Creating Culturally Responsive Teachers, Classrooms, And Schools

On page 238 in chapter 8 of Becoming a Multicultural Educator, by William A. Howe and Penelope L. Lisi, it states that, "culturally relevant education (CRE) was coined by Gloria Ladson-Billings (2009) to describe "a pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes"". The five principles that are discussed on page 239 are used to guide teachers in the direction of having a culturally relevant classroom for their students to learn about how to participate in a democratic society. Each principle offers educators insight as to how they can use culture within their classroom and lessons they teach in order to help their students become culturally

Those who develop culturally responsive faculty development programs should examine the foundational principles upon which they are built; they will demonstrate the level of commitment to developing a cadre of culturally responsive educators. Any program, curriculum or agenda that does not have at its core the intention of creating an equitable society for everyone is a tool to maintain hegemonic practices (Gorski, 2008). While there is no set model or format for culturally responsive faculty development, there are certain traits that should be evident from such a program.

Circumstances within this case reflect levels of complexity in many aspects. It was a challenging situation for all parties involved. I’m sure a decision of this magnitude is very difficult, but I question the thoroughness in the execution of the action plan. Often times we miss the meaning of being culturally proficient. The Lindsey book, Cultural Proficiency: A Manual for School Leaders considers ways to foster policies and practices that provide the opportunity for effective interactions with the school members, staff and students alike and the surrounding community members (Lindsey, 2009, p.4). The book presents its historical context to tell of the effectiveness of addressing issues that emerge from cross-cultural contact. Some of the efforts derived from the desire to promote healthy interactions. Among those efforts have been desegregation, integration, race relations, cultural competence, and multicultural transformation (Lindsey, 2009, p.7). Cultural proficiency comes with an understanding of respecting the differences among all things living and all circumstances and departments in life. To begin the smooth transition of the school consolidation between SMS and RNS, communication and a culture should have been built starting with the associated area superintendent and Principal Jones.

Einstein said: “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Now imagine the various students that enter the classroom. They come from all walks of life with different backgrounds and stories to tell. If educators don’t recognize that these differences do in fact exist then some of the fish that pass through those school doors will leave the building believing that they are incapable because of the trees presented for them to climb. Enter culturally responsive teaching. This method or pedagogical device is the answer to bridging this gap that students may encounter when they are not given the opportunity to show their particular geniuses or to act as their own agent in their education.

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,

America now is a very culturally diverse nation; most of the minority and immigrant population lives in cities, which indicates that the public school classrooms in urban areas are full of versatile cultural identities. According to the 2000 Census record, minority and immigrant populations has grown in increasing numbers, and most of those people live in urban areas and attend public high schools; also, the level of residential segregation still remains as high as in 1990, which proposes new problems for immigrants and minorities. Monocultural schools are very rare and the global society is very multicultural; it is very logical to prepare students in schools to enter this diverse society (Le Roux 48). Teachers are largely responsible

From the reading on page 254 in chapter 9 of Becoming a Multicultural Educator, by William A. Howe and Penelope L. Lisi, there are myths stated about the failure of bilingual students and bilingual education. In table 9.2 on page 254 it is stated that, “it is a myth that all immigrant groups were successful [with learning the English language]. There were many low-skilled entry-level jobs that did not require advanced language skills.” My question is what is the considered success for immigrants learning the English language? Would it be considered successful if an immigrant learned enough English to obtain a job and earn a living within the United States or does an immigrant need to meet a specific level of mastery in the eyes of educators

The primary goal of providing cultural diversity in the classroom is to help all students become respectful of the multitudes of cultures and people that they’ll interact with once they exit the educational setting. This can be an overwhelming job for the educator, given that the world at large is substantially more diverse than their immediate learning environment. In the typical educational setting, there is a tendency for students to exhibit classic behaviors relating to their own culture and upbringing.

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

Cultural diversity has been a major issue of concern for several decades, and it has affected institutions of learning, where facilitators have to balance the family and school involvement in enhancing learning. Establishing a meaningful environment for students with diverse backgrounds enhances positive performance in their academic, personal, and professional objectives. A healthy relationship with family members involves identifying the needs of each family’s cultural stand; this is because a culture may play a major role in defining a family’s responsiveness to a school’s involvement. The globalization aspect has facilitated the creation of a multicultural society, and hence the need for an education system that addresses the need to

As an ESL instructor, I teach a diverse classroom full of migrants with a variety of backgrounds. It’s as multicultural as a classroom can be! I try to incorporate my students’ cultures into our lessons. After all, everything we know and understand comes from the lens of our culture. Take for example our own education. Think about how much influence our point of view had on our education. Now, how much is our point of view affected by culture? I try to be as culturally responsive as possible. However, I know that there is always room for improvement.

For supervisors and teachers to promote a school culture that embraces and supports a diverse community, they should be culturally responsive. That is, they must believe that all students could potentially attain success in their academic endeavors. Students should also be provided with access to quality programs and services. Acknowledging their culture, language, and experiences can be helpful as well. These aforementioned factors must be utilized to facilitate the students’ learning and development. Glickman, Gordon, & Ross-Gordon (2014) made a powerful and profound statement about embracing and supporting culturally responsive schools. They said, “If we need to change schools and the way we teach to close the achievement gap, then addressing

I’ve always I thought I was a pretty good teacher. I’ve been selected as a STAR teacher and Teacher of the Year. But after reading Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, I had to seriously self-reflect, and I came to the realization that if I had read and implemented the suggestions in the book perhaps I would have touched student’s lives on a deeper level, a long-term neurological life-changing level. My heart and intent were pure, but did I reach as many students as I could have? I have always been focused on getting my students to be interested in their studies and to give it their all. I’ve been told many times by them, “You do too much.” I took that as a compliment because I have always tried to motivate them to want to excel, not just in school, but in life. After reading Hammond’s book, I see that I must overhaul my thinking and my methods. By following the techniques suggested in Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain I can grow in my individual approach to each student and grow more confident that they can each reach and achieve their best.

A culturally competent educator must understand and ingrained themselves in the cultures of their school’s community. Furthermore, this competence has the potential to become developed inside and outside the classroom. As a future educator, my plan is to grasp the personal knowledge of the cultures in my school’s community through participating in volunteer work in the designated area. Additionally, I can expand the understanding of the proper approach for teaching students in communities with diverse cultures though reading books with similar experiences. Finally, my plan should consists of observing children’s behavior and interests throughout the school day to develop a curriculum which correlates to student’s personal

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