Feeling Welcome:

• They often feel ignored, or that their cultural heritage is not valued.
• They get subtle messages from the teacher, often in the form of humor, that their social group is demeaned.
• They would like to have some labels for their social group used, rather than others.
• They hear language and comments from other students in class that demean them or their culture.

• Be careful about using humor that labels groups or is disparaging towards categories of people.
• At the start of a course, acknowledge the presence of diverse students and welcome their input.
• Be considerate in addressing social groups as they wish to be addressed.
• Monitor and address comments by students in the class that may demean other people.

Curricular Responses:

• Incorporate and make visible the contributions to this subject by individuals from different backgrounds.
• Incorporate questions and issues important to different social and cultural groups of people.

 Being Treated as an Individual

• Teachers have and use stereotypes, e.g., athletic African-Americans, smart and studious Asian-Americans.
• Students often do not feel qualified to speak for "their cultural group."
• Students from marginal groups have difficulty finding a mentor.

• Be pro-active in seeking personal contact with students, especially those who may otherwise feel separated or excluded.
• Try to serve as a mentor, when possible, to people "different from yourself."

 Being Able to Participate Fully

• Classrooms often reflect the values of the dominant social culture, and do not leave room for other cultural values.
• Students have learning styles and/or social interaction styles that are different from those of the instructor.

• Become more aware of your own cultural values.
• Try to see your own culture and your own preferred way of learning, as one in a field of many cultures and different ways of learning, each with its own values and limitations.

 Being Treated Fairly

• Teachers sometimes feel that equal treatment means the same treatment, thereby ignoring individual differences.
• Students sometimes misunderstand the meaning of expectations and don't see the reasons for these expectations, because of their social background.

• Use varied teaching approaches.
• When possible, use "redundant" teaching, e.g., talk about a topic (straight analysis or narrative), use visual images (visual), and discussion (social dialogue).
• If it seems necessary, meet individually with students to explain the expectations of the class and the reasons for these.
• Balance (a) the need for order and routine with (b) the need for variety and richness of different perspectives.