1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds

Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Several students out of the class of 24 I was privileged to teach and learn with for my third placement had Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds with fascinating connections to its cultures, beliefs, and to land, specifically Kaurna land. Alongside this, many students had grown up in low socioeconomic backgrounds. These students lived very simple lives and had not experienced many things outside of their local community. Despite adversity, these students brought to the classroom a sense of resilience, as well as humbleness and gratefulness for even the smallest things. For some cases, these diverse backgrounds found some students struggling academically in their learning. They found it challenging to focus on set tasks, particularly with literacy and numeracy, to self-regulate and to embody the appropriate behavioural expectations. As I began to build positive relationships with these students, I discovered their strengths and areas of interest which generated the evidence below. The evidence shows a responsive lesson plan not only celebrating reconciliation week but also the backgrounds and interests of all students that were and used to inform thoughtful pedagogical decisions with the aim of fostering a sense of belonging and togetherness. A constructivist perspective was used to explore this learning in a way that this class of students engaged with best. Visual manipulatives and the use of ICT were incorporated into both lessons to hook the students, subtitles also played together with the video. Additionally, students sat on the floor in a circle to foster a supportive and inclusive nature to the lesson whereby a kind class discussion was had. This featured a brainstorm to scaffold students in constructing ideas and perspectives, giving students the opportunity to learn from a ‘more knowledgeable other’ (MKO) to complete the task (Margetts & Woolfolk 2019). The end products seen in both images reflect what was reinforced and emphasised throughout my time in the classroom and the ways in which each member of the class can reconcile and show kindness to others. Therefore, providing an inclusive space for individuals to share and celebrate their unique selves (De Nobile 2017).

References:

De Nobile, J, Lyons, G & Arthur-Kelly, M 2017, ‘An introduction to positive learning environments (PLEs)’, in Positive learning environments: creating and maintaining productive classrooms, Cengage Learning Australia, pp. 1–34.

Margetts, K & Woolfolk, A 2019, Educational psychology, 5th edition, Pearson Australia, Melbourne, pp. 97-99, 321.

1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds This page is part of the collection 'Professional Experience 3 - 12 AITSL Standards'.

Add your comment

Reply to:

Confirm copying