Building Inclusive Classrooms

• Cultivating Collective Care in Teaching and Academic Life, March 12, 11:00 a.m.

Join this session, the second in a three-part series inspired by theFinding Spacepodcast, to hear from Carmen Varela, Executive Director of the Disabled Students’ Program (DSP), on how collective care and disability justice are shaped through everyday decisions and practices.

• Not Leaving Students Behind: Access and Mentorship, April 16, 1:00 p.m.

Join this session, the final workshop in a three-part series inspired by theFinding Spacepodcast, to hear from UC Berkeley alum Ryan Manriquez on how mentorship, representation, and campus spaces like the Disability Cultural Center shape meaningful access and belonging.

• Read: Review the Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A Guide for University Faculty to grasp the essentials of UDL.It's designed to show you why adapting your teaching to meet diverse learning needs isn't just beneficial but necessary. Discover the fundamental principles of UDL that help all students access, engage with, and demonstrate their learning through multiple methods. This introduction sets the stage for more in-depth strategies on implementing UDL in your courses, highlighting how these approaches are backed by neuroscience to accommodate the unique ways students process information.

If you have any questions about this guide or would like to discuss UDL with a CTL colleague, please feel free to email teaching@berkeley.edu or schedule a consultation.

• Explore: Advancing Equity and Inclusion, Center for Teaching and Learning, UC Berkeley.

This resource provides comprehensive strategies for advancing equity and inclusion in the classroom. It covers inclusive teaching practices that acknowledge diverse student identities and experiences, offering guidance on integrating social justice approaches, disability and gender justice, flexible instructional methods, reflective teaching, and fostering values affirmation and social belonging.

• Explore: Inclusive Pedagogy Initiative Fact Sheet, Center for Teaching and Learning, Boston University.

This resource defines inclusive pedagogy as creating learning environments where all students feel valued, supported, and have equitable access to learning. It emphasizes understanding student diversity in race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, socioeconomic background, and learning styles. The guide offers strategies such as cultivating a sense of belonging, designing transparent and structured assignments, and employing flexible teaching methods to enhance inclusivity in the classroom.

• Read: Designing an Inclusive Syllabus, Center for Teaching and Learning, Columbia.

This resource offers strategies for creating inclusive syllabi that set a welcoming tone and provide clear guidance on course expectations. It emphasizes the importance of accessibility, adopting a welcoming tone, and transparency in course design. The guide provides specific recommendations for syllabus elements, such as including diversity statements, setting explicit student expectations, and designing assessments that accommodate diverse learning styles.

• Explore: Establishing Inclusivity and Belonging, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Instructional Moves initiative.

This resource outlines a seven-step pathway to establish inclusivity and belonging in the classroom. It emphasizes getting to know students, creating psychological safety, setting norms for brave spaces, modeling discussion norms, celebrating student strengths, diversifying small groups, and using consistent teams to encourage risk-taking. The guide provides practical strategies and reflection questions to help educators implement these steps.

• Listen: Fostering a Sense of Belonging, Teaching in Higher Ed.

This Teaching in Higher Ed podcast episode features Dr. Angel Herring and KaSondra Toney discussing strategies for fostering a sense of belonging in higher education. They share personal experiences and practical insights on building student confidence, creating inclusive learning environments, and expanding students' self-belief through supportive teaching practices. The conversation highlights the transformative impact of authentic relationships between instructors and students, emphasizing the importance of time, transparency, and encouragement in fostering belonging and student success.

• Listen: Finding Space, UC Berkeley Research, Teaching, and Learning (RTL) Podcast.

This series amplifies voices and stories from across campus, exploring how students with disabilities navigate academic life and build belonging through community support. 

Read: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Teaching.

This resource offers practical strategies for supporting international and multilingual students in higher education. It highlights common challenges these students face, such as language barriers, unfamiliar academic norms, and cultural adjustment, and encourages us to adopt inclusive, transparent, and culturally responsive teaching practices.