by Plainenglish

Created on: February 24, 2009

The provision of equal opportunities is of growing importance in all areas of society, not least within the classroom. All students must feel that they are positively and equally valued and accepted, and that their efforts to learn are recognized, and judged without bias. (Petty 2004). At the same time, students are characterized by their diversity, in terms of motivation, academic ability, circumstances and needs. Teachers must therefore take into account students' individuality while ensuring they treat all individuals or groups. Equal opportunity and diversity does not only apply to race and disability, although these are probably the most quoted examples. It is equally important to consider equality and diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age and ability.

For many teachers this is a difficult balance. Few teachers are intentionally discriminatory. For example, they may not notice the shy person in the class who is struggling, and more attention than is fair may go on the confident student who is not scared to ask for help. Developing classrooms that attend to both student similarities and differences is anything but simple. Tomlinson (1996) asks the question "How do I divide time, resources, and myself so that I am an effective catalyst for maximizing talent in all my students?" She goes on to describe the differentiated classroom and the range of components which contribute to achieving inclusive learning'.

Advice and guidance on entry and exit and initial assessment is important to establish a learners needs. An individual learning programme can then be developed to address the outcomes of the assessment. Physical surroundings should be adapted to best suit the group and take into consideration any disabilities. A variety of learning materials and resources should be utilized to address different learning styles and abilities. Learners should be given feedback on their work and the opportunity to discuss their progress, again providing the opportunity to highlight any issues.

The ethos or climate in the classroom is of critical importance as pupils will respond best in a safe, secure and accepting classroom. How teachers establish their authority, their tone, the little things they continually say and do on a daily basis, will determine the climate of the classroom and whether students feel an equal part of a group.

One of the roles of the teacher is to identify when learners have specific needs which require the attention of a specialist. Most colleges or schools will have a student services department or a special needs coordinator to facilitate this.

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