Diane Waldron
Eastern Connecticut State University
The number of culturally and linguistically diverse students in American public schools is increasing (Ford, Stuart, and Vakil, 2014, p. 56). America’s public education system needs to consider two groups of students when establishing policies that will affect CLD students: those CLD students who are enrolled in public schools already and underachieving; and those CLD students who are expected to enter the United States (Rychly & Graves, 2012, p. 44). CLD students may differ from their instructors in many ways, including “prior knowledge and experiences, readiness, language, culture, learning preferences, interests” (Ford et al, 2014, p. 59), as well as in cultural backgrounds, linguistic codes, social protocols and value systems, ethnicity, class, ability, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status (Polleck & Shabdin, 2013, p. 142).
These cultural differences are not a problem; however, problems occur when a mismatch exists between CLD students’ home culture and the culture of the classroom (Ford et al, 2014, p. 57; Rao & Morales, 2015, page 298). Additionally, teachers may be influenced by their own subconscious biases and/or stereotypical thinking about diverse cultural groups (Ford et al, 2014, p. 58). Cultural differences can be misinterpreted as learning disabilities or behavioral disorders (Ford et al, 2014, p. 57). Currently, a disproportionate number of CLD students are identified as needing special education; CLD students are also more often referred for discipline; and CLD students experience lower academic achievement (Dray & Wisneski, 2011, p. 28). The strengths of CLD students may go unrecognized, or unappreciated when cultures collide (Rao & Morales, 2015, p. 298).
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
Student engagement in content and environment enhances learning and students who feel valued within the classroom are more likely to be engaged in the learning; additionally, making content accessible to all students and designing activities in consideration with students’ cultural backgrounds can validate CLD students and improve their learning outcomes (Rychly & Graves, 2012, p. 45). This awareness of and attention to students’ cultural backgrounds is known as culturally responsive pedagogy, or culturally responsive teaching. Culturally responsive teaching involves making efforts to learn about students’ “cultural characteristics, experiences, and perspectives” (Rychly & Graves, 2012, p. 44; Ford et al, 2014, p. 57); this includes “understanding students’ prior experiences and learning styles” (Martins-Shannon & White, 2012, p. 4), and discovering students’ “cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles” (Ford et al, 2014, p. 57). In short, culturally responsive teachers know their students backgrounds and they know how their students learn best.
Teachers need to understand themselves as well before they can build a culturally responsive environment. According to Banks & Obiakor (2015), teachers must examine their own beliefs to develop an awareness of the biases they may bring to interactions with culturally diverse students (p. 85). In doing so, teachers develop a “sociocultural consciousness” (Rao & Morales, 2015, p. 298) while also affirming the perspectives of CLD students. Culturally responsive teachers believe they can bring about change and equality for CLD students through using their knowledge about students and their cultures to design effective and appropriate instruction for all students (Rao & Morales, 2015, p. 298).
Culturally responsive teachers understand that when interacting with CLD students, they need to consider the “social and cultural needs, norms, realities, experiences and preferences of racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse students” (Warren, 2013, p. 176). Culturally responsive teachers consider the whole student when designing instruction (Ford et al, 2014, p. 57), striving to build a classroom where all students feel welcomed and included in learning that is meaningful and connected to their own experiences (Estrada & Warren, 2014, p. 52; Rao & Morales, 2015, p. 297).
Teachers who are empathetic toward their students may be more successful in supporting a safe classroom environment and for building trust between teachers and students whose cultural backgrounds differ (Warren, 2013, p. 186). Culturally responsive interactions between students and teachers benefit students; students experience more positive outcomes, both academically and behaviorally (Warren, 2013, p. 176). A safe, caring environment within the classroom, where diverse cultures are not only accepted but celebrated, improves the learning experiences of CLD students.
Building a Culturally Responsive Learning Environment
What steps can a teacher take to build a learning environment that supports culturally diverse students? Dray & Wisneski (2011) and Rychly & Graves (2012) believe that instructors must begin with self-reflection about their own beliefs and their beliefs about people of other cultures. In this way, teachers learn how to interact effectively with students from different cultures while developing an understanding that they must be mindful when interpreting the behaviors of students with different cultural backgrounds. Variations in communication and behavioral norms can be overcome through teacher awareness and adaptation to differing cultural norms (Dray & Wisneski, 2011, pp. 29-31; Rychly & Graves,2012, p. 45; Ford et al, 2014, p. 58).
Inclusive learning environments create a learning space where learner differences are understood and accepted; where learning styles are supported; where content is presented in a cultural context that students can connect to; and where student experiences are used to scaffold instruction (Ford et al, 2014, p. 58). Practical strategies to accomplish this include: creating multicultural bulletin boards; using multicultural books; creating multicultural activities; reading books by CLD authors; using anticipation guides; using vocabulary previews; and questioning and previewing (Ford et al, 2014, p. 58-59). A storytelling approach, cooperative learning, visual supports, and allowance for movement built into instruction have also proven successful with CLD students (Ford et al, 2014, p. 59).
Art from a variety of cultures can also be used to create an environment which celebrates diversity and promotes discussions about sociocultural issues (Martins-Shannon & White, 2012, p. 6; Jackson, 2012, p. 8). Embedding the music, language, literature, art, architecture, and cuisine of students’ cultures contextually is one way to foster an appreciation for different cultures in the classroom (Martins-Shannon & White, 2012, p. 6; Jackson, 2012, p. 8) while also validating diverse students.
Other instructional strategies that work well with CLD students include: using graphic organizers, study guides, and outlines; reading with audio or in jigsaw; highlighting, word walls, concept maps, personal dictionaries, and word games (Ford et al, 2014, p. 60). Teachers may also consider the importance of providing CLD students with multiple opportunities to interact with academic language through “listening, speaking, reading, writing, and visualizing” (Ford et al, 2014, p. 60) by modeling, demonstrations, visual representations, and collaborative groupings (Ford et al, 2014, p. 59-60).
Ford et al (2015) and Rychly & Graves (2012) discuss the importance of building strong relationships between school, home, and community, particularly with students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Ford et al (2015) suggest that teachers should identify services and cultural resources within diverse students’ communities in order to empower CLD families (p. 60) while Polleck & Shabdin (2013) suggest the use of parent surveys to learn more about students’ families and communities (p. 145). Polleck & Shabdin suggest surveying students to begin to know students when building a culturally responsive learning community. The authors further suggest using writing assignments designed to learn more about individual students’ lives both in and out of school (Polleck & Shabdin, 2013, p. 144). Information from both surveys and writing assignments is used to develop student goals, write lesson plans, choose relevant content, and create appropriate learning groups (Polleck & Shabdin, 2013, p. 144).
Estrada and Warren (2014) also discuss teaching writing to CLD students; the authors discuss how developing a caring and culturally responsive environment; teaching students how to set goals; and using a creativity-centered approach to teaching writing can be very successful when teaching writing to at risk youth (p. 50-52). Like Polleck & Shabdin (2013), Estrada and Warren (2014) used writing assignments to connect with and learn about their students’ lives, and to engage them in learning.
Rao & Morales (2015) explain some very common-sense ways to enhance a culturally responsive classroom for students who are linguistically diverse: auditory and visual presence of students’ primary language(s); speaking both the primary language(s) and English freely, both socially, and for academic purposes; creating instructional activities that validate all students’ cultures; post posters, signs, poems, cultural quotes, and flags that represent both American culture and students’ primary language(s) and culture(s) (p. 302).
Conclusion
Culturally responsive teaching provides educators with a different perspective with which to view the increasing number of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Rather than focusing on what CLD students do not know, culturally responsive teachers focus on the rich cultural knowledge that CLD students bring to the classroom. Culturally responsive teaching provides educators a different perspective with which to view the increasing number of culturally and linguistically diverse students. By embracing and indeed celebrating the cultural knowledge, strengths, and abilities CLD students bring to the classroom, culturally responsive teachers create a learning environment built on appreciation, safety, acceptance and trust. Culturally responsive teaching is a very powerful way to educate not only CLD students, but also culturally mainstream students and teachers about respecting and living peacefully with many different people.
References
Banks, T., & Obiakor, F. E. (2015). Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior Supports: Considerations for Practice. Journal Of Education And Training Studies, 3(2), 83-90.
Dray, B. J., & Wisneski, D. B. (2011). Mindful Reflection as a Process for Developing Culturally Responsive Practices. Teaching Exceptional Children, 44(1), 28-36.
Estrada, B., & Warren, S. (2014). Increasing the Writing Performance of Urban Seniors Placed At-Risk through Goal-Setting in a Culturally Responsive and Creativity-Centered Classroom. Journal Of Urban Learning, Teaching, And Research, 10,50-63.
Ford, B. A., Stuart, D. H., & Vakil, S. (2014). Culturally Responsive Teaching in the 21st Century Inclusive Classroom. Journal Of The International Association Of Special Education, 15(2), 56-62.
Jackson, T. (2012). Introducing Charly Palmer: Tar Baby and Culturally Responsive Teaching. Art Education, 65(6), 6-11.
Martins-Shannon, J., & White, M. (2012). Support Culturally Responsive Teaching!. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 48(1), 4-6.
Polleck, J., & Shabdin, S. (2013). Building Culturally Responsive Communities. Clearing House: A Journal Of Educational Strategies, Issues And Ideas, 86(4), 142-149.
Rao, A. B., & Morales, P. Z. (2015). Creating a Climate for Linguistically Responsive Instruction: The Case for Additive Models. Mid-Western Educational Researcher, 27(4), 296-316.
Rychly, L., & Graves, E. (2012). Teacher Characteristics for Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. Multicultural Perspectives, 14(1), 44-49.
Warren, C. A. (2013). The Utility of Empathy for White Female Teachers’ Culturally Responsive Interactions with Black Male Students. Interdisciplinary Journal Of Teaching And Learning, 3(3), 175-200.
Would you like to know more?
The Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning
National At Risk Education Network