EDUC517 Module 3 Reflection: Culturally Responsive Education

 

For me culturally responsive teaching is an important part of classroom learning. We are all part of the melting pot, that is the United States. It is what we are know for around the world. So of course, our classrooms should reflect that. Building relationships with our students is imperative to the learning process and can only be done by learning about each other while showing respect and kindness. The relationships we have with our students are a piece of their learning foundation.

Class expectations that are set together as a class can emphasize the need for inclusion and understanding. This could be new for some students, but they will see the importance of valuing each other’s culture by virtue of the class rules that are set. In this way students see how serious it is to mistreat someone and their cultural background.

In a student-centered classroom there are many opportunities to learn from and about each other. I plan to have a couple of assignments centered around learning about each other and gaining new perspectives. This is especially important at the beginning of the term as a way to build class culture.

We also need to be aware of the curriculum and the hidden curriculum it communicates to our students. Teaching history only from the perspective of a single race or ethnicity neglects the diverse background that shaped our country.

I feel a little bit nervous about being a culturally responsive teacher in some ways. Being kind and respectful is automatic for me and I do not worry about ever being openly disrespectful to a student. I want to respect and appreciate the unique backgrounds and cultures of my students and I feel nervous that I might accidentally disrespect someone. He/She, they/them is one example of this. I would never openly try to be insensitive to someone, but the pronouns are very new for me, and I am not accustomed to them so I worry I might forget to use them properly.