Culturally Responsive Classroom

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As a child, the classroom is where we spend most of our time. Every day of the week, students spend the majority of the day learning and growing. We learn things about our peers around us, read and write stories about our new interests and current life, and mature into who we are today, one day at a time. Our early years of education are the most influential in creating who we are going to be. Our teachers are the role models in which we look to them as an example. The children in classrooms today will create the environment in which we all live tomorrow. So how do we create a classroom environment that encourages students to grow into inclusive and kind human beings? Creating a classroom that is culturally responsive is one step toward cultivating …show more content…

These biases or stereotypes within a teacher will most definitely be transferred in some way into their teaching. Because of this, it is incredibly important for teachers to recognize where they may fall short or practice more unbiased and inclusive teaching. This is something that should be constantly evaluated. The article titled “Steps to Make Classrooms More Culturally Responsive” explains the steps to understanding where you as a teacher stand in terms of being culturally responsive. It lays out the steps in order from apathy to awareness to application and lastly apathy. Apathy is understanding, where we may fall short in understanding the importance of something. Awareness is the step of understanding what changes need to be made in our own understanding and beliefs. Application is when we apply these changes to our lives and begin to incorporate them into the classroom. Advocacy is taking it a step further and encourages teachers to continually check their beliefs and work towards a culturally responsive classroom. At the same time, advocacy is learning how to help students understand that they are seen and valued and acting upon …show more content…

These beliefs can be inclusive and respectful, but they often create diversity and misunderstandings. Teaching children the facts about the cultures and people that surround them can help to eliminate that. The article “Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies: Importance, Benefits, and Tips” explains, “Culturally responsive teaching is not a secondary or supplemental approach to education. Instead, every learning opportunity and school activity should take the ancestral and contemporary cultures, beliefs, and traditions of students into account.” It is crucial that cultural learning is incorporated into every aspect of the classroom. Create ways to celebrate differences and address culture in the classroom, day to day. Examples of this could be learning about a holiday that is celebrated by someone in the class, showing and telling of important art or clothing for their personal culture, and incorporating cultures into the stories being read in class. All of these work to eliminate boundaries, stereotypes, and diversity. The article “6 Ways Teachers Can Foster Cultural Awareness in the Classroom” explains what a culturally inclusive classroom should look like if a teacher takes

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