Mia Bohlin, Ardmore Elementary School

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There are many ways to support ethnic diversity in the classroom. One only has to reach as far as the laptop to find them. Many teachers honor cultural traditions by engaging students and staff in projects and school wide functions. Also, some schools have had yearly ethnic celebrations that go back many years. As positive as these activities are, they beg the question, are they intentional? In other words, does your school have someone actively planning to support ethnic diversity?  If not, think about becoming that person.
 
…But don’t go at it alone. Work to engage your school’s staff and families. When I first started working as an English language learning teacher, I continued to encourage the traditions that my school already had in place to support ethnic diversity. However, as my school’s population changed, so did the ethnic heritage of the people that attended there; soon it became time to examine our school’s practice and foster activities that matched our community’s dynamics. Over the years, these activities involved a conglomeration of the ideas and work of numerous staff, parent volunteers, and students. However, what hasn’t changed is that there has always been someone actively planning to support the ethnic diversity in our school community. Being intentional in supporting ethnic heritage can take a lot of time and planning, but the rewards can be worth it. Try using these simple suggestions to get you started:

• Establish a Multiethnic Teacher Committee that can brainstorm and assist staff in supporting ethnic diversity.
• Create a Student Multiethnic Committee that can encourage their peers to honor multiethnic traditions.
• Engage the entire school community yearly in making a mural that supports ethnic diversity; hang the mural in a central location for all to view.
• Work on classroom projects that celebrate the ethnic heritage of the students’ in the class.
• Greet students and staff during announcements to the student body daily in various languages.
• Celebrate a country or continent monthly in your school. 
• Create signs in several languages to hang in key locations around your school.
• Hold school wide celebrations during the day in which parents and students can share their ethnic heritage.
• Put up displays in central locations that foster multiethnic awareness using artifacts and books.
• Hold assemblies in which staff and visitors from the community can share photos, videos, and songs.
• Involve students in studying various countries around the globe and hold an event to share their discoveries.
• Write a grant to purchase materials such as books and cultural games, etc. that support ethnic diversity.
• Hold a regular student club that is specifically geared toward supporting ethnic diversity.
• Create an in-house publication where staff can share ideas on how to foster multiethnic awareness.

Remember to look for the silver lining in every idea and reflect regularly on planned activities. Make changes where needed to keep the momentum going. Establishing, evaluating, and sustaining a multiethnic program in your school can take positive vision and determination, but the joy on the faces of those you encourage can be your inspiration!

Mia Bohlin is the English language learning teacher at Ardmore Elementary School in Villa Park, Illinois.