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Creating A School Of Diverse Learners. Texas Schools Are

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Creating a School of Diverse Learners Texas schools are becoming more diverse every year. The Texas Tribune (2015) released an article stating well over half of the 5.2 million students in the Texas schools were Hispanic. This number has increased from 15 years ago, when the number was around 40 percent. Not only has the Hispanic numbers increased, but the number of Asian students have doubled as well. Even more surprising is the percentage of the white student population. The number of white students in Texas has dropped from 43 percent in 2000 to less than 29 percent. However, the African American population has remained relatively unchanged, declining in the past five years to less than 13 percent (Texas Tribune, 2015). The …show more content…

Villegas suggests six qualities leaders should implement to respond effectively to the increase of diverse populations. First, teachers must understand how learners construct knowledge. The best ways teachers can achieve this concept is by helping these students bridge the gaps in what they already know about a topic and what they need to learn about it. Next, the teacher should learn about the students’ lives. When teachers know the cultural makeup of their students they can assess their prior knowledge of a subject. Teachers must also be socioculturally conscious, meaning the awareness that a person 's worldview is not universal but is profoundly influenced by life experiences, as mediated by a variety of factors, including race, ethnicity, gender, and social class (Villegas & Lucas, 2007). Many teachers see students of diverse cultures as not being able to achieve. Villegas (2007) suggests teachers should see students from an affirming perspective and truly respect cultural differences. If teachers can set their differences aside their students will have better ways to communicate and succeed. It is important for teachers to use appropriate instructional strategies to help English language learners. They can give these students with material in their native language, provide graphic organizers, and hands on activities to help assist these students. Lastly, teachers need to advocate for these

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