"The increasing diversity in our schools, the ongoing demographic changes across the nation and the movement towards globalization dictate that we develop a more in-depth understanding of culture if we want to bring about true understanding among diverse populations." -Maria Wilson-Portuondo
Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) is defined as “a pedagogy that acknowledges, responds to, and celebrates fundamental cultures and offers full, equitable access to education for students from all cultures.”
As educators we have a responsibility to our students and other stakeholders of the community in which we serve. One component of this responsibility is to uphold the principle of culture as an integral part to our students’ learning. Culture plays a role not only in how we communicate and receive information, but also in shaping the thinking process of groups and individuals. Although there are many characteristics of CRT, building genuine relationships with students & families, holding high expectations for all learners, student-centered instruction and many others. Today’s conversation focuses on the topic of student learning within the context of culture in the classroom.
Much of how we view the world is shaped by our own personal experiences. When asked to write this piece, I was incredibly intimidated at the prospect of coming across as superficial in my knowledge. I began with a self-inventory and a reflection of my own educational experience. During this reflection, I learned two things: 1) My understanding of culturally responsive teaching is superficial. 2) So much of my self-view in regards to my ethnicity and what that meant for what I could accomplish was shaped by the educators of my K-12 years. I had many educators throughout my experience who would tell my mom how “proud and surprised” they were of my intelligence. I had a teacher who said, “I don’t know if you are the kind of girl who can excel at math” and I had many who thought my “English was really good” or were “surprised that I didn’t speak Spanish.” Once I even pretended to speak only Spanish in an attempt to relieve the judgment of my 4th grade teacher but my mom blew my cover. :)
I honestly don’t believe those teachers meant any real harm, but harm was certainly done. I began to struggle with self-doubt and loss of confidence, and left many opportunities untouched during those years. It seemed my teachers set the bar low for me and had different expectations than they did for other students. For example, for me to simply be on track to attend college was good enough in their eyes. I felt like I was never pushed or encouraged to strive for attending the best colleges. “Don’t forget you can always attend a community college to start. Then, if you are ready you can attend a University later.” (Side note: In high school I graduated with three college credits, lettered in academics and tennis, plus graduated with honors. Being able to receive college credit back in the late 90’s was not as common or accessible as it is today.) I share this not to dwell on the negative, but to encourage fellow educators to take a self-inventory. By taking a self-inventory, we can recognize what biases or coded language might be mistakenly used in an effort to encourage a student. My hope is that this will encourage educators to be aware of the impact coded language and unintended racially biased comments can have on a young mind. I question you to ask yourself, why am I holding certain students to one standard and others to a different standard?
The current climate of our country has opened a door to a conversation that historically had been neatly packaged as something that was already dealt with and stowed behind the door underneath the stairs. In education, with my own teaching experience at least, this conversation has been reserved for ESL educators, campuses with high refugee or diverse populations, or the limited campuses willing to have these conversations. Now, many districts across the North Texas area are including professional development opportunities for their teachers with this in mind. We’re seeing training developed and presented on all things “cultural” - from racial equity to code-switching to the much lambasted cultural sensitivity training. Although it’s easy to see these opportunities categorized as a compliance piece, we have the choice. We can attend to check the box or we can utilize these trainings as an opportunity to become the teacher students like me always wanted - the teacher who saw me for who I really was- not what society relegated me to based on gender, race, economic status, or my mother’s marital status."
Remember who you’re truly here to serve - not the district which you work in, but the students in that community. As you are offered yet another “compliance piece,” think of it as an opportunity to take a self-inventory and gauge your knowledge on the issue at hand. Allow yourself the opportunity to discover how much you know about yourself and continue the great educator motto of being a “life-long learner.”
Our students have so much to worry about today. (I mean, it’s 2020: The year that continues to spawn little gremlins because someone decided to feed it after midnight). While students try to navigate this new world of virtual learning and adopt the skills of an IT department in their homes, some are still taking on a job outside the home to help make ends meet. With all they have on their plate, students deserve to see a reflection of themselves not only in what they are learning, but also in who they are learning from. Let’s give them the chance to discover who they really are from an educator with open eyes and a humble heart.
References:
Sheets, R. (1999). Relating competence in an urban classroom to ethnic identity development. In R. Sheets (Ed.), Racial and ethnic identity in school practices: Aspects of human development. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory at Brown University (LAB). (2002). The diversity kit: An introductory resource for social change in education. Providence, RI: Brown University. Available: http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/diversitykit.shtml
Barbara J Perez, is in her eleventh year as an educator and is at present serving the students of Thomas J Rusk Middle School in Dallas ISD. Barbara is currently on hiatus from exploring the world, a future member of Starfleet Academy, and general lover of people, life and food. She is also the proud daughter to Rose Perez who taught her not to be afraid to look in the mirror.