Unlocking Inclusive Classrooms: Practical Tools for Teaching with Intersectionality

How can we create classrooms where all students feel seen, heard, and valued? Are our teaching practices inadvertently reinforcing intersectional oppression—or dismantling it?

If you've ever wondered how to teach inclusively while addressing the intersecting identities of your students, you're already on the path to becoming a more socially conscious educator. Intersectionality, the study of overlapping systems of oppression related to identity markers like race, gender, class, and ability, offers a powerful lens for analyzing and transforming classroom practices.

In this article, the Intersectionality I-Lab has curated a set of dynamic tools and actionable strategies to integrate intersectionality into your teaching. By embracing these methods, you can foster a classroom environment that promotes equity, encourages deep critical reflection, and empowers students with the creative skills for positive change.

1. Incorporate Visual Narratives

Visual narratives are a dynamic way to engage students and make complex concepts like intersectionality accessible. Videos such as TED Talks or The Big Idea provide compelling explanations of intersectionality, blending storytelling with visual cues to leave a lasting impact.

Try This: Assign Kimberlé Crenshaw’s TED Talk "The Urgency of Intersectionality" as a pre-class activity. Follow up with a reflective discussion on how students’ own identities intersect.  Or consider other engaging video options from platforms such as The Big Idea.

Why It Works: Research indicates that visual aids improve retention and help students connect theoretical ideas to real-world experiences (Mayer, 2021).

2. Contextualize Data and Statistics

Numbers tell powerful stories. Sharing intersectionality-related data can motivate students to reflect on systemic inequalities and the importance of inclusive practices.

Example:

• Highlight workforce studies such as those that show that 78% of employers prefer graduates familiar with social justice topics.

• Discuss research showing that inclusive classrooms reduce bullying by 31%, fostering safer, more participatory learning environments (Smith et al., 2022).

  
  

Tip: Use tools like interactive dashboards or infographics to make the data more engaging.

3. Tap Into Real-Life Scenarios

Podcasts have revolutionized how we access information, offering a platform for ideas to be shared, communities to be built, and listeners to be enriched. Podcasts and personal stories humanize intersectionality, showing its relevance in students’ lives and the world around them.

Recommendation: Play episodes from the podcast Intersectionality Matters! by Kimberlé Crenshaw, which connects theory to timely issues like elections, economic disparities, and social movements. With over 64 episodes, this podcast is a rich resource to explore the relevance of intersectionality in contemporary politics, economics, and more.

Classroom Activity: After listening to an episode, have students identify and discuss how intersectionality connects to a relevant policy or social dynamic in the news. This podcast excels at applying complex, abstract concepts to real-world scenarios.

Why It Works: Hearing real voices and experiences fosters empathy and helps students see the tangible impact of abstract concepts (Giles & Barnett, 2020).

Conclusion: Co-creating Classrooms That Inspire Change

Teaching with an intersectional lens isn’t just about making lessons more inclusive—it’s about co-creating a world of belonging that integrates the full spectrum of diverse identities. By integrating visual narratives, leveraging data, and sharing real-life scenarios, educators can inspire meaningful conversations and positive action. As the classroom becomes more inclusive, so does the future our students help co-create.

References:

Crenshaw, K. (2016). The urgency of intersectionality [TED Talk]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks

Giles, S., & Barnett, J. (2020). Using narratives to teach intersectionality in higher education. Journal of Inclusive Education, 24(2), 115-127.

Mayer, R. E. (2021). Multimedia learning (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Smith, J., et al. (2022). Diversity in education: Outcomes of inclusive classrooms. Education Research Quarterly, 35(4), 45-58.