Equity in Education - Teacher Training

Wendy Ladd

Overview

Abstract

Making education accessible and equitable for every student can be a challenging endeavor but one that should be worth the effort. The student body has become more diverse and many students are not native English speakers, so this adds to the difficulty of teaching. This case study looks at a college preparatory school where there is a high population of Chinese students and they struggle with fitting in and feeling prepared to go on to an American college. Teachers are also not prepared to effectively instruct these Chinese students because of lack of training and understanding when it comes to what is needed to support them.

When teachers are given training and support, they are able to help students with what they need; so creating a workshop where teachers can learn about the needs of Chinese students and strategies to help is essential for equitable education. Teachers want meaningful professional development where they can take practical tools and ideas and use them in their classrooms. This will not happen unless administration sees the need and provides their teachers with learning that is relevant and engaging for instructing all their students. When teachers meet the needs of their Chinese students then those students will be prepared and be successful in higher education.