Who Are You?

• Effective teachers are able to define themselves. Successful teachers of students who do not share their ethnicity have what Verna Cornelia Price calls, "positive personal power." That is, they know who they are, have confidence in their skills and know why they are called to teach. This knowledge of self combined with the positive signals a teacher gives in the classroom creates a positive atmosphere that encourages student achievement, Price writes in her essay, "I Don't Understand Why African American Students Are Not Achieving."
  
  

Respect, No Stereotypes, and Connect

• Dorothy Garrison Wade and Chance W. Lewis offer tips for teachers and principals who want to improve student achievement and address the issue of diversity.
  
  Tip One: Show respect. If the teacher respects students, they will respect the teacher. One way to disrespect students is to embarrass them. Avoid this method of negative reinforcement.
  
  Tip Two: Avoid stereotypes. Form an impression of a student only after first meeting and engaging her.
  
  Tip Three: Connect with students by getting to know them individually and learning about their cultures and interests.
  
  

Honor Cultures and Set High Standards

• Wade and Lewis offer two other tips for teachers.
  
  Tip Four: Acknowledge cultural differences and celebrate those differences in the lesson plan.
  
  Tip Five: Let the students know what they are expected to achieve and they will meet the challenge, conclude the authors in their essay, "Tips For School Principals and Teachers: Helping Black Students Achieve." Despite the essay's title, the five tips the authors offer are relevant to helping all students achieve.
  
  

Understand Culture and Actions

• Teachers should learn how the behaviors of families relate to their goals for their children, write the authors of the essay, "Teaching 'Diversity': A Place to Begin." Janet Gonzalez-Mena and Dora Pulido-Tobiassen state that children need comments and actions in the classroom that do not vary from what they get at home.Teachers need to know the cultural reasons behind the actions of children's families if they differ from those customarily practiced at school. The teacher should politely and uncritically discuss these situations with the families and view the discussions as a learning moment for the teacher as well as the family.
  
  

Engage Families

• Teachers should talk to families as often as possible. Be calm and at ease with them during these conversations, as this sets up a more receptive atmosphere. Let the families know what happened with the child during the day based on your teaching notes. While teachers can mention any problems, they should also say something positive.