Teaching in Culturally and Linguistically Complex Classrooms

The terms culturally and linguistically complex classrooms describes the learning environments that are created when previously segregated groups come together so that there are two or more cultural or linguistic groups in the educational context. Low income, culturally, and linguistically diverse students often experience low academic achievement, high drop out rates, and low college graduation rates in these classrooms, with one contributing factor being the disconnect between the background of the students and the teachers who teach them. Many of the teachers assigned to teach diverse students in urban schools lack confidence in their ability to do well in diverse classroom settings, feel uncomfortable interacting with parents from diverse backgrounds, feel inadequately prepared to teach diverse students, and prefer not to be placed in situations where they feel uncomfortable and inadequate.