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Essay on culturally responsive teaching and learning
Educating all students culturally responsive
Essay on culturally responsive teaching and learning
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Summary: Our schools today contains a diverse population of students from different ethnic backgrounds. As educators we need to make sure we are applying culturally responsive teaching. Katie Toppel describes “applying culturally responsive teaching practices in a classroom benefits students along with having a positive effect on students coming from a diverse background. “Gay (2 010) defines culturally responsive instruction as “using 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” (p. 31). Toppel explains there are three different themes which pertains to culturally responsive teaching method. Those three themes are “culturally appropriate texts, (2) engaging students’ voices, and (3) incorporating students’ funds of knowledge (Bell & Clark, 1 998; Hefflin, 002; Howard, 2 001; Ladson-Billings, 1 992; Morrison, Robinson, & Gregory Rose, 2008 ; Powell, 1997 ; Toppel, 2013 ). According to (Toppel), As educators teaching students who come from a culturally and linguistically diverse background we as educators need to remember to care for the students along with building some form of relationship. Other …show more content…
Today schools across the nation are seeing more and more students from diverse backgrounds. Many of these students are struggling in many subject areas especially in Reading. As teachers, it is our responsibility to make sure students acquire the reading skills they need to make them successful students. One way according to the article is teachers need to implement core reading programs in their classroom which will benefit these students. “Teachers implementing core reading programs can enhance instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse students by mindfully using cooperative learning and engagement strategies to respect students’ cultural learning and communication styles” (Toppel, 2015, pg.
Classroom material and school wide activities that are nondiscriminatory will help students have a better understanding of the individual differences in each other. Furthermore, multicultural education can provide students with a stronger sense of acceptance within the school community; promoting better self- esteem and higher achievement throughout their school years. Richards, Brown, & Forde (2007) point out that culturally responsive pedagogy recognizes and utilizes the students' culture and language in instruction, an...
Richards, H., V., Brown, A., F., Forde, T., B. (2006). Addressing diversity in schools: culturally responsive pedagogy. Retreived March 30th 2014from http://www.nccrest.org/Briefs/Diversity_Brief.pdf
Culturally responsive teaching is defined by Gay (2002) as the use of cultural characteristics, experiences, and perspectives of ethnically diverse students as channels for teaching them more effectively. It is based on the assumption that by presenting academic content and skills to diverse students as something that they are likely to know or have experienced, the content will be more meaningful and easily retained. Likewise, culturally responsive teaching helps students to feel more welcome, and is effective not only for diverse students and ELLs, but also students that are a part of a low socioeconomic status (SES). According to Gay (2002), there are five components to developing successful culturally responsive teachers: developing a cultural diversity knowledge base, developing culturally relevant curricula, demonstrating cultural caring and building a learning community, exhibiting cross-cultural communications, and delivering cultural congruity in classroom instruction. Culturally responsive teaching denotes that teachers need not only to be adept with content knowledge and pedagogical skills, but with their student populations as well.
Teachers must understand the culture of their students. Being able to understand the cultural differences will help to make a connection of what is being taught. “Helping learners make the link between their culture and the new knowledge and skills they encounter inside school is at the heart of ensuring that all students achieve at high levels” (National Education Association, 2011). Helping our children understand their culture helps them to learn about their roles in the world. Educators are suppose to work with their students to culturally develop their student in a very diverse world. Knowing where they com from and having a solid understanding of their culture will prepare them to be responsible, proud individuals. Its important for teachers and administrators to be culturally diverse so that they are able to connect with their students. When students can make a genuine connection with their teacher, they feel a sense of belonging and they feel that some one cares about them as a person not just a student. Having that sense of feeling that they matter will motivate them to do their best at all
Students who are enrolled in elementary schools with a diverse population usually develop an understanding of insights and perspectives of children from different backgrounds and learn to function in a multiethnic, multicultural environment (Morrissey, 2014). Therefore, students need to learn how to interact in diverse environments. Teachers face challenges of making lessons and instructions “culturally responsive” for all students to avoid favoritism (Griner, 2012). Some students’ cultural backgrounds may have a negative impact on them in a modern classroom (Burt, 2013). It is imperative for elementary school teachers to be knowledgeable of different cultural beliefs and practices to help students adjust to traditional classrooms (Nigma, 2015). Defining the
More now than ever before in the educational history of our nation has multicultural education become important. Due to the ever increasing diversity in our nation, the global economy, and the mobility of our work force, diversity in the classroom is affecting our classrooms. With such a diverse student population teachers must understand that each student will bring his own background knowledge and experience into the learning environment. The task that is presented to teachers is to prepare the students to understand and interact with all the different cultures that are present or that the student may come into contact with, while at the same time teach them content which does not offend a student’s cultural identity.
To start with, culturally responsive teaching practices recognize the validity of the cultural custom contained by several ethnic groups. In other words, it considers whether different approaches of learning are necessary and worthy in the formal learning. Furthermore, culturally responsive teaching practices are fundamental because they create links between school experience and home and between lived social cultural realities and academic abstraction (Gay, 2000).
Schools throughout America have seen an increase in the cultural diversity of their student population. Census results from the 1990’s indicate that more children from other countries have immigrated into the United States than ever before. Results seem to indicate that the current move and increase in cultural diversity will soon lead to more than 50 percent of the student population being culturally diverse according to Mid-continental Research for Educational Learning. This increase in diverse population should certainly prompt us to develop educational practices that address these students’ needs.
Research suggests that culturally relevant pedagogy is an effective way to reach students at varying academic and social levels. The teacher is the central role of this pedagogical focus. A teacher chooses the teaching practices that they will implement based on their beliefs and knowledge. Teachers need to feel confident in their abilities to teach content, to integrate their understanding of culture, and to develop students’ social skills in order to encourage learning. Culturally relevant pedagogy requires teachers to create culturally inclusive classrooms, as these need to be established so that students feel safe and comfortable in the classroom. This means that the teacher must create a sense of belonging and respect so students will feel more inspired to learn. Classroom management and relationship building are key factors in creating a culturally inclusive classroom. It is also important fo the curriculum to be reshaped to meet the needs of diverse students. Adaptations to the curriculum will reinforce student learning by creating a positive and engaging experience for students in the classroom. Culturally relevant instructional practices, such as differentiated instruction and storytelling, will help foster culturally diverse students learning by creating a higher level of engagement and a better connection to their culture. Professional training and support will provide all teachers with the knowledge and encouragement that they need to develop culturally relevant pedagogy. Family and community interactions will provide teachers with support to create classrooms conducive to learning. Research proves that if culturally relevant pedagogy is implemented, it will benefit the changing student demographics both academically and
A culturally responsive classroom is an environment where teachers and administration address the needs and interest of children so that the children can reach academic success. The way the curriculum is created and presented to the students is major. When students feel included and feel like their identity is being represented in their learning they become motivated and engaged. When the students do not feel included they become disengaged and feel as if their teachers do not care. (Ford, 2010) Teachers who change their curriculum, behavior management strategies, and praise to be more culturally responsive see dramatic, positive changes in their students. Not only do the students respond openly to the change but there is a difference in their academic success. They are much more engaged, motivated and they are actually eager to learn. It is very important as a teacher to know your students and know what methods or strategies will wo...
Diversity in classrooms can open student’s minds to all the world has to offer. At times diversity and understanding of culture, deviant experiences and perspectives can be difficult to fulfill, but with appropriate strategies and resources, it can lead students to gain a high level of respect for those unlike them, preferably from a judgmental and prejudiced view. Diversity has a broad range of spectrums. Students from all across the continent; students from political refugees, indigenous Americans, and immigrants bring their cultural and linguistic skills to American classrooms. Students not only bring their cultural and linguistic skills, but they bring their ethnicity, talents, and skills.
According to Keyes, Carledge, Gibson Jr. & Robinson-Ervin (2016) in Programming for Generalization of Oral Reading Fluency Using Computer-Assisted Instruction and Changing Fluency Criteria, many children come to school at risk for reading failure if they live in poverty, have limited English proficiency, if their parents have low reading levels, or if the children have disabilities in speech, language, or hearing (p. 141-142). Computer-assisted instruction can be used to engage students who are having difficulty actively understanding what is being taught. According to Keyes et al., this type of instruction can be of great help to all students, particularly those with disabilities, who need mmore time and practice to learn how to read (p. 143). Another form of diversifing methods is the use of culturally responsive instruction. According to Toppel (2015) in Enhancing Core Reading Programs with Culturally Responsive Practices, the culturally responsive instruction is using 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 (p. 553). There are three themes to this type of instruction, the use of culturally appropriate texts, engaging students’ voices, and incorporating students’ funds of knowledge (Toppel, 2015, p. 553). When teaching in a diversified classroom, the teacher must be flexible, no matter how inflexible the reading program being used is. Every student, no matter what makes him or her different, deserves to receive the best instructional approach for
First, my teaching practices have changed in many ways to meet the needs of linguistically, culturally, and academically diverse learners in my classroom. I have incorporated a variety of sheltered instruction observation protocol, code switching, and the push-in model to meet the needs of the linguistically diverse learners in my classroom (Brooks & Karathanos, 2009;Echevarria, Short & Powers, 2008; Maxwell, 2013b). I have also transformed my teaching practice by creating a culturally responsive classroom and practices to meet the needs of the culturally diverse learners in my classroom (Laureate Education, 2014f). Additionally, I have implemented flexible grouping, cluster grouping, different learning styles, differentiation, effective response to intervention, and progress monitoring to meet the needs of the academically diverse learners in my classroom (American Institute for Research, Center on Response to Intervention, n.d.; Brulles & Weinbrenner, 2012; Scholastic, n.d.). Throughout this year, I have been able to build and maintain strong relationships with all my students. I have been able to meet the individual needs of all my students through the variety of research-based instruction strategies, textbooks, articles, journals, knowledge and information gained from this program. My students have made tremendous growth in reading and literacy this year. I have learned a tremendous amount of information from this program that has contributed to the amazing success of my eighteen wonderful first grade
Therefore, reviewing some of the strategies that may contribute to the reading success of diverse students in the classroom will be significant. For example, once the effective teacher determining what each student is ready to learn, he or she must then connect students learning needs to effective teaching strategies which consist of designing lessons plans. All these must begins the first day of school. Also, teachers must know how to communicate expectations and rules clearly within a positive classroom climate to release any possible fear or stress students may have. In addition, teachers must be able to identify through their assessments what learning abilities each student had already developed and teach him or her accordingly in order to minimize the amount of time taken away from instruction. Then, teachers may emphasize on small-group instruction to allow students to interact. Also, They can daily monitoring students progress by using charts that illustrated small steps of progress so students can visually see their gains. At the same talking, they can praise each student at least once a day to encourage them to remain on tasks. Being said, I would love to finish this paper with a
It is imperative as an educator to have strategies to teach multicultural classroom. Whether it is something as simple as having posters of all different ethnicities of children, or something harder like convincing parents to be open to your diverse teachings, it is important to try to create an anti-bias classroom blueprint. Teaching only dominant culture will hinder your students, and their families, from the ability to become and open minded person to challenge the world’s stereotypes. Challenges will inevitably ensue, but the willingness to overcome these challenges will be beneficial for everyone.