It has been said that many people come to the United States of America for many opportunities such as economic opportunities, freedom of worship, advancement for families, and to gain a better education. Education has been the driving force in many countries as well as the United States. With our schools, private and public, becoming more diverse one must learn to be culturally knowledgeable and acceptable to the students and families values, beliefs, and morals. According to Dray & Wisneski (2011), “In special education, scholars and educators have recognized the need for teachers to be sensitive to diversity in the classroom; this sensitivity requires that teachers look inward and reflect on their personal assumptions and biases (Dray & Wisneski, 2011).” In other words, teachers must be sensitive …show more content…
According to the National Education Association (2015) “Cultural competence is a key factor in enabling educators to be effective with students from cultures other than their own. It is having an awareness of one’s own cultural identity and views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families. It is the ability to understand the within-group differences that make each student unique, while celebrating the between-group variations that make our country a tapestry (National Education Association, 2015).” Specifically, those teachers who are culturally competent value diversity in the classroom, but not limited to acknowledging and being knowledgeable of the student’s culture, background, and behavior. This, along with prior life experience, makes learning more appropriate and effective for the student body. As teachers, we can demonstrate culturally responsive teaching by communicating our expectations to all, developing a culturally responsive lessons, and student-centered instruction (NEA,
Culturally responsive teaching is very important in today’s day and age. Classrooms are filled with students from different backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. Teachers need to put into consideration those differences when building curriculum and creating a classroom atmosphere. Subcultures might also need to be considered when teaching, such as the culture of the disabled. The culture of students with disabilities is one that may appear within many classrooms due to the increase of students with disabilities. Teachers who are able to maintain a culturally responsive classroom and curriculum will provide ideal learning opportunities for all students and encourage them to succeed. (Darrow, 2013)
In an online article Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, & Practice, by G. Gray, culturally responsive teaching is Validating- using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance styles of diverse students to make learning more appropriate and effective for the students. Culturally Responsive Teaching is Comprehensive- develop intellectual, social, emotional, and political learning. Culturally Responsive Teaching is Multidimensional- curricu...
The article talks about how teachers need to have cultural compatibility. While it might be difficult for some teacher to grasp and understand the different cultures behaviors and beliefs. For those teacher that can are more likely to provide a learning environment that is enriching and responsive to the children’s different cultures. Teacher should have “meaningful interactions with members of other cultures and promote cultural disequilibrium (Colombo, 2005, p. 2).” Activities that have this are more likely to increase cultural competence.
For one, being culturally competent allows us to understand and appreciate the diversity that surrounds us. According to the National Center for Cultural Competence (n.d) the definition of cultural competence has been modified and adapted many times in the last 15 years. However, the core of the definition remains the same and is applicable to multiple systems. The generic definition of cultural competence is: “a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals and enable that system, agency or those professions to work effectively in cross-cultural situations” (NCCC, n.d).
Richards, H., V., Brown, A., F., Forde, T., B. (2006). Addressing diversity in schools: culturally responsive pedagogy. Retreived March 30th 2014from http://www.nccrest.org/Briefs/Diversity_Brief.pdf
Culturally relevant pedagogy utilizes students' culture as a vehicle for learning. Therefore, “good teaching” is based on the teachers’ ability to integrate a student’s background knowledge and prior home and community experiences into the curriculum and to the teaching and learning experiences that take place in the classroom. Burning Questions: Although Landson-Billings wrote this article in 1995, much of her arguments are still relevant in our classrooms
Cultural competence is the way we build an understanding with and between children, families and communities. The way we respect and be open with different cultures and work towards having an equal opportunity. It is important to have a good understanding for each other’s expectations. As educators we need to be and to understand, respect and have effective communication skills with people from a different background. We need to be aware of one’s own world views, be able to develop positive attitudes towards cultural differences, gain knowledge between different cultures and develop communication and interaction skills across different cultures. Here at our service we believe everyone one has a right to be heard and everyone has the right to feel free and welcomed. We love to share stories with children and their families to help with our knowledge and our understanding of
Altogether, culturally relevant pedagogy is an approach of utilizing inclusive teaching practices in order to meet the needs of all learners. However, implementing such practices into teaching can be challenging for teachers, especially for beginner teachers. Therefore, the last section of this report will highlight challenges and the effectiveness in using culturally responsive teaching
Cultural proficiency is seeing the difference and responding effectively in a variety of environments. Learning about organizational and individual culture, in which one can effectively interact in a variety of cultural environments (p. 3). In simple terms in which educators are not only able to effectively work with diverse populations, but also believe that diversity adds positive value to the educational enterprise (Landa, 2011, p. 12).
According to Gay, culturally responsive teaching is employing previous experience, performance style of student, and cultural knowledge for the purposes of making learning more suitable and effective for students (Gay, 2000). In other words, culturally responsive teaching practice is using cultural experiences, perceptions of ethnically, and cultural features of student to facilitate when teaching. Furthermore, culturally responsive teaching practice teaches through and to the strength of students. Culturally responsive teaching practices is necessary in connecting the cultural knowledge of students, style of performance, and previous experience to the knowledge of academic with the goal of legitimizing what the students already know. Therefore,
Diversity in classrooms is both positive and negative. However, if teachers are provided with the right resources and keep a open mind, their students can become successful civil human beings.
Culture is a powerful influence plays a big role in our interactions. Culture may also impact parenting style and a developing child. Having a strong sense of their own cultural history and the traditions associated with it helps children build a positive cultural identity for themselves. This also supports children’s sense of belonging and, by extension, their mental health and wellbeing. This class is crucial in understanding and working well parents, staff, and children. An effective educator understands how students’ cultures affect their perceptions, self-esteem, values, classroom behavior, and learning. As director, I need to use that understanding to help my students and staff feel welcomed, affirmed, respected, and valued. One way that I can do this is by using multicultural literature, especially children’s literature, to honor students’ culture and foster cross-cultural understanding. If cultural differences are not understood by teachers and management, it can lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings on both sides. It will be my job to do all I can to overcome both language and cultural differences to ensure a positive learning environment for
Students in the United States experience varying degrees of Multicultural Education. To my benefit, I was brought up in a learning environment that was culturally accepting and engaging. I was enrolled in the Franklin Pierce School District for my entire public education career and at Pierce College during my last two years of high school. Since the beginning of my academic career, I’ve been exposed to a learning environment filled with a rich amount of diversity among students which in turn produced well-roundedness in myself. In my experience as a FPSD student, I’ve shared experiences with fellow peers of different races, cultures, and socioeconomic standings. Pierce College boasts an even more specific type of diversity within the student
When evaluating myself on the Cultural Proficiency continuum, I’d place myself at “Cultural Competence” part on the continuum. This evaluation takes into account my experiences and practices while working in various schools and interacting with students of varied cultures, needs and ability levels as both a teacher and a learner. An effective educator is continually maintaining this dual role of teacher and life-long student in order to not grow stagnant within the classroom; this dynamic allows for growth along the continuum toward maintaining cultural proficiency.
In conducting her research, the author understood that she needed to describe key issues of culturally diverse students, recommend a curriculum approach to address the issues, and discuss the challenges and benefits expected. In reading Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Issues in Education (2010), s...