The Culturally Inclusive Educator : Preparing For A Multicultural World By Dena Samuelson

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,

Public schools are beginning to see a shift in demographics in the United States. There is now a culturally diverse student population and educators need to respond to this shift in order to ensure an equal education for all students. Culture aids in determining how students learn, and culturally responsive teaching is a way teachers can educate culturally diverse students and provide an equal education for all. Culturally responsive teaching is defined by Geneva Gay as using the various characteristics, perspectives, and experiences of many cultures to effectively teach culturally diverse students (2000). Culturally responsive teaching prepares teachers to work with and teach a culturally diverse classroom of students and allows teachers to create a classroom environment that is similar to their students’ home environments so students do not have to assimilate to the dominant culture or change from their home culture to their school culture depending on their setting (Brown). Multicultural education is not only important for ensuring equal education for all students, but also creates youth who will be able to function and be effective citizens in a pluralistic society (Gay 2003). In order to implement culturally responsive teaching, teachers must acknowledge potential biases and reconstruct their attitudes, create a diverse knowledge base, be caring and empowering, and create a classroom environment that is conducive to a culturally diverse

Choosing to see past religion, race, disability, and sexual orientation, I enjoy connecting with people. By encouraging individuals to share their own stories, I find it intriguing how quickly our differences vanish. A previous colleague once told me that the key to a rich life was remaining curious. Through acceptance of different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, we can learn so much from each other. Inclusion is important to me because I believe it is essential to a rich, innovative, and thriving community.

The work and dedication of teachers, mentors, and even librarians towards their students inspires me to act the same way towards the individuals that are mocked for their differences. For example, I have skipped lunch and have spent countless hours to foster the English skills of my school’s international peers while giving them a smooth transition from Chinese to American culture. I stand up for them when they become the

As a student, it is very important to know that individuals within the society embrace their differences for the sake of coexistence. Everyone is different, everyone is an individual, everyone has their own needs and wants and desires and ambitions. The society where an individual grow faces challenges day to day. Once we better understand ourselves we can learn from each other to create better opportunities for ourselves and

This foundation promotes values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences and helps people to be more accepting of variety. Ruby and her first grade teacher Barbara Henry go to schools around the country today and educate students on the importance of respecting the variation of others and their values. They inform the youth about ways to end racism and conflict in diversity. Their goal is to create change in the educational system and inspire people to be more susceptible to those that may be apart from others. They encourage people to accept difference because a world without contrast would be lifeless. Ruby and Barbara hope that their further education on diversification of characteristics will help the younger generation to stand up for equal

As a future teacher, one of the ways I can accomplish and promote inclusion is to develop lesson plans which positively promote multicultural diversity. By including cultural differences and similarities, I will be helping my students understand and appreciate how to be respectful of others culture as well as supporting and demonstrating an equitable learning environment for all students learning experiences. Promoting equity and diversity in the classroom are essential in ensuring my students will be able to thrive and develop values and attitudes to survive in a multicultural society. They learn to celebrate their uniqueness in ways that foster harmony and

By becoming aware with the issues that permeate our lives and interacting with those that are different from us, we can develop in each of us sensitivity to other cultures so that we may expand our horizons, tolerate diversity, and promote

Tolerance, respect, and acceptance can be taught by allowing the students the opportunities to experience different cultures first hand. One could do this many ways, but some of the most effective would include going to a museum or reenacting the life of one particular group. After the student experiences for themselves that different groups of people do not choose to live a difficult life as seen, maybe the student could be taught to have more respect for different groups of people. One would not want to strictly put all of their focus on one group, but rather realize the group they experienced is not the only group living difficultly. Another way is showing the student how the rest of the world views them. If the student realizes they are slightly different than others, others are slightly different than them, but we all have a lot of major aspects in common, they may become more tolerant and acceptant of the world around them that they themselves are an equal part of. The teaching of this would lead to the knowledge of history, the ability to learn coping strategies through

Before taking this class I had always thought that I wasn’t racist, and that I didn’t have any biases. Shortly into this course I realized that I had a lot more to work on than I thought. I had learned that I didn’t need to be personally racist to support racist institutions that favored my race only. I have learned that we are all the same species, and that this thing we call race is something that we have created. Upon reflecting from the beginning of this semester, I believed and still do believe that culturally competent educators acknowledge their students differences, and learn to value and respect these differences in the classroom. Educators must model positive behavior by respecting and valuing where their students come from. When educators value differences in the classroom, it creates a culture in which everyone can be himself or herself. In order to create this culture in my future classroom I need to acknowledge all of my student’s differences, and I must learn to value and respect these differences.

Educators need to think about their own values, beliefs and attitudes related to diversity difference and acknowledge and address any bias that they may hold. Recognising and addressing is part of becoming a culturally competent educator. It involves making a conscious decision to promote children’s cultural competence so that we can build a good Australian society. From my point of view I can’t see how someone can be a successful educator or even work within the care service if they have not examined their self-first. An educator must have love for those who come from a different background. It wouldn’t be right for someone to be working within a care service whom is racist and has no time for such people from a different background. It

This acceptance comes as persons outside the group seek to understand and learn about the experiences, culture, values, and beliefs of other groups. It is founded on the idea that increased knowledge, awareness, and exposure to different cultures will increase acceptance as well as lower prejudices towards other cultures. Kinchloe & Steinberg (1997) discuss how this occurs through college curriculum where students are learning to eliminate prejudice through learning and increased awareness of culture, values, beliefs, and experiences.

First, I will start out by talking about the importance of a socially just education. As our world becomes more diverse every day, as teachers we need to understand how to be mindful of every student’s beliefs and culture. In order to give every student, the education they deserve, teachers need to teach as if everyone is the same, not to treat one culture better than the other. It is in human nature to divide up into groups of people that are like you, so naturally this would happen in a classroom. I hope that in the new age of teaching, that myself and other teachers will break this notion apart. Cultures should be brought together in order to understand one another and their views. Teaching is not always about curriculum, but rather an introspective look on bringing groups of students together to learn as a whole.

Once students and teachers are aware of cultural differences, they become aware of racism and can fight to eradiate it. Through their unbiased understanding of the differences between cultures and races, they are able to come to a point of acceptance of themselves and others. If you noticed in my previous paragraph, I mentioned the different types of diversity. Diversity emphasizes how different students and teachers are, but when explored in a classroom, can be used to reveal our similarities. Once students and teachers grasp the concept of diversity, displayed through everyday interactions with diverse groups of students and teachers, racism begins to disappear. In addition, positive sense of self can be developed once students and teachers have an understanding of their own uniqueness through experiences and understanding of diversity. Once teachers and students

and curriculum. The discussion of the historical and philosophical background of multicultural education teaches educators how race and culture influence educational policy and programs. Multicultural teaching and curriculum is also crucial for the development of equitable education for diverse students. The author asserts that multicultural education can lessen biases while also furthering democratic beliefs and practices among students. The text’s discussion of multicultural education is significant to the field of multicultural education as it demonstrates how multicultural educational practices help students become culturally literate and prepared for today’s diverse and globalized world.