Going Beyond Academics

Abstract

Teaching culturally diverse students and immigrant communities requires the purposeful implementation of instructional strategies that are able to meet diverse learning needs. The whole child approach to teaching and learning allows educators to look at students as individuals and view their diverse characteristics as assets to learning as opposed to limitations. The presence of the achievement gap between culturally diverse students and those from immigrant communities presents unique needs that interfere with the possibility of post-school success opportunities. Recognizing the whole child in learning has been proven as an effective strategy for successfully engaging students in the classroom and supporting them in their postsecondary development. The purpose of this chapter is to allow educators of culturally and linguistically diverse students to learn about how they can embrace the diversity of their students and their families by building meaningful relationships that take into consideration the whole child.