Top 10 Characteristics of a Multicultural School Environment - Essay Example

Top 10 Characteristics of a Multicultural School Environment learn to recognize and confront inequities in school and society. 2) Instructional materials are free of biases, omissions, and stereotypes. 3) The school curriculum incorporates the contributions of many cultural groups and integrates multiple perspectives throughout it. 4) Differences in academic achievement levels disappear between males and females, dominant and oppressed group members, and upper-middle-class and low-income students. 5) Cultural differences are treated as differences, rather than as deficiencies that must be addressed in compensatory programs. 6) Administrators should have the courage to implement new techniques in order to cater for minority students. 7) Teachers and administrators are able to deal with questions of race, intergroup relations, and controversial realities on an objective, frank, and professional basis. 8) The composition of the faculty, administration, and other staff accurately reflects the pluralistic composition of the United States. 9) Students are able to use their own cultural resources and voices to develop new skills and to critically explore subject matter. 10) The faculty, administrators, and other staff see themselves as learners enhanced and changed by understanding, affirming, and reflecting cultural diversity.

The first placed characteristic is really important because children need to learn the correct social skills in order to interact with all other races in society. Secondly, any instruction material needs to be free of any bias because children will learn from their school experiences and act it out as adults. Thirdly, the school needs to have an open and inclusive policy for those who are ethnic minorities because they would be feeling pressured about their position in school and society as a whole.

Next, there should be no glass ceiling concerned the academic achievements of a child, no matter what ethnic background they are from. Fifth, the students must be taught how interacting with different cultures can be beneficial because it allows teaching and character building. After this, teachers or administrators should feel empowered to alter their teaching strategies to suit the needs of their students. Seventh, teachers should not show any bias against any ethnic group and should treat all students equally.

Next, the makeup of the faculty should be representative of society as a whole. Second to last, students should critically think about the strengths and weaknesses of their own culture by applying theoretical skills. Finally, the faculty needs to be open to learning off other cultures so that their own teaching skills may be enhanced. Reference Gollnick, D. M. & Chinn, P. C. (2006). Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society (7th Ed.). Prentice-Hall/Merrill.