Culturally Responsive Teaching Rhetorical Analysis

Within the article,” Cultural Responsive Teaching”, Kadhir Rajagopal summarizes culturally responsive teaching as making standards-based content and curricula accessible to students and teaching in a way that students can understand (para.1). Often, teachers make plans without considering ways to reach their targeted audience in fear of not meeting state standards. Fortunately, the author gives us nuggets of knowledge that ensures the capabilities of being culturally responsive while fulfilling mandatory goals and objectives. Throughout this article, Rajagopal describes running a successful, culturally responsive classroom in three points: relationships, curriculum, and delivery. All in relation, readers are taken on a journey of enlightening

(para.7.)” This can only be accomplished by taking the necessary steps to build relationships with those assigned students. Educators cannot expect to be effective within the classroom without researching and analyzing their audience. Preparing for your crowd and knowing your targeted audience is the only way to ensure your point will be likely received and it is a great way to confidently accomplish set objectives in a timely manner. Taking the initiative to figure out what the students are currently relating to or how they wish to be taught in general speaks volumes to students in urban communities because it is received as an act of care. Once students realize that you are serious about ensuring that they learn and retain the material, it enables them to be more open and receptive within that specific classroom environment. Nothing can have as strong of an impact on a person without there being a connection established between the sender and the recipient. This section within the article was relatively short, but they were able to stress the importance of knowing your students and your environment as being the foundation of culturally responsive

Often, educators create lesson plans that the students cannot comprehend, quickly. Therefore, it is not received, causing their scores to reflect poorly. When developing curriculum, those relationships built between one’s self and the students spring into action because the educator is now able to figure out how to make the standards relatable. For example, within the article, Robert Moses’, Algebra Project, was highlighted for teaching students mathematics by using student-centered language before being exposed to the technical terms. Through this method, the students are given a chance to make personal connections to the material before diving into the textbook. It establishes the foundation and ensures that they understand the basics of every lesson before overwhelming the audience with terms and techniques that would likely intimidate students that may or may not be familiar with the introduced information. The author of this article makes it a point to enlighten educators that it is important to do things that the students can relate to, but to also operate within the comfort of your own zone. This ensures that the students are learning as oppose to being distracted by desperate attempts to “relate” or “be down”. Simply build the curriculum based on the likes and interests of everyone within that environment to ensure a welcoming and productive atmosphere when time for the execution of the