It is important to remember that you teach a diverse population even if everyone in your class is of the same race. Each person is an individual, and should be treated as such. It is important to learn everything you can about them. Their likes and dislikes can be used to improve lessons and make them more personal. Knowing what their family life is like helps you to know more about your student and be a better teacher.

And remember: It doesn’t matter the subject matter. You don’t teach math, English, or sixth grade. You teach students.

Unfortunatly there is very little that we can do, saving the world is a job to large for humans. Stabalising the human population on Earth is complicated by various taboo and religious rules. Poor people see children as a pension fund they always have and will continue until they have a better alternative. With the state of governance in almost all of the poorest countries, it will be a long time coming. Current predictions suggest 9 billion, during my life time, I was born in 1950, some people might suggest there has not been a major war, but there has never been peace on earth. There have been countless famine appeals, for starving people in war torn countries mainly in Africa, there have however been a few genuine famines in my life time. Is the population self limiting in line with current economic and agricultural practices. Trying to convince Japan and some others that they could use an alternative to hardwood plywood in construction, may help to achieve sustainable forestry. It also is noticable that as you are an Aussie and I live in Canada two of the wealthiest least populated nations on earth, WASP populations are decreasing with wealth, while poor people continue to breed large families even when they are supported by excellent welfare systems. Without exception wealthy countries have ever smaller families, most of them import workers. Worrying about the climate is not exclusively a rich country phenomena but it is not a high priority in devoloping countries. I fear that climate change is beyond the control of man just how much global warming is caused by volcanoes every year. The sad fact is that we still coming out of an ice age these changes in Earth climate take many millenia. I fear that in the end Earth will destroy the human race it will certainly control the population in the long run

Openness to try new things! Also try not to discriminate against children remember it’s ok to think things but as a teacher you are an important figure in that child’s life so telling them they can’t join in because of their race for example isn’t going to help their self esteem. What you do now i no this sounds a bit ridiculous but can cause mental illnesses in their later lives. Hope that helps xx

oh n in reply to norman below its called equality that child has rights to… the right to learn!!

Don’t really understand the question. If you are a maths teacher you teach maths, whether your class is English or full of foreigners.

Teach as you would if you were teaching a class of English students and bollocks to the foreigners, if they don’t understand, why hold back the students that do.

Well, all teachers need patience, but more importantly for your question I would say acceptance, tolerance, and a lot of compassion.

I would also say a lot of discipline, though most people don’t like to hear that. Kids have to have strict boundaries, they thrive on it. When they have no boundaries and no consequences they have no security and will lash out and be incredibly disobedient, disrespectful, etc. If they get no boundaries at home they need to at least get them at school.

An open mind,patient, approachable with a sense of humour and ability to understand people from all walks of life that have different family backgrounds and culture. The ability to be neutral and unprejudiced too.

Being sensitive to your student’s background, be able to communicate in a way that everybody understands and in no way hurt by what you teach them. Being non-judgmental also helps a lot.

Patience and the ability to listen.

Patience, enthusiasm, and flexibility

Patience, good attitude and determination