13 October 2025
Read time: 4mins
‘We are privileged to share, work and learn alongside a range of nationalities, accents and identities.’
Yvette Beckford Dawkins
Many people who live in London will agree with me that it is a very special place indeed. This is true, whether you have relocated from elsewhere in the UK, from mainland Europe, or even further afield. London is a nexus of cultures, of traditions, and citywide, that is clear to see.
I have been teaching secondary geography in the capital since 2012. It remains a pleasure to meet and interact with a diverse range of staff and students. I am grateful for what I have learnt from others and proud of the strategies I have developed, especially to ensure best practice in teaching culturally and socially sensitive geography in multinational classrooms.
The rise of the multinational classroom
The GLA Demography team extracts data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) on live births, they summarised that ‘since 2001, the number of live births being recorded in London has changed from 104,162 to 106,129 births per year. The proportion of births which were to mothers who had been born outside the UK has changed from 43% in 2001 to 60% in the most recent year (2024).’
Figure: Births by Mother’s Country of Birth in London – London Datastore
What does this look like in the classroom? We are privileged to share, work and learn alongside a range of nationalities, accents and identities. To observe the manifestations of social relations and be present at the crossroads of cultural interactions.
I have experienced this myself first-hand over the years, interacting with students. Second-hand too, through countless conversations with classroom teachers. As a beginning teacher I did half of my training in a comprehensive school and the other half in a leading grammar school. I have taught in single sex schools, a mixed comprehensive and headed the geography department in a small independent school.
Despite the differences in these institutions, one thing that remained constant was the array of cultures present in each room. Geography in action in many ways. The crucial question to consider follows: How do I reach and teach everyone in a nuanced way when teaching culturally and socially sensitive subjects in such a setting?
In your shoes
The first step is rather cliche but still correct, we need to get to know each learner in our classroom. Is our student from another part of the UK? Do they present from a range of British accents? Are they first generation British born? Born outside the UK? Which continent? Which country? What cultural practices and traditions are precious to them?
Realistically, we might not have every last bit of data we might require. However, human to human, we put ourselves in the shoes of the students we teach. This goes a long way in making the geography classroom a place of belonging. A place where cultures are showcased, and contexts examined. Rather than a rush to judgement, ‘whys’ are explored with an attempt to examine issues in 3D.
As we learn we ourselves must teach our charges to examine issues with a critical lens. Learning to go and do additional research and reading around a topic, before arriving at conclusions. One must be informed before attempting to find solutions or satisfactory explanations for complex global issues.
As examples, do we select easy generalisations and faulty, stale stereotypes? To what extent are we acknowledging the dynamic nature of social and cultural geography and using the latest updates? We must continue to peruse a diverse range of sources. We must lend our ears to an expanded selection of media and voices. For example we can invite staff members with first-hand knowledge and lived experiences into the classroom for our students to interview.
Students found it extraordinarily beneficial to interview a staff member who was born under the ‘One Child Policy’ population planning initiative. This provided them with an opportunity to make the geography come alive, and to consider another perspective. It was a beneficial fit for a broadminded curriculum aimed at including and engaging all pupils. Who might you have access to that could shine a light on a topic under study?
Leading from the gallery
So how can we continuously equip our students to be factual, accurate and geographical? Of course, at the same time, empathetic, during activities like class discussions and debates? It’s crucial too to steer clear of social and cultural misconceptions in an increasingly interconnected global space.
It becomes important to spend the time laying solid groundwork. Have the conversation with your class early on. Make the rules clear – that respect underpins everything we do. Calm sensitivities by establishing a space free of ‘intent to offend’. A place of knowledge seeking and inquiry. Embolden students to question, query and to challenge, in the right way.
My students have benefitted from countless virtual visits to locations in the curriculum. Platforms such as Google Maps and Dollar Street have been useful. Wider reading has been pivotal. Information gathered has helped them to appreciate the intersectionality of culture, society, place and in some instances, identity.
We have a responsibility to help our students see that we can stand in their shoes, and likewise, they can stand in the shoes of others.
Marching forward
Singha 1991 states that ‘Culturally Responsive Teaching offers an ideal foundation to revitalize the classroom by integrating students’ cultural backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge’. I would like to twin ‘social’ to that. Each individual’s presence as well as their background in the classroom must be validated.
This will only result in a more enriching and engaging geographical experience for teachers and students. An experience that will stand them in good stead beyond the school walls, as they occupy their space and flourish in an increasingly interconnected, shrinking, globalized world.
References
- Tuhin Singha. (2019). Beyond The Textbook: Incorporating Culturally Responsive Teaching In Geography. Elementary Education Online, 18(3), 1564–1571. Available at https://ilkogretim-online.org/index.php/pub/article/view/7835. Last accessed 13/10/25.
- London DataStore: Births by Mother’s Country of Birth in London
Written by Yvette Beckford Dawkins, a Meteorologist turned Geography Teacher. She has taught geography in South London since 2012.
©Yvette Beckford Dawkins, and the Geographical Association, 2025
This form of communication helps to redirect the focus from i to us(me to we)
When we respect each other cultural diversity it creates a higher volume called LOVE which has no boundaries.
Well written!
I enjoyed reading this article. Students and teachers alike sharing cultural events in an educational setting will definitely bring alive the knowledge, and the culture of each individual and their communities.
Well done! 👏
JBF
“Your Shoes” takes a giant step in sharing knowledge. A great thing to do. Impressive.