Thank you again, Jennifer and Zaretta, for a thought-provoking and eye-opening conversation. Heres what the schools are finding that do surveys: After a few years of this kind of work, their positive climate has gone up, satisfaction surveys among adults as well as kids are really high, but the achievement doesnt move., This is not to suggest that relationship building should be tossed out. ), Social Justice Education is about building a lens for the student, really being able to look at the world and seeing where things arent fair or where injustice exists, Hammond explains. Thanks so much for all of the resources . Begin lesson planning by considering who your students are: where they live, what language(s) they speak at home and in the community, how they identify themselves, what their learning styles and needs are. Learning environments emerge when teachers take on an inquiry stance and begin using their funds of knowledgetheir already existing teaching experiences and practicesas information or data for researching the teaching and learning that is happening in their classrooms (Berthoff, 1987; Lankshear & Knobel, 2004; Rust, 2018). I love the link between CRT and neuroscience. Really interesting read, thank you! Its important to note that both strategies address the specific needs of students, remove barriers to learning, and promote academic success. It requires a willingness to learn, be vulnerable, be flexible with instruction, and reflect. Ms. Zaretta Hammond, I learned so much from listening to this interview. The Dimensions of Equity chart grew out of my attempt to help teachers clarify their misconceptions about culturally responsive teaching (which they thought was about valuing diversity through multiculturalism). Many diversity trainings and other efforts to build teachers cultural competence start by having teachers examine their own implicit biases. Similar Article: Micro Teaching Skills - Advantages & Disadvantages. I am still unsure if I actually understand what culturally responsive teaching is. This was a great podcast informative, important and timely. You do need to get to implicit bias at some point, she says. Please let me know what you think. . Culturally responsive teaching, also called culturally relevant teaching, is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning. Culturally responsive teaching is: a bridge between home and school life, affirming of students' history and culture, and. Remember that culturally responsive and culturally sustaining teaching is rigorous and relevant. Culturally responsive teaching is not: confusing race and culture as being the same thing, only about motivating students of color, Reading this article has highlighted the need to be vigilant in this and ensure we are fully committed to meeting these needs. That first research project and becoming-a-teacher researcher caused me to begin to understand the seditious role cultural power plays in teaching and learning. I think that we are fortunate that our practice is explicitly tied to the needs of diverse learners and the requirement for teachers to be culturally responsive. Almost all come from low-income households. In the section on Misconception #4, the post does caution that culturally responsive teaching is more complex than choosing the right strategies. The books stay in class so students can reflect on these stories, while helping them develop a language that may not be their first. published by Brown University Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based approach to teaching. Hope that helps. Thank you for your thoughtful response. Five educators share culturally responsive teaching "tips," including the use of restorative circles and creating lessons with students' cultures in mind. Teaching hinges on meaningful communication between instructors and students. Elvan Gnel. Bishop (2009) Engaging with the students support network outside of school is also vital. In this course we read an article by Enid Lee. 2023 Editorial Projects in Education, Inc. believe all students can learn and hold high expectations for each student; have deep content knowledge about the subjects they teach; understand the cultural experiences and expressions of their students, their histories, and the communities in which they teach and draw from that knowledge and understanding to develop learning opportunities that validate students lived realities, cultural identities, and heritage; are reflective practitioners routinely examining their own life experiences, cultural knowledge, and explicit and implicit biases; and. Do your recon to really know your students. Ms. Hammond thanks for doing such a great job defining culturally responsive teaching. Thank you for the work you do and for advocating for students of color/diverse students. Can't find what you are looking for? Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. The path to culturally responsive teaching is a journey, but with practice and patience, it will benefit you and all of your students. Again, while this kind of teaching is necessary and important, its not the same as culturally responsive teaching, which focuses on learning capacity. We are so glad that you found value in this post! In Part Two, Nadine Sanchez, Guadalupe Carrasco Cardona, Jessica Torres, Michelle Knight-Manuel, Joanne Marciano, Paula J. Mellom, Rebecca K. Hixon, Jodi P. Weber, Shawn Wooton, and Dawn Mitchell contributed their commentaries. Culturally responsive pedagogy is a student-centered approach to teaching that includes cultural Another way is to talk with them, their families, and members of the community. The childrens Shared Journal stories became windows and mirrors into their lives. Ms. Hammond, the way you explain CRT was extremely helpful. Culturally responsive teaching is a shift in mindset that will not happen overnight. It doesnt matter if we are in New Zealand or New York City, the needs of diverse students have to be repositioned to be at the center rather than at the margins of the education system. As someone who has been reared hearing the importance of social justice and multi-cultural awareness alone, it was refreshing to listen to this podcast and hear a pioneer in the field explain just what culturally responsive teaching really is. This plug and play misconception can lead teachers to do things like adding call-and-response to their classroom routine, then assuming they have done enough to reach diverse students. It raises expectations and makes learning relevant for all students. Such an important podcastthank you for the opportunity to hear Dr. Hammond speak about this important issue. Culturally responsive teaching can help to close learning gaps for disadvantaged groups. Ministry of Education (2011), I particularly liked your linking of culture with neuroscience research. This summer I took a short professional development class on Culturally Responsivre Teaching. Listen to my interview with Zaretta Hammond (transcript): Sponsored by Raymond Geddes and Kids Discover. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps. If you are concerned about appropriate lyrics, you can usually do a quick Google search to find the lyrics in English or use Google Translate to get a good idea of the content of the songs. Create options for students. Hi Prasad! This includes: (1) acquiring a knowledge base of diverse cultures, (2) designing or utilizing culturally relevant curricula, (3) utilizing cultural caring and . Hours. Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Reflection Guide . Thank you, again, for a wonderful podcast!! 2) Create a ritual that allows you reconnect quickly during after being apart for so long. Similarly, it was helpful when you explained that all instruction is culturally responsive, but that we need to ask, to whose culture is instruction culturally responsive?. How do such learning environments develop? Displaying student work and artwork from their cultures provides students with a safe and welcoming environment that they can thrive in. . In addition, teachers should help learners engage in the subject matter that they, the learners, wish to pursue as well as the means that they want to use to explore that content. Culturally responsive teaching celebrates student experiences and identities. Both are exceeding bright. Id suggest going back and reading the Trust Builders in Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. Think-pair-share exercises expose students to three lesson-processing experiences, allowing them to work individually and with a tutor or tutee. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. The term culturally responsive teaching has been around for decades, but it seems to have gotten more attention in recent years. Be open to new approaches. Remember that the most effective teachers are able to draw on students prior knowledge, experiences, and culture to connect students to and help them learn new ideas, concepts, and information. For example, in many cultures, it is disrespectful for a student to tell the teacher that they dont understand something. One couldnt function in a classroom successfully, attending 5 schools in 7 years, then dropped out of high school. professional advantages and disadvantages of using culturally responsive pedagogy. (This is the final post in a four-part series. Becoming familiar with the work of Gloria Ladson Billings, Geneva Gay, Zaretta Hammond, and Django Paris are a perfect place to start. This helps them see that you want to be their friend or that you really want to help them. Consider the cultural values of your students when planning a lesson. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Rocio, Lisa, Valentina, and Maurice on my BAM! Not all teachers embrace this process. Play music from students home countries. Contact Us. Relationships are the bedrock of good teaching in any classroom. This author interview with Django Paris helped me to clarify CRT and CST. Deeply embedded in these practices is the teaching of Native languages in order to allow students to deeply connect with their cultural communities. It builds cultural competence in the classroom and beyond. Benefits of culturally responsive teaching. Thanks so much for sharing it! Somehow, I missed this podcast even though I am on your mailing list, but I am grateful that our staff development team at my school asked us to listen to your conversation with Zaretta Hammond. Go to footnote 8 . Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post. What are specific ways to make lessons more culturally responsive and culturally sustaining? Instead, ask students to evaluate their effort or provide a performance task so that students can demonstrate their learning. I have found that you can gain someones trust by learning about them and showing interest in who they are. Addressing diversity: Race, ethnicity, and culture in the classroom. The term was coined by researcher Geneva . And that means students who might really thrive under different conditions are surviving at best. The findings suggest . For students who have been marginalized and dont feel welcome, Hammond explains, that relationship becomes important, because you want them to actually do the heavy lifting of the cognitive work, (and) thats not going to happen if you cant get the student to be in a trusting relationship. In her role as an the English-language-development team lead in the Douglas County school district in Colorado, she coaches, mentors, and supports teachers and facilitates family-engagement opportunities: OK, I have to confess. Honoring and celebrating all cultures provides a safe environment for students to challenge themselves and be challenged, to take the necessary academic risks, and to be successful. Data literacy is broader than assessment literacy. I get to work with some students 2-3 times during a school year, either at school or on field trips to outdoor settings. The approach involved having three students share a true story from their lives each day. 12. hi, just a note that many theorists would include culturally responsive teaching as one aspect of multicultural education. Teachers need to help students speak and write in Standard English, but they'll be more . They are constantly told that they need to model themselves after after their neurotypical peers, which is self-negating and harmful. What an important post. I just wanted to share and express my gratitude. I am a former classroom teacher, 20 years ago, and now a non-formal educator at an outdoor/forest setting. One of the greatest benefits of Culturally Responsive Teaching is the golden opportunity for instructors to find ways to engage with . Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris, 2017) and Linguistically Sustaining Practices (Lucas, 2010) build on prior culturally-affirming, asset-based pedagogical theory and research including Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1994) and Culturally Responsive Teaching (Gay, 2000) that work to further educational justice for students who have been historically underserved and marginalized. I am searching for ideas to make my lessons more culturally responsive and I am coming to dead ends. Windows are openings to the world around learners and include consideration of all things that are possible in the world today. (Catapano, 2018, p. 45). The Shared Journal Process values the students voice, celebrates the students culture, and even welcomes it into the classroom. Get the latest education news delivered to your inbox daily. Students could be who they truly are when they entered the school each morning, learning in ways that empowered them culturally. Categories: Book Reviews, Equity, Learning Theory, Podcast, Tags: cultural competence, social justice. 1. Be well! This model of learning, referred to as culturally responsive pedagogy, has three main facets, namely: personal, institutional, and instructional facets . Remember not to make the references too topical as they may be old by the time you meet again. Hope this helps! Culturally responsive recruiting is recognizing that good is a relative term derived from and defined using a dominant (European American) cultural standard so what may be a good recruitment strategy for the 82% of white teachers in America does not work for the dwindling number of teachers of color especially when culture and heritage are not . Thanks for sharing. So what youre doing to actually reach your lowest performing students is going to be good for your highest performing students. To get a closer look at the kinds of shifts that make a big difference, these three tips for making lessons more culturally responsive can start you in the right direction. You cannot create culturally responsive and sustaining lessons until you understand what it means to be a culturally responsive and sustaining teacher. Relationships are about building trust so you can stretch students during productive struggle and they dont experience the stretch as stress but excitement because they are being led by a trusted ally. It spoke to me as I have been teaching ESL for many years and now I am teaching at an alternative hs. Make your classroom norms more inclusive so they are not stifling to students whose cultures are different than yours. Culturally Relevant Pedagogy also calls for students to develop critical perspectives that challenge societal inequalities. The information presented here is very valuable. Needless to say, they defined literacy as the texts on cereal boxes, beer cans, eviction notices, etc.. After this project, the students posed their question: How are we supposed to make sense out of literacy in this rich folks school? These questions led to deeper and more complex questions that the students initiated. (Part 2 on Culture is especially relevant to the topics discussed above.). improving students ability to succeed. I thought it would be interesting, and I didnt think I would learn that much. The Alaska Science Consortium, the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI), and the Alaska Department of Education have collaborated on developing standards-based, culturally relevant science curricula that effectively integrate indigenous and Western knowledge. It would have been great if Ms. Hammond had given a few concrete examples that illustrate culturally responsive teaching. And oftentimes, the instructional shifts that will make the biggest differences dont always look cultural at all, because they arent the kind of things that work only for diverse students. I think this section might be what youre interested in. Heath and I had them make a list of the kinds of literacy that they encountered every day. This can be done by guiding students to create a set of classroom expectations together, drawing upon what expectations work for families at home. Nevertheless, your contrast of ME with culturally responsive teaching is valuable. It is the on-ramp to the kind of cognitive high-level problem-solving and higher-order thinking we want students to do. In Part One, Dr. Rocio del Castillo, Dr. Julia Stearns Cloat, Lisa Stringfellow, Valentina Gonzalez, Maurice McDavid, and Cathery Yeh shared their suggestions. Hattie (2012), I agree with Hammond in that by building trusting relationships with learners and their families will enable us to challenge them in their learning. In Part Three, Kaitlin Popielarz, Sean Ruday, Laura Mitchell, Ed.D., Dr. Laura Greenstein, and Keisha Rembert provided their ideas. Think sleep away summer camp some kids go to the same camp every summer and are able to pick up relationships, connections where they left off the previous summer because theres a ritual that triggers their positive memories. I loved hearing Zaretta say that Culturally Responsive Teaching is about accelerating students learning. I have felt for a long time that we have been told its all about building relationships, which it is to a degree, but its also about building trust to help students grow exponentially in their learning. Perhaps this teachers way of learning isnt the way this student learns with his family: cross-talking, summarizing various perspectives, and coming to conclusions, which are then challenged by his family members. Thank you. I questioned my understanding of the students definition of literacy. In this manner, everyones culture has a space and is appreciated and respected in the larger community. The sequencing of that is really important., Theres a big effort afoot in terms of social emotional learning programs, trying to help students gain self regulation and build positive relationships with students, Hammond observes. Author Jeffra Flaitz. Student learning was steeped in culture, from the foundation of the science curriculum, which embedded traditional Hawaiian ecological practices, to the social studies lessons, which incorporated comparisons of world cultures to Hawaiian indigenous culture. The part that resonates from your interview is when you said, we are in a majority minority school,in reference to public education system in the United States. Ttaiako Cultural competencies for teachers of Mori learners. In education, this looks like black and brown students not having access to rigorous learning, not having proper reading instruction so that over time they fall behind in other classes because the cognitive act of reading makes our brains better prepared for higher level learning and math. Its really a challenge to try to say, This is it in a nutshell,' she says. Culturally sustaining practices (CSP) allow, invite, and encourage students to not only use their cultural practices from home in school, but to maintain them. I found this article extremely interesting and I have put Zarettas book on my summer reading list. Although this is essential, Hammond says, it may not need to be the very first step, because that can delay (or sometimes replace) a shift in instructional practices. States and districts are constantly looking for ways to close learning gaps among students. Educators' efforts to create classrooms where all students succeed can be sorted into three categories. Ministry of Education. Culturally Responsive Teaching and Universal Design for Learning are very similar in that both focus on the multiple ways students learn. The emphasis is on helping students develop their academic, social, and emotional skills in a learning environment that is developmentally . (2011). These strategieswhich include using culturally relevant curriculum, affirming students' cultural identity, among other actionshave been shown to move the needle on a host of student outcomes, from . CRP Key Components: I agree that the idea of multicultural education as a route to equity has been largely debunked. In many respects, these approaches guide teachers in sorting out teaching and learning throughout their careers. While those are really noble things and critical to a high-functioning classroom and school climate, it doesnt have anything to do with learning capacity. Although there is value in students seeing their own cultures reflected in places like the classroom decor, it wont impact their cognitive abilities. That is usually an eye opener for them. In a multicultural classroom, many of the students may understand only some of what the teacher says and may lack the . Adapt instruction to meet your students diverse needs and interests. In fact, culturally responsive teaching can help reduce the achievement gap for minority students over time. No single teaching approach will engage each student at once, but building a strategy to consistently deliver culturally-responsive teaching lessons will help you appeal to diverse learners with distinct backgrounds.. Altagracia H. Delgado has been in education for 24 years and currently works as the director of language acquisition and early childhood in the Brazosport Independent school district, in Texas: Classroom environment is one of the most important areas a teacher must address. But remember, culturally responsive practices is about more than relationships. As a math teacher, I can see myself becoming a more culturally responsive teacher because it will improve instruction and accelerate learning. It requires educators to affirm and leverage whatand howstudents learn in their homes and communities. Trusting relationships are one part of the whole system when it comes to problem-solving. less likely to practice culturally competent care.3-4 Since teaching drives practice, ath-letic training programs must seek to better educate students about providing culturally competent care. Students with a multicultural education are . Third, culturally responsive assessors must formulate and test both culture-specific and alternative (impairment or dysfunction) hypotheses, which refers to . Allison, thank you so much for taking the time to write. Student diversity creates challenges to new teachers if they are not familiar with culturally responsive teaching (CRT) (Gay, 2002). Teacher Phil Yordy, left, works with freshman Derek Shallow, 15, right, during an after school mentoring program at Oregon High School in Oregon, Ill., in February. There is so much more I could say, but I will stop here. There is a focus on leveraging the affective and the cognitive scaffolding that students bring with them. The simplest way to judge whether your teaching is culturally responsive is whether your diverse studentsstudents of color, English language learners, immigrant studentsare learning. Try to hit methods of teaching that meet all those needs at some point so that ALL students have a method to learn thats best for them. It helps schools better meet their students' needs. Culturally responsive teaching means using students' customs, characteristics, experience, and perspectives as tools for better classroom instruction. While those are really noble things and critical to a high-functioning classroom and school climate, it doesnt have anything to do with learning capacity.. But true culturally responsive teaching is more complex than that. Becky Corr is the president of EdSpark Consulting, which is dedicated to igniting partnerships for diverse learners through professional development, technical writing, and systems analysis. The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications. Culturally responsive teaching is more than just a surface level recognition of multiculturalism.