The Core Competencies Educators Need to Effectively Support Diverse Learners

Classroom diversity, almost by definition, means different things depending on the context. It could refer to the fact that students come from a wide variety of cultural, religious, and personal backgrounds that can, under certain circumstances, influence the way they learn.

It could also refer to the ways in which students simply learn differently.

There are lots of approaches to education, and students are often able to achieve their best results only under the tutelage of a teacher who understands their unique learning needs.

In this article, we take a look at how teachers can achieve better results by recognizing the diverse needs of the students in their classroom.

The Four Primary Styles of Learning

First, it’s important to recognize the four basic learning profiles. These are:

Visual
Auditory
Kinesthetic
Reading and writing

Traditional classroom environments have largely prioritized reading and writing methods of learning. In other words, the teacher says things, the student writes them down, they study from their books and their notes, and they are assessed based on an examination.

If this sounds like the learning environment you grew up in, understand that it’s no longer necessarily considered ideal. In fact, only a relatively small segment of the population learns best from reading and writing.

The majority of students actually learn best through visual stimulation. Studies have indicated that this is the preferred method of learning for approximately 60% of the population.

Good teachers will understand that lectures should include as many different learning styles as possible.

Naturally, as an educator, you probably cannot make a custom lesson plan for each student in the room.

However, through adaptive learning software, it’s actually now easier than ever to ensure that students have at least some access to their ideal method of learning.

Many programs will adapt to how they learn best. Beyond that, teachers can also achieve strong results by simply adding visual, physical, and interactive elements to their lessons as often as possible.

Recognizing the Needs of Diverse Learning Styles

It’s not only that people learn better through different teaching methods. That’s a part of it, but ultimately, native ability is going to have the biggest impact.

How good are you at processing and retaining information? That, more than any other factor, will determine how you succeed in a traditional learning environment.

Unfortunately, this is also an imperfect measure of actual ability. Many students who qualify for special education services, for example, are able to experience high levels of success, provided certain modifications are met.

However, it’s not the case that every student in special education is incapable of grasping their work materials.

A student might receive these services because they have attention deficit disorder or other conditions that simply make it difficult for them to succeed in a pen-and-paper learning environment.

Special educators are, naturally enough, trained and well-prepared to make these modifications.

However, Gen Ed instructors often need to have a strong understanding of how to work with students who have barriers to learning as well.

While some children will spend all of their time in a special education environment, it’s often the case that they’ll receive only a preset number of minutes with their special educator per week.

This could be less than an hour of special education instruction, depending on their disability.

Understanding what modifications are required and how to best implement them is not only good teaching practice, but it’s also a legal mandate.

How to Accommodate Everyone

Above, we’ve described what sort of variation educators might encounter from their students. Great, but how can they meet the needs of all of their students when they’re in front of a room with thirty individuals?

While it’s impossible to perfectly meet the needs of every single student, there are certainly ways to maximize the quality of instruction through variety.

In the next few headings, we take a look at core concepts that can help teachers experience high levels of success in any classroom.

Vary Instruction

One of the best ways to meet the needs of everyone in the classroom is simply to vary instruction as much as possible.

In a single lesson plan, you can incorporate elements of every different learning style.

A lecture coupled with visual components. Maybe a tactile component. And so on. Not only will this variety help ensure that everyone’s needs are being met, but it will also just keep the lectures fresh in a more general way.

Collaborate and Communicate

Schools, though underfunded, do have resources. Teachers who want to maximize the efficiency of their lectures should lean into their support systems.

Paraprofessionals, special educators, and specialized instructors who push into classrooms can all be valuable collaborators.

Sit down in a meeting and discuss your desire to reach more people through diversified instruction methods.

Not only will this ensure that your support staff is aligned with your goals, but it may even open the door to insights and suggestions that never would have otherwise crossed your mind.

Regularly Review

Finally, it’s also a good idea to think of your approach to instruction as being iterative rather than fixed. Never at any point should you assume that you’ve reached the final stage of crafting your instruction.

For one thing, the needs of your students could change from week to week. For another, what works one year probably won’t work the next. You can’t simply copy and paste your approach and expect the best possible results time after time.

Instead, develop a working theory of how to best provide varied instruction. Then, modify your approach periodically based on data.

You don’t need to constantly reinvent the wheel. Small changes here and there may be enough to ensure that everyone’s needs are being met.

It’s not necessarily easy, but it’s also not as difficult as it might sound. By prioritizing variety in your lesson plans, you help ensure that the widest possible range of students are having their needs met.

Photo Credit

Image by Tyli Jura from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Sarah Daren

With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.