With a student population that is more diverse than ever, educators often face the exciting yet challenging task of creating learning environments that not only accommodate but celebrate the rich differences in backgrounds, experiences and identities of their students.

In this episode of the Educator's Playbook, host Kimberly McGlonn discusses the intricacies and importance of inclusivity and diversity in K-12 classrooms with two Penn GSE experts. She's joined first by Maria Cioè-Peña, a respected education researcher focusing on bilingual and disabled students. Maria's insights, enriched by her extensive research and experience, shed light on adaptive strategies teachers can use to transform their classrooms into supportive spaces where every student's story is acknowledged and valued. Then, licensed clinical psychologist Kyle Schultz shares effective and empathetic tactics that are easy to implement. For example, he explains how teachers can subtly create nurturing, safe spaces by incorporating different signifiers of queer experience around the classroom. Whether it's a pride flag, equality sticker, books, or magazines, the items reinforce that the class is a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ students and allies.

For more tips on related topics, check out the links to our Playbook story archives below.

GUESTS:

• Maria Cioè-Peña, Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
• Kyle Schultz, Lecturer in Educational Practice and Director, Counseling and Mental Health Services Program, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

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• No. 73: Tips to make your classroom more welcoming for all learners
• No. 64: How to be a good parent and a good ally
• No. 63: How to get even better at supporting your LGBTQ+ students
• No. 40: Bringing Restorative Justice into Your Classroom
• No. 39: Putting Black history lessons into action
• No. 27: Respecting pronouns in the classroom
• No. 24: Bringing Gender Consciousness into the Classroom
• No. 21: Creating meaningful classroom discussions
• No. 17: How to confront hate speech at school
• No. 7: Responding to anti-Muslim rhetoric
• No. 5: Treating racial competence as a skill to be learned

• María Cioè-Peña receives prestigious 2023 NAEd/Spencer postdoctoral fellowship (05-25-23)
• Penn GSE’s María Cioè-Peña works toward fair and enriching education for all students (01-09-23)