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| Teaching mathematics, I’m used to having a fair number of international students in my classes. But this semester, something shifted—over 80% of my students are from Southeast Asia. That change has nudged me to rethink my teaching style in more deliberate ways. I’ve started grouping students into fours more consistently and have become much more intentional about my cadence and diction. I even found myself explaining why mathematicians use the word coupled to describe a linear system by sketching out train cars on the board.
While I believe that this kind of attention benefits all my students, I’m not sure it fully aligns with any of the five strategies highlighted in 5 Strategies to Create Inclusive Learning Environments for International Students by Thilagha Jagaiah. That said, I did stumble into something that felt right. During a recent review session, I opened with a simple warm-up: “If I visited your country, what’s one thing you’d want me to see or experience?” Even the quieter students lit up, sharing hometown landmarks, favorite foods, and local traditions with a sense of pride and joy. It was a small moment, but it clearly hit on Jagaiah’s insight about the importance of creating a sense of belonging. I want to do more of this. Her five strategies offer a helpful framework for reflecting on what I’ve done and where I can grow. As I plan ahead for fall, I’m setting a reminder to revisit this list before the semester begins—to think through how I can start the term with inclusive habits already in place, rather than scrambling to catch up midstream. A little intention on the front end might make a big difference for students who are already navigating so much just to be here. |