Culturally Responsive Teaching

In her article “Teaching to and Through Cultural Diversity”, Gay (2013) defines culturally responsive teaching as “using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant and effective for them” (p.50). Culturally responsive teaching means not only teaching to the cultural diversity but also teaching diverse students through their unique cultural perspectives. She also believes that the emphasis on teaching to cultural diversity should be focused on cultural and contemporary issues more so than historical knowledge and experiences. The focus on the contemporary issues helps students to acquire more accurate and current knowledge

In order for these goals to be met, certain values and beliefs must be present. Cultural differences must be viewed as assets, not liabilities; furthermore students and families have to feel that their heritage is being valued. Educators must realize that cultural responsiveness is vital to educational effectiveness in all areas of learning for all student groups. It is more than just accepting differences, cultural responsiveness is believing that teaching to and through differences in student groups can lead to more positive learning outcomes. Students constantly view and adapt content and instructional strategies through their own cultural frames of reference in order to make the learning more personally meaningful which aids in mastery of the curriculum. When teachers work to assist students in making these connections to their own culture, there students will be more

She states how difficult it is to give examples based on “best practices” or instructional strategies that are universally good for all students because the instruction relies heavily on the group of students. Gay shares that “using culturally responsive instructional strategies will be beneficial for all students and will develop skills to help students cross cultural borders” (p.64). Another consideration is that most teachers in the United States are middle class, white, female, and monolingual. Teachers must be aware of the diversity of their students and how their backgrounds have differed greatly. An conscious effort must be made to select instructional materials, strategies, and even examples that reflect the diversity of the school