Preparing Teacher Candidates for Diverse Classrooms

Abstract

A majority of PK-12 teachers are White, middle-class woman who speak only English (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2012); many of these teachers report a lack of confidence to adequately meet the needs of a diverse classroom of students (Hollins & Torres-Guzman, 2005), particularly those with background different from that of the teachers (Helfrich & Bean, 2011). The perceived lack of preparedness to serve diverse students, whether factually based or not, has been attributed to poor training provided by teacher preparation programs (Cho & DeCastro-Ambrosetti, 2005). This chapter suggests that teacher preparation programs, regardless of geographic location and demographics of their teacher candidates, model a spirit of inclusivity and be intentional in offering an integrated approach to preparing teacher candidates to be highly-effective in working with all students regardless of diversity represented.

Promoting Peer Assessment ’Learner to Learner’ Feedback in a Multilingual High School English First Additional Language Setting

“…After the demise of apartheid, South Africa instituted among the most integrated language legislation on the African continent, encouraging linguistic diversity. The concept was to retain the learning opportunities, which included the awareness, expertise and perspectives attained by learners via cultural and historical encounters in their social and familial existence as well as cultural identity via daily lives (Estes, 2017).…”

Instructional Design to Promote Translingual Practices in an English First Additional Language Context

“…The best system to maintain, preserve and promote all languages existing in a country is to utilise them in a multilingual sense. The idea is to preserve the funds of knowledge, encompassing the knowledge, skills and experiences acquired through historical and cultural interactions of learners in their community and family life and culture through everyday living (Estes 2017).…”