Teaching for Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity in the Classroom Series

Cultivate Understanding and Respect in the Classroom

The courses in the Teaching for Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity in the Classroom series promote positive change and personal growth for K-12 educators who want to learn how to celebrate diversity. Through the challenging and thought-provoking coursework, participants will learn to strategize the best ways to promote inclusivity, equity and anti-racism in the classroom. Our complete catalog of teaching diversity courses provides educators with skills and strategies for creating a culturally inclusive classroom, while teaching their students to value inclusion and promote cultural respect and tolerance in their daily lives.

Who Should Attend

All educators — including teachers, counselors, administrators and others looking to promote positive change in their lives (and the lives of their students) by promoting equity, inclusivity and diversity — should consider taking our Teaching Diversity course series.

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Challenges Teachers Face & How to Tackle Them

Recognizing and celebrating diversity in the classroom can pose a challenge to educators, but it also creates a wonderful opportunity to teach students about equity and inclusivity. To implement a curriculum that focuses on all of these concepts, and overcome the challenges associated with these lessons, schools should focus on creating professional groups/communities that work together to make their school better.

One of the best ways to constructively contribute to these initiatives is by re-educating oneself about proper teaching diversity strategies. Taking any one of the courses offered in this series would give you as an educator valuable resources and knowledge to help improve inclusivity and equity within the school community. 

Learner Outcomes

Teaching Diversity Course Format Details

You can expect the following from the Online Self-Paced teaching diversity courses in this series:

• You can go online when convenient, completing course within six months from enrollment
• As long as you have access to the Internet (and any textbook requirements stated, if applicable), you can complete assignments
• You'll read articles, watch videos and interact with resources provided within the course
• Once submitted, completed assignments are evaluated by the assigned instructor
• Instructor interaction and feedback are provided between assignments

You can expect the following from the Independent Study Self-Paced teaching diversity courses in this series:

• Independently work on course work, completing a course within nine months of enrollment
• Read articles, watch videos and interact with resources provided within the course
• Instructor is available by email
• Submit completed assignments online upon completion of the entire course, which will then be evaluated by the assigned instructor
• Instructors provide feedback on your submitted work. Your final grade is issued and posted to your record for transcript.

Experienced Faculty Instructors

Instructors in our Teaching Diversity in the Classroom series include:

CJ Moloney: CJ Moloney, M.Ed. has over 30 years' experience in various roles including coach, camp counselor, after school program coordinator, PK-12 educator, artist and musician. She currently teaches courses at the University of San Diego and coaches Splash, a team of senior women basketball players.  She co-authored a character education curriculum book for middle school students and a guide for middle school teachers, and has over 15 years of experience facilitating online discussions with educators throughout the country and around the world who are committed to positive social change.

Amanda Dolphin: Amanda Dolphin, M.A. Teaching and Learning, is a French teacher and Foreign Language Department Chairperson at a diverse Southern California high school.  After receiving her Bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in 2003, she spent a year in Lyon, France as a guest English language teacher in the Assistant de Langue Program, serving two public junior high schools. Since 2005, she has taught all levels of French, including at the community college level. She is credentialed to teach grades K-12 French and Spanish. She brings a variety of practical teaching techniques and perspectives gleaned from her experiences across grade levels, languages and educational systems.

Eric Ginsberg: Eric Ginsberg, MA in Education, is an educator and San Diego Area Writing Project Fellow with myriad experiences teaching in high schools and universities. He teaches English/CTE Future Educator courses at a public charter high school, credential/master’s courses for San Diego State University's School of Teacher Education and professional development courses for the University of San Diego's Division of Professional and Continuing Education. He received the California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) Classroom Excellence-College Level in 2020 and a Golden Apple in 2013; he was also recognized as the Most Influential Faculty by SDSU's School of Teacher Education Graduate Student of the Year in 2019.

Teaching Diversity in the Classroom Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How can I teach diversity in my class?

A: There are many specific lessons and units that teachers can utilize to teach diversity in their classroom. However, there are also some overarching strategies that can help educators teach diversity throughout their day, including demonstrating an appreciation and acceptance of new perspectives and cultures, promoting communication and connections within the classroom with others who are different from us, establishing respectful and appropriate interactions in the classroom, and valuing diversity as a source of creativity and innovation.

Q: What are some available resources to use to teach diversity?

A: There are a number of free, online resources for educators looking to teach diversity in their classroom, including Edutopia, Scholastic and this comprehensive list of options for Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. For more in-depth exposure to teaching diversity methodologies, consider taking courses from the USD Teaching for Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity in the Classroom series.

Q: What are the benefits of teaching diversity in the classroom?

A: There are a number of ways that students, teachers and schools benefit from learning about diversity, including:

• People become more empathetic to those with differences
• Students better understand certain lessons and subject matter that focuses on diverse cultures/ideas
• School communities become more open-minded and inclusive
• Students, teachers and the school community feel more confident
• School communities become less prejudiced places
• Students are better prepared to work and live in our diverse society 

Accreditation Information

The University of San Diego’s Division of Professional and Continuing Education is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges – Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).