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Running head: CULTURALLY REPONSIVE TEACHING

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Whitney Illing

North Carolina State University

Topic:

Why culturally responsive teaching is important in the classroom?

Audience:

Teachers
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Culturally Responsive Teaching

Culturally responsive teaching is a term that has been around for decades. With the rise of

classrooms becoming more diverse, it is a concept teachers should learn more about to be able to

teach students from different backgrounds successfully. Culturally responsive teaching connects

students’ cultural knowledge and prior experiences to academic knowledge (Kozleski). By being

a culturally responsive teacher, you are creating a classroom culture that reflects where students

come from. When classrooms are organized into communities that are designed to encourage

academic and cultural growth, students learn to foster their own learning (Kozleski). Culturally

responsive teaching is a daily practice that bring student’s culture into instruction, valuing each

student and what they bring to the classroom (Gonzalez). I believe culturally responsive teaching

is essential in allowing all students to be successful. Teachers should be implementing culturally

responsive teaching in their classroom to reduce achievement gap, increase student achievement

and engagement, and foster a positive classroom climate.

The achievement gap often separates groups of students by drawing differences between

white, middle class students and their peers (Kozleski). Looking at performance in terms of gaps

often focuses on certain kinds of knowledge over others (Kozleski). The gaps are often focused

on college based knowledge which demonstrates mastery and less focus is placed on practical

knowledge (Kozleski). Culturally responsive teaching helps to bridge the different ways of

understanding and engages students from non-dominate cultures to show their proficiencies in

language usage, grammar, mathematical knowledge, and other tools they use in their everyday

lives (Kozleski). Students from non-dominant cultures can learn how to connect their

background knowledge to the school curriculum. By bringing different ways of understanding

and communicating into schools, both the curriculum and students benefit. Culturally responsive

teaching creates bridges between background knowledge and concepts.

Culturally responsive teaching increases student achievement and engagement. A

classroom with culturally responsive teaching looks like a student-centered classroom, high

expectations, and connection to student’s backgrounds. When students are in a student-centered

classroom, they feel they have a voice, which helps them take ownership of their learning

(Gonzalez). Teachers serve as facilitators in culturally responsive teaching, where students have

increased accountability on their role in the learning process (Samuels). All students are given

high expectations, the standards are not lowered for certain students. They are given scaffolds

and accommodations to level the playing field (Gonzalez). Real world examples help students

connect to the curriculum which allows for deeper engagement and help students make

connections (Gray). Teachers should include multicultural literature across the curriculum. When

teachers use multicultural literature, they provide students with texts that are engaging. Thus,

offer unique contributions from each culture and the similarities of lives across different cultures

(Vacca & Vacca).

Culturally responsive teaching fosters a positive classroom climate. A study shows that

culturally responsive teaching helps students better understand and positively view both

themselves and others (Samuels). The positive classroom culture and enhanced relationships

boost student self-esteem and self-worth (Samuels). This creates an environment where students

are willing to share and take risks. In a culturally responsive classroom, students learn by doing

which enhances student engagement (Samuels). Dialogue associated with diversity is

incorporated in culturally responsive teaching. Students are given the opportunity for their voices

to be heard. This dialogue exposes students to inequalities, therefore allowing them to develop an
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awareness of multiple perspectives (Samuels). In a classroom with culturally responsive

teaching, connections are made between students, teacher, and the community. Including

multicultural literature allows students to understand ways of knowing about the world that are

different than their own (Vacca & Vacca).

While there are many positives to implementing culturally responsive teaching in the

classroom, there are also challenges to this framework that may lead some people to believe it

should not be used in the classroom. A study found that discussing controversial topics in the

classroom was challenging when the teacher had limited background knowledge on the given

topic (Samuels). Such topics can result in students being uncomfortable. Some teachers fear the

conflicts that may come from differing opinions and avoid discussing these topics (Samuels).

While discussing such topics may be challenging studies have found that culturally responsive

teaching fosters cross-cultural understanding and inclusiveness (Samuels). Dialogue allows

students to be exposed to inequalities and can develop awareness of multiple perspectives

(Samuels). These conversations bring value to both the learner and the learning process. Along

with the potential discomfort the topics could bring to the students, teachers also have restraints

of time and limited resources (Samuels). Teachers may find it overwhelming to implement

culturally responsive teaching along with curricular demands and trying to meet the needs of

each student (Samuels). Teachers may also feel there is limited resources on where to find

information, materials, or knowledge to have an inclusive classroom (Samuels). A good way to

start implementing culturally responsive teaching into the classroom is by starting with small

differences and build up. Such as, adding multicultural literature to your library, learning about

your students’ cultures, or having guest speakers from different cultures. Teachers within a
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school or community can share ideas to help support one another when implementing this

framework.

In my classroom I plan my instruction with my students’ lives in mind. I connect to real

world examples to help students see the relationship to the curriculum. This allows my students

to be motivated to learn and make connections. I build relationships with students and get to

know them beyond being a student. I learn about their families, cultures, and interests. I build a

classroom where students care for one another and respect each other. When I provide an

environment where students feel welcomed, they are going to feel comfortable being themselves.

Students who are shy to share have started to open up and participate. Lastly, I include

multicultural literature in my classroom library as well as in the curriculum. This helps students

to make connections between their background and the topics.

In conclusion, teachers should implement culturally responsive teaching into their

classroom to reduce achievement gap, increase student achievement and engagement, and foster

a positive classroom climate. Culturally responsive teaching helps to bridge the different ways of

understanding and engages students from non-dominate cultures to show their knowledge

(Kozleski). High expectations, connections to students’ backgrounds and a student-centered

environment all help students to be motivated to learn and achieve goals. Culturally responsive

teaching helps students better understand and positively view both themselves and others, which

creates a positive learning environment for all students. There are many benefits to culturally

responsive teaching, although teachers may face challenges when discussing controversial topics

or limited time and resources. However, I believe there is value in discussing difficult topics.

Teachers can slowly implement different aspects of culturally responsive teaching into their

classroom. I personally have seen the positive effects of culturally responsive teaching in my
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classroom and believe all teachers should be using this framework to ensure all students are

successful.

References

Gonzalez, V. (2018, January 8). Culturally Responsive Teaching in Today’s Classrooms.

Retrieved from http://www2.ncte.org/blog/2018/01/culturally-responsive-teaching-

todays-classrooms/

Gray, S. (2012, August 22). 5 Ways to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom. Retrieved

from https://blog.nationalequityproject.org/2012/08/22/5-ways-to-create-a-culturally-

responsive-classroom/

Kozleski, E. B. (n.d.). Culturally Responsive Teaching Matters. Equity Alliance.

Samuels, A. J. (2018). Exploring Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Teachers’ Perspectives on

Fostering Equitable and Inclusive Classrooms. SRATE, 27(1).

Vacca, R. T., Vacca, J. A. L., & Mraz, M. (2017). Chapter 3. In Content Area Reading (pp. 51–

81). Pearson.