Lesson 1- Defining Culturally Responsive Teaching
Objective
Students will be able to explain what culturally responsive teaching is.
Diversity
Culturally responsive teaching is very important as our classrooms are becoming more diverse. To understand how to be culturally responsive in your teaching you must first be familiar with the definition of diversity.
Diversity: the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc.
What is Culturally Responsive Teaching?
Culturally responsive teaching is a research based teaching approach meant to create an inclusive learning environment for students. Teachers connect their students' different backgrounds (culture, language, and experiences) to the material that they are learning. This is different from traditional learning in that teachers specifically pick out relevant resources that reflect students' differences, rather than the typical resources like textbooks or classic novels. This allows students to make meaningful connections to what they are learning.
A culturally responsive teacher has the following qualities:
- They are empathetic and caring.
- They are able to build strong relationships with their students.
- They are not biased.
- They are knowledgable about their students' cultures.
Traits of a culturally inclusive classroom:
- Has a diverse selection of books.
- Recognizes students' backgrounds.
- Encourages students to make connections to their cultures.
- Feels like a community.
- Celebrates students' strengths.
Review the following materials to learn more about culturally responsive teaching:
This article gives an in-depth explanation to what culturally responsive teaching is.
https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-culturally-responsive-teaching
This article addresses 5 misconceptions related to culturally responsive teaching.
https://crtandthebrain.com/5-common-myths-about-culturally-responsive-pedagogy/
The staff at Amigos School discuss how they use culturally responsive teaching in their classrooms.
Jeffrey Dessources gave the following TED Talk discussing the pedagogy related to culturally responsive teaching.
Assessment
During this course you will answer reflection questions at the end of each lesson. There is a corresponding assignment on Google Classroom where you may type and submit your answers. Join our Google Classroom with code: 2yrw7cx
Question: In your own words, define culturally responsive teaching. How does it differ from traditional teaching? (Make sure to reference at least one of the resources listed above).
Resources
5 traits of a culturally responsive classroom - #PBISCON21. PBIS Rewards. (2021, May 17). Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.pbisrewards.com/blog/culturally-responsive-classroom/
Educators Team. (n.d.). What is culturally responsive teaching? Understood. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-culturally-responsive-teaching
Edutopia. (2020, June 18). Supporting schoolwide culturally responsive practice. YouTube. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztnwmVBMfd0
Hammond, Z. (2012, July 18). 5 common myths about culturally responsive pedagogy. Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://crtandthebrain.com/5-common-myths-about-culturally-responsive-pedagogy/
TEDxTalks. (2018, May 8). Trilledu: Culturally responsive pedagogy... | Jeffrey Dessources | tedxnewjerseycityuniversity. YouTube. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KrxfcW7Irg
Next Lesson→ Lesson 2- How Culturally Responsive Teaching Relates to Your Classroom