverse bulletin board might include.

1. Real-Life Heroes
2. Photographic Imagery
3. Variety of Art Forms--Music, Dance, Play
4. Inventors and Inventions
5. Flags and Maps of Country
6. Written Examples of Language
7. Student Photos and Country of Origin
8. Student Work Depicting Heritage
9. Cultural Foods, Customs, Celebrations
10. Ethnic Dress and Apparel

Benefits of a Culturally Diverse Classroom Approach

A multi-cultural classroom approach benefits all students in the classroom. When students are exposed to a variety of ethnic or cultural backgrounds, students become more culturally sensitive. They learn that different is just different--not better, not worse. Teachers who model a positive approach to difference, relate how differences complement or benefit the whole group. This in turn, instills acceptance and respect.