Culturally Responsive Curriculum

Another challenge educator’s encounter is the cultural gap that is between students and teachers. It is important for educators to understand that some culturally diverse children may need things explained to them in a different way for them to gain an understanding.

What is culturally responsive teaching? Culturally responsive teaching as defined by Gay (2000) and quoted by Griner and Stewart says: “Culturally responsive teaching can be defined as using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them” (Griner and Stewart, 589). CRT has certain elements that give opportunities for students to be valuable assets to and in their education, such as: placing a value on the cultural groups and ethnicities students bring into the classroom and giving those cultures

Culturally Responsive Teaching is an emerging field that focuses on student cultural backgrounds and experiences in the development of pedagogy. According to Kea (2013) cultural difference is the single largest difference in U.S. schools and also the most neglected. The goal of Culturally Responsive Teaching is to provide an equal opportunity for all students to learn in school, regardless of their gender, social class, ethnic, racial or cultural characteristics (Banks 2005). Ladson-Billings (1994) suggest that the historic failings of educators in educating non-white students is that educators attempt to insert culture into education rather than insert education into the culture. In other words, educators are not providing an equal multi-culturally relevant education by bringing tokens of culture such as food, national flags, or maps from around the world into the classroom alone. Although these actions promote a sense of multiculturalism, an education that is relative to a diversity of cultures is not necessarily being provided. Culturally Responsive Teaching attempts to bring the various experiences of the student’s cultural home life into the classroom. Schmidt (2005) identifies seven characteristics that must be incorporated into curriculum in order to provide culturally responsive instruction. These characteristics are high expectations,

Teachers must learn about their student’s cultures if they want to educate them to the best of their ability. Many of the students in culturally diverse classrooms will want to learn in different ways. Some will want to learn in pairs, groups, as a class, or just alone. If the teacher is educated in their culture then lessons can be adjusted to appeal to every student as much as possible instead of forcing some to forget about their culture and learn like others. Students from

After reading Geneva Gay’s article Preparing for Culturally Responsive Teaching I realized my pedagogy is culturally responsive in many ways. For one, I always

Gaining learning and experience about other cultures background will enrich my multicultural knowledge. Therefore, as an educator I must learn about others culture. As I begin to learn about others cultures I will understand how values influence the ways families interpret the instruction that feels right to them. A close study on Figure 3.1 implies that a teacher’s point view or the way the students are treaty can affect their learning. It keeps narrating the story of a teacher that had to learn her students’ roots, their culture values, to get to know them in order to reach them in an academically level. The cultural values are very important and cannot be overlooked, they shape our intrinsic motivation. Many families try to keep their values and belief intact at home, so their children when they step in a classroom. Monica Brown, is the Department editor of Diversity Dispatch, argues in her article, Educating All Students: Creating Culturally Responsive Teachers, Classrooms, and Schools, that nowadays it is noticeable the diversity growths in schools, however, this is not the problem. The problem is the way teachers have responded to the diversity growth. (Brown, M. 2007). Therefore, this will affect the students learning. Brown cross with a strong point in regarding the lack of sensitivity some educators show towards their students’ culture. As educator I don’t want to be one of many teachers Monica Brown speaks on her article. I will understand that I must respect my

Aspects such as classroom size, classroom environment, classroom teacher, classroom syllabus, classroom assignments, and the types of assessments that will be used to measure how well students are performing. Also, understand student behaviors and a plan of action for how to manage classroom behavior is another factor important to develop a culturally responsive curriculum. Based on a student’s cultural background, the manner in which a teacher disciplines and instructs the student can be a major factor in how effective the student will learn in the classroom setting. The old adage of “one size fits all” does not apply in a classroom design for students with various cultural backgrounds and they come from different ethnic backgrounds. Having the ability to monitor and adjust instructional methods and strategies to best fit the needs of students is very

When educators are culturally competent and gain an understanding of the cultural identities present amongst the children in their care they can have respect and an understanding of the way children and families know, see and live this world. Educators may then celebrate the benefits of diversity and may be able to understand and honour the differences.

The first step for me to become a culturally responsive teacher is to learn not to judge others. Working with students from diverse backgrounds requires us to question our reactions to families and students. We need to stop judging different as “abnormal” and embrace what the differences can teach us (Rosenberg, Westling, & McLeskey, 2011). Embracing the differences

As an educator it is important to be aware of the various learners in the classroom as well as being able to shift lessons accordingly to adapt to a greater number of students. In addition it is essential that culturally responsive practices is adapted in the classroom in order for all students to have a sense of belonging and are able to participate. For this reason, a teacher must actively use culturally responsive practices to engage students and their families because it helps to develop a relationship and maintain a level of communication. Learning “facts” about different cultures is not enough, it is more important that we make

A Literacy Environment is very instrumental to young children’s learning. A learning environment that is culturally sensitive is to create a multicultural climate in the classroom. Multicultural awareness could be taught in all of the subject matters in a classroom. A teacher can use strategies and a teachable moment when they are encountered. For example, if a student is making fun of another because of how they talk or sound. The teacher can use that moment to punctuate the importance and relevance of different backgrounds and culture. The world we live in a diverse world with different religion, beliefs, color and shapes of people. A teacher should be verse in multicultural education to be able to teach students about

Cultural borders prevent students from fully processing the curriculum they are taught. Jegede and Aikenhead state “the learning of what is therefore central to… education is inevitably lost within a system which legitimizes the so-called superiority of the imported culture over the life-world experiences of the learner.” When the main focus in a classroom is a multicultural perspective, education is lost. Problems begin to arise when a student is forced to re-evaluate their personal beliefs about the world, in order to do well on an assignment. I believe that the respect and understanding of a culture is the key to breaking down the barriers. But, a teacher cannot just solely focus on the variety of cultures in a class. It is only after a culture is understood, that a classroom can be complete. He must learn to balance the diversity of beliefs, while

A classroom is only truly culturally relevant when it has student academic success, paired with a development and maintenance of cultural competence, for which students also develop cognizance where they desire to challenge the status quo of the present-day social structure (Ladson-Billings, 1995, p.160) According to Ladson-Billings (1995), it is behoove of teachers to have pedagogical excellence in good teaching, also referred to as culturally relevant teaching with collective empowerment. Often times for students of culturally diverse backgrounds, school is a place where they cannot be themselves. Most school’s cultural norms are typically

Culture-sensitive approach ensure the respect for cultural diversity; where teachers his or her learners as sole individuals, where their various cultural beliefs, values and language are recognized and appreciated; where teachers look on their students’ perspectives on appraising their work and outputs; and the most essential quality of a culture-sensitive approach is, it does not judge one culture superior to another thus maintaining an impartial and conducive learning environment for the students.

Another characteristic of culturally sensitive teacher is to “learn as much as possible about the students, their families, and the community and use it in their teaching” (Glickman et al., 2014, p.375). Under