Developing Diversity Awareness Teaching all students is a given. No matter what subject area you plan to teach and in what part of the country, you can be sure that your students’ learning needs will vary widely. This country’s classrooms are diverse in cultural representation as well. That is why preparing for diverse classrooms before entering your first classroom is important. Here are a few ways you can gain awareness about diversity and prepare yourself for your own diverse classroom.   • Read professional magazines and literature on diversity.   • Attend training and workshops pertaining to diversity.   • Visit various classrooms.   • Interview a teacher about his or her strategies for creating an open-minded, fair classroom.   • Examine personal beliefs and values to be ready to accept diversity in a fair manner.   • Discuss personal beliefs and values with a professor and be open to suggestions Resources www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/diversity Try some of the teaching activities offered on this public television site. http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/diverse.htm Increase your awareness and sensitivity to race, ethnicity, and gender considerations by applying these specific strategies to various classroom and school activities. About the Author Edna Rogers, now retired from teaching kindergarten, was the 1989 Tennessee Teacher of the Year. © 2006 Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education