Educational Assessment Communication and Diversity: Innovations in Teacher Education

Teacher education programs have increasingly come under fire for not providing preservice teachers communication skills training. Given that such training is essential to address diversity in the classroom and to meet the day-to-day functioning of teachers, higher education must provide communication skills training for teacher certification. This essay describes the "Teaching Diverse Learners: Communicating Social Support'' workshop designed to help new and pre-service K-12 teachers communicate more effectively with diverse student populations, and the results of pre/post test surveys of the participants.