The document discusses the importance of teaching tolerance and embracing diversity in education. It argues that educators must interrupt inequality and oppression stemming from negative reactions to people's natural differences. It also states that flawed ideas about intelligence and differences influence school policies and practices, and advocates for affirming classrooms free of discrimination. The document provides examples of types of discrimination and argues that educators must eliminate their own stereotypes and biases, communicate effectively across differences, appreciate diverse cultures, and teach students to embrace diversity, tolerate differences, and treat others with compassion.

1. Teaching Tolerance and
Embracing Diversity
How Educators Can Create
Equality in Education

2. Why is Teaching Tolerance
Important?
We all possess differences!
As educators, our primary role is to “interrupt the cycle
of inequality and oppression” that stem from members of
the society who negatively act upon these differences
rather than learn to accept and tolerate our natural
variations (Nieto, 2004, xxii).

3. Why is Teaching Tolerance Important? (Cont.)
There are many flawed ideas of about intelligence
and differences by which many of our school
policies and practices are based on.
It is vital to the future of society to uncover these
defective ideologies and support curriculum and
teaching that reflect an affirming classroom that is
free of discrimination.
These affirming classrooms are those where
discrimination is not tolerated!

4. What is Discrimination
Discrimination in the classroom is treatment that
gives favor or rejection to a particular person
based on the “group, class, or category to which
that person belongs rather than on individual
merit” (Dictionary, n.d.).

5. Some types of Discrimination
include judgment based on:
• Race - Racism
• Social Class - Classism
• Age - Ageism
• Gender - Sexism
• Ability or Disability – Ableism
• Language – Linguicism
• Ethnic Group – Ethnocentrism
• Sexual Preferences – Heterosexism
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
“This law makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color,
religion, national origin, or sex”
(EEOC, 2015).

6. How Can We Teach Students to
Embrace Diversity?
Eliminate our own stereotypes and discriminatory
behaviors and embrace diversity ourselves!!
We have to BE the example!!!

7. Communication is 100% of our interaction with
students and their interactions with each other.
They must learn to communicate effectively in
different ways.
Our differences hinder us from communicating
simply because we misunderstand what
communication cues are occurring.

8. What you can do
By teaching students to observe and understand the
ways in which we communicate, we can instruct them
to better connect with others.
The misunderstandings that exist can be lessened and
our differences can be accepted and tolerated.
This is an important concept to teach since students
will have to learn to communicate with a multitude of
people once they leave school.

9. “Use observation skills to learn
about how the other person
communicates.
As far as possible try to mirror the
other person’s body language.
For example if the other person
leans forward when speaking,
because that is normal in their
culture, you might lean back, which
might be seen as rude.
So try instead to mirror the other
person’s communication
preferences, even if this seems a
little strange to you” (Thornicroft,
2014).

10. Appreciate differences
“Behaviors that might be derogatory or insulting in
one culture might be commonplace in others”
(Thornicroft, 2014).
It is important for students to learn about the cultures
of others in its RAW and REAL form so that we can
better accept and appreciate the differences we
possess and similarities that we share.
If these differences are brought to the forefront, we
can teach students to not be ashamed of their
heritage and “norms” and embrace each other as
individuals.

11. The United States contains a multitude of people
from different cultures and ethnicities and hold
different beliefs, speak different languages, etc.

12. The measure of success of teaching multicultural
education is preparing students for an
environment “rich in diversity of culture in the
student population, as well as the surrounding
community” (Knipe, 2004).
If schools are to prepare students for the world
around them, multicultural education will serve its’
purpose.

13. Eliminate Stereotypes
Even in our own groups, we behave differently.
Siblings from the same parents, raised in the
same household can hold very different views on
life, conduct themselves in various ways, and can
ultimately be very dissimilar.
“Do not assume that everyone from a particular
culture or country will behave and communicate in
the same way.”(Thornicroft, 2014).

14. Eliminating Stereotypes (cont.)
Treating students as
individuals rather than
succumbing to prejudices
will allow them to accept
their own culture.
An important benefit is that
this pedagogy helps
students to display a since of
pride and confidence in
themselves (Knipe, 2004).
At home they may have a
strong sense of purpose in
their group, yet feel inferior
as the minority group in
school.
Students that are allowed to
openly speak their language,
discuss their beliefs about a
subject as relates to them wholly,
or otherwise express their
differences as it relates to
schooling gain the feeling that
they are valued, which is
important to students and their
performance in school.

15. Teach Love and Tolerance
The Golden Rule of Life is to treat others the way
you want to be treated.
When teachers can
model and encourage
compassion,
love,
and tolerance for
others, we give
students the tools to
accept individuals as
they ARE and
command the same
respect for ourselves.

16. “One of the teachers’ expected competencies in
multicultural education is recognizing learners’
cultural characteristics and being respectful of these
during the teaching process” (Basbay, 2014).
Trained educators would
have the opportunity to
notice and incorporate
the differences between
students, rather than shy
away from variations, so
that the classroom
environment would be
more inclusive and serve
to respect the diverse
characteristics.
This allows for students
to see what the “norms”
are in their culture and
compare it to the “norms”
of others, to see that we
all may have strong,
varying beliefs, and still
tolerate and accept each
other.

17. Everyone deserves equal treatment and a fair shot.
They can receive this if they receive impartial treatment from
teachers and peers.
Student’s success from school and life will largely be based
their experiences in their educational facility and the
acceptance they receive in their community.
It is important for students to learn to embrace diversity so
that they can be influential in and out of the classroom.
Judgment of students should be based on the content of their
character. Even then, it should NEVER be harsh or disrespectful.

18. Reference List
• Basbay, A. (2014). Investigation of Multicultural Education Courses: The
Case of Georgia State University. Educational Sciences: Theory and
Practice, 14(2), 602-608.
• Discrimination. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved June 14, 2015,
from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/discrimination
• EEOC (2015). US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Laws
Enforced by EEOC. Retrieved June 14, 2015 from
http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/index.cfm
• Knipe, M. (2004). Passport to Understanding. Arts & Activities, 134 (5), 24-
66.
• Nieto, S. (2004). Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of
MulticulturalEducation (4th ed.). Pearson.
• Thornicroft, D. (2014). Understanding types of discrimination in the
workplace. Nursing & Residential Care, 16(4), 229-230. Calfee, R. C.,
& Valencia, R. R. (1991). APA guide to preparing manuscripts for
journal publication. Washington, DC: American Psychological
Association. SAMPLE

19. THANK YOU