Culturally Responsive Teaching

One teaching component that can be excessively difficult to incorporate is that of

culturally responsive teaching. It can be very challenging to break away from biases and

stereotypes that we have for different groups and individuals. However, our students are likely

going to come from a wide variety of different backgrounds and cultures that can affect how they

see the education system and how learning is viewed within my class. My goal as a teacher is to

ensure all students are welcome and to demonstrate just how important learning a language is.

Through being an agent of change and working to develop an asset-based mindset, I hope to

accomplish this goal.

One of the most important components of becoming a culturally responsive teacher is

committing to be an agent of change. We, as teachers, have extraordinary amounts of influence

on our students. What we say and do in our classrooms to set up the learning process can have

dramatic effects on the learning that can occur. Rather than blindly following the textbook as it

has been incorporated for potentially many years, I plan to incorporate more experiential learning

experiences that touch upon the stigma we may have for different cultures. For language learning

especially, developing an understanding and acceptance toward different cultures is essential in

reinforcing change. Our textbooks are often outdated or focus on information relevant only to the

majority group within the general population. This can leave many students feeling left out and

that their opinions are not valued in their community. Because of the influence we can have on

our students, it is important to do everything we can to incorporate a feeling of hope for these

students that may feel underrepresented. For example, in Jeffrey Duncan-Andrades article

regarding hope he indicates teaching in ways that connect moral outrage of young people to

actions that relieve undeserved suffering in their communities (182) can help us become agents
of change. As soon as teachers begin to break away from a closed mindset and step into the shoes

of each of their students, they can help contribute to bringing hope back into the classroom. No

student should feel like their perspectives are not important and teachers can help change that

tendency by encouraging social change through developing lessons and activities that tap into

real-life issues that are relevant to the students in the classroom.

Asset based thinking is something that I believe everyone, not just teachers should

develop. By believing everyone in this world has some sort of asset or value, we can begin to

broaden our perspectives and lessen the inequalities that seem to exist due to prejudices and

biases we may have against other individuals. Going back to being an agent of change,

developing this kind of thinking can allow me the opportunity of reflecting on and reassessing

my biases toward other individuals so that I may be able to bring this changed perspective into

my classroom. By reshaping my understanding to actively seek out the assets that students,

teachers, and parents bring to the table, a small but significant change can begin. Noguera

discusses how asset-based thinking can come into play within the classroom. When discussing

student and teacher relationships, many students agreed that teachers should show respect to

students in the same way they expect to receive respect (65). When teachers understand that

students have strengths that can contribute to the learning environment, there is more room for

respect to grow between teachers and students. One way to develop a stronger understanding of

students is to become more familiar with every student. I plan having an open door policy with

all of my students and teachers so I may get to know them better individually on a voluntary

level. However, this is not enough to truly develop asset-based thinking. Throughout the year I

will also provide more personalized activities for my students. This allows them to use their

assets, or personal or cultural experiences, to develop critical thinking skills. Such activities are
likely to be more effective because the students will care about what they are learning and they

will know I care about them as individuals.

With parents, I know that conflicts can arise due to a lack in asset-based thinking. In

order to push past the emotional aspects of engaging with parents, I want to get to know them as

individuals and work with them regularly throughout the year. Optimistically, I would like to

have individual meetings with as many parents as possible at the beginning of the year so that I

may better understand what assets they bring to the table and discuss a course of action to help

their students learn in the classroom. I know that parents care for their children, and though I

may not yet have individual knowledge of them, I know that this devotion is an asset in itself that

will help shape a safe and open learning environment. Colleagues also care very much for their

students and I hope to channel that as I work with other teachers to further develop a curriculum

that will meet the needs of my students. As experts in their fields, teachers can provide valuable

insight that I can use to create a more relevant and engaging curriculum. I would love to bounce

ideas off of my other Spanish and foreign language colleagues. In addition, talking with teachers

of differing content areas can provide information that may be relevant to creating a cross-

curricular unit. I plan on observing teachers as much as possible to gain more insight into what

assets my fellow teachers bring to the table.

Culturally Responsive Teaching is a complex and evolving concept that is also inherently

necessary in creating a classroom environment in which all students can learn and feel welcome.

Factory-style schools should be put out to pasture to be replaced by a more culturally accepting

and collaborative learning space. Our students come from many different backgrounds and each

one learns a little bit differently and brings a different set of assets to the table. I want to be a

teacher who can recognize these values and incorporate them into lessons that break the mold of
stereotypical textbook lessons. I want to provide my students with as many opportunities as I

possibly can and I want to show them just how wonderful and important learning can be.
 Works Cited

Duncan-Andrade, J. (2009). Note to Educators: Hope Required When Growing Roses in

Concrete. Harvard Educational Review, 79(2), 181-194.

doi:10.17763/haer.79.2.nu3436017730384w

Noguera, P. A. (2007). How Listening to Students Can Help Schools to Improve. Theory Into

Practice, 46(3), 205-211. doi:10.1080/14241270701402165