30 Simple Ways to Foster Equity & Belonging in Your Classroom

What can educators do right now to make their classrooms more welcoming, respectful, engaging, and safe for every learner? While larger, schoolwide changes are important, focusing on smaller, right-now actions can help, too. Excerpted and adapted from True Inclusion With UDL  by Patti Kelly Ralabate, today’s post offers some simple changes teachers can make to create more inclusive classrooms.

Acoustics

• Ensure that all students can hear you at every spot
• Avoid speaking with your back to students—voice volume significantly drops, and facial cues are eliminated
• Routinely repeat questions and comments from other students to ensure everyone hears them
• Provide headphones for students accessing videos/podcasts to avoid disturbing others
• Maintain low ambient noise levels and limit sudden loud background noises
• Allow students who have low tolerance for noise to wear noise-reducing headphones
• Ask students before playing background music—it may be difficult for some students to concentrate
• Foster cultural understanding with varied music choices

Seating

• Make sure there are no “bad seats”—all students should be able to view your main presentation area
• Fully integrate seating—don’t seat certain students in margin areas
• Avoid segregating seating by size, gender, ability, or other characteristics
• Accommodate diverse body sizes and mobility needs
• Allow students to select seating if appropriate

Furniture arrangement

• Avoid U table arrangement (causes barriers for students with physical disabilities)
• Create flexible pods or clusters that foster communication
• Encourage relationships by varying seating and work partners
• Ensure left-handed students have space and access so they avoid intruding on right-handed students’ space
• Allow ample space for and easy access to assistive devices
• Provide accessible pathways to resources, workstations, and group work areas
• Move through the space frequently to increase a sense of safety and eliminate areas where teasing or harassment goes undetected/unchecked

Temperature and air flow

• Maintain temperature between 68 and 74°F (20–23°C)
• Increase air circulation with small, quiet fans, as appropriate
• Permit students who are uncomfortable to have sweaters or wraps or to use personal fans

Lighting

• Use floor and table lamps to create welcoming aura and softly highlight students’ work
• Use comfortable, natural lighting—avoid bright, distracting, or pulsing lights

Time

• Allow more time for students who need it to transition from one activity to another or gather materials
• Offer “wait time”—pause before calling on students to give learners time to respond
• Allow quiet resting periods for students who need it
• Use nonverbal signals, such as stop/go/wait signs displayed at their seats instead of asking “Who needs more time?”
• Use routines, such as choral chants or songs, to give all students time to transition from one activity to the next

While these actions aren’t a substitute for broader shifts and increased investment in staff and resources, they are manageable, realistic steps teachers can take to help all students feel like they matter. Read dozens of other posts with real-world inclusion tips here on the Brookes blog, and invest in the book behind today’s post for more expert guidance on UDL and inclusion.