My Cultural Responsive Pedagogy

Students are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. Today’s

classroom is full of diversity; every student brings in a varying set of values, perspectives, and

beliefs that all contribute to their learning environment. With such a wide array of students,

teachers are now responsible to teach students in what is known today as Culturally Responsive

Pedagogy. Culturally responsive pedagogy is a student centered approach to teaching and

learning, where teachers encourage diversity and in turn it encourages students achievement.

This pedagogy shows the importance of inclusion, acknowledging, and celebrating our students’

culture in all aspects of learning (Ladson-Billings, 1994). Gloria Ladson Billings saw unjust

practices happening in schools where students were being blamed and not the techniques, aka

“you poor dear syndrome” (Ladson-billings, 1998, p.19). With a culturally responsive approach,

the teacher’s goal is to help all students by developing necessary skills by recreating and

recycling knowledge by both parties. For teachers to be culturally responsive they must use the

two functional dimensions;the personal dimension and the instructional dimension.

An important component of teaching involves the personal dimension. The personal

dimension involves emotional and cognitive factors where teachers utilize self- reflection and

self- exploration with their students. Teachers should examine their beliefs, attitudes, and values

and see how they can create an environment that is safe for students and their families. Teachers

can create a safe environment by delivering unbiased instruction and appreciating every student’s

differences. Students can see when a teacher truly cares about them and wants to support them.

“Teaching is getting to know one’s students; who they are, what they know and need to know,

their dreams and hopes, their struggles and frustrations, their strengths and talents” (Nieto,2013,

p.92). A teacher’s job is to build a relationship with students to be able to further assess their

needs. Caring for students can ensure that students realize their potential and grow further than

what they expected. We are always taught that the way you treat others is how you want people

to treat you and it’s something we are constantly teaching to our students. Teachers have to learn

to look at every perspective and every point of view and take away any bias to teach her

students. “ As we become more aware of how we see ourselves, how we are treated, and perhaps

how others see us, we will become more able to understand how others may see and feel about

their treatment, others values and experiences, and their worldviews” (Spradlin p. 19). Learning

about the students in our classroom, ensures that teachers are constantly striving to meet the

needs and build relationships with students.

The second component of teaching involves the instructional dimension. The

instructional dimension highlights the need of reorganizing the cultural components of school

policies, finances, and community involvement. Teachers have to make sure that students all

have equal opportunities in their classroom and at school. It has been shown that ethnic studies

programs in schools have improved the numbers of students pursuing post secondary education.

“In a 2012 study of the program that included cohorts from 2008-2011, … MAS students

were 51 percent more likely to graduate than their non-MAS peers. These results suggest

that there is a consistent, significant, positive relationship between MAS participation and

student academic performance” (Nieto, p. 111). Despite showing success, politicians

questioned whether this program was “divisive” and “unamerican”(Nieto, p. 111).

Teaching includes challenging the status quo so students can pursue higher goals than they ever

thought possible, and that also includes trying to start programs that can help students and their

communities. Schools and teachers must be active participants in creating social activeness and

awareness in students and everyone in their community. The standardization of education has

turned teachers into “trying to make people fit into boxes...instead of looking at the kid as a

student and as human being and as someone who wants to learn” (Nieto, p. 103). Culturally

responsive pedagogy enables teachers and students to learn and embrace themselves and how

they should never lose elements of their cultural identity.

Culturally responsive pedagogy recognizes and embraces student’s identities,

experiences, and culture. This nurtures students and allows them to not be stereotyped into fitting

into a box. The strengths of using CRP in the classroom are that they build academic and

socio-emotional skills, affirm students’ social and cultural histories, and help students recognize,

analyze, and address social inequality and racist policies. Students who are in strong culturally

responsive classrooms benefit because they become more engaged, and build knowledge on their

communities culture and history. A study done in Oakland, California public schools “engage[d]

local communities in multi-faceted efforts specifically designed ‘to address persistent

opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color’” (Dee, T.S., 2019, p.1). Dee and Penner

found this program reduced the high school dropout rate for black males by 43 percent. CRP has

shown statistically in many circumstances that embracing students is helping them succeed and

achieve. Although there are many positives to CRP in the classroom, there can be some

negatives or hardships implementing it. For example, a teacher can accidentally alienate students

if there are only a few students of different cultural backgrounds. Students can feel as if their

culture is being perceived as negative. Another problem that can arise is that a teacher may not

have enough resources or cultural knowledge to know how to help students. Some teachers may

only know about their culture and may not know how to address the needs of their other students.

The way that culturally responsive pedagogy in a science classroom should be is that

teachers should encourage students to interact with students of different cultures and

backgrounds. Students should be encouraged to stay curious like scientists in the real world are.

Another thing that should be eliminated is the idea of what the stereotypical scientist is, which is

usually a white cis gendered male. Teachers should encourage students to study a wide array of

individuals in different cultures and groups that have discovered many great scientific

discoveries. The science classroom should be utilized so students can learn more about each

other and how science is gender and culture inclusive.

In conclusion, I believe that the two dimensions that were mentioned above help create a

deep effectiveness of culturally responsive pedagogy in the classroom. Teachers are role models

that students and society look up to. Therefore, it is important for teachers to demonstrate

positive values and appreciation for cultural differences among themselves and their peers.

Students must feel comfortable, welcomed, and supported for them to learn the best.

Works Cited

Dee, T.S., & Penner, E. (2019). My Brother’s Keeper? The Impact of Targeted Educational

Supports.

Nieto, S. (2013). Finding joy in teaching students of diverse backgrounds: Culturally responsive

and socially just practices in U.S. classrooms . Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Spradlin, L. K., & Parsons, R. D. (2008). Diversity matters: understanding diversity in schools.

Student ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.