Lesson 3 : Strategies for Culturally Responsive Classrooms

Two critical components:

1. The inclusion of student’s languages, cultures, and daily experiences into the academic and social context of school; and
2. Explicit teaching of the dominant culture’s expectations, so that all children can fully participate (Zeichner, 2003)

Characteristics of Culturally Responsive Teachers

1. Persistently and consistently pursues strategies and activities so all children can be successful
2. Takes responsibility for their students’ learning, including the learning of students at risk
3. They relate theory to practice and translate innovative ideas into classroom practice
4. They develop rapport and cultivate personal relationships with their students
5. They are capable of adjusting to and coping with the demands of bureaucracy
6. They take responsibility for their own mistakes
7. They possess emotional and physical stamina, which allows them to endure the challenges and crises of urban settings
8. They have organizational and managerial skills
9. They understand that teacher success is achieved by effort and hard work, not just ability
10. They are committed to meeting the individual differences of students, with no excuses
11. They engage in teaching, not just instruction
12. They create a classroom environment in which students feel needed and wanted
13. They find approaches that will assist students in mastering the materials
14. They have a belief system that is promising and provides hope, and they offer gentle teaching in a sometimes violent society
15. They lead students toward both social and academic success.

Instructional Strategies for Culturally Responsive Classrooms

Cooperative Learning: involves student participation in small groups to maximize learning for all.

Group Investigation: also called inquiry, presents students with an area of investigation, helps them to identify a conceptual or methodological problem, and invites them to design ways to overcome it.

Graphic Representations: shows correlations between specific types of graphic representations, brain function, grade level, cognitive process, and memory path.

Concept mapping: a graphic representation showing relationships among ideas using words or pictures.

Call and Response: is particularly effective with African American students, and is based in a cultural pattern that renews energy through its expression.

Creating a Culturally Responsive Classroom

• The learning environment is inviting.
• The community leader sends personally inviting messages.
• Teachers manage an inviting classroom with firm, consistent, and loving control.
• An inviting learning community communicates that the students can accomplish the task being asked of them.
• An inviting learning community stresses collectivity rather than individualism.

Problem-Solving Set

• Real World value is prized over higher education.
• How will the info/program help me resolve my day-to-day issues?
• My problems and their resolution is what’s most important!
• What are the students’ problems? (Relationally, Vocationally, Educationally, etc…)
• Is there a crisis present?  If so, what is it?

Benefit: Problem resolution creates trust & positive reinforcement!

White Identification

• The White identification stage begins when children get to school, where peers and the surroundings become powerful forces in conveying racial prejudice that negatively impacts their self-esteem and identity.
• The realization of “differentness” from such interactions leads to self-blame and a desire to escape racial heritage by identifying with White society.

Cultural Diversity

Ph.D. Nieto.

  “Culture consists of the values, traditions, social and political relationships, and worldview created, shared, and transferred by a group of people bound together by a common history, geographic location, language, social class, and/or religion.”