Today's educators work in an increasingly diverse world, resulting in an equally diverse classroom. Just look at the stats: the2020 US Censusfound that the population of all minorities in the United States has increased since 2010, with the multiracial population increasing by 276% over a 10-year period. If you look at a previousCensus Bureau Reportwhich predicted that half of all US public school students would be from a minority background by 2020, illustrates why culturally appropriate education is becoming increasingly important.
However, knowing how to implement culturally relevant pedagogy is not inherently easy and requires a balancing act on your part as an educator. To help you introduce these concepts and tactics into your classroom, here's a review of culturally engaging teaching and 10 examples of CRT implementation in schools.
What is Culturally Appropriate Education?
edutopia sea,culturally sensitive teaching"seeks to bridge the gap between teacher and student by helping the teacher understand the cultural nuances that can cause a relationship to break down and, ultimately, also cause a break in student achievement."
In practice, teachers can improveculture-oriented pedagogyThese are "student-centered teaching approaches that identify and nurture students' unique cultural strengths to enhance student achievement and a sense of well-being in relation to the student's cultural place in the world".
Why a culturally appealing education?
There are numerous studies that point to the benefits of culturally sensitive teaching (CRT). CRT wasshown to increase student engagement, cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and ultimately increase students' sense of belonging in the classroom. For educators, culturally responsive pedagogy has been instrumental in improving their ability to reach students, especially in times of distance learning and COVID-19. Reports show that teachers who adopt this style of teaching are better able to respond to student needs and are an effective tool in addressing educational inequalities that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
From an educational point of view, mostUse of culturally relevant teachingto contain:
- Teachers and students contribute more actively to the classroom environment and culture.
- Students learn through more interactive, collaborative, and culturally aware activities.
- This style of teaching helps foster a sense of belonging for students of all backgrounds.
- It has been shown to improve brain processing and student engagement.
10 examples of culturally engaging instruction in the classroom
There is no single way to implement culturally appropriate teaching elements in your classroom. There are tons of different tactics you can try that suit your style; here are 10 of the most common ones:
1. Learn about your students: Start the school year with exercises that help you get to know your students. Distribute surveys or quizzes that allow your students to talk a little more about their backgrounds and learning styles. With these answers, you can start the year with a complete picture of your classroom layout.
2. Interview the students: This is a more personal approach to getting to know your students better. Face-to-face communication helps create an open dialogue between you and your students and encourages them to open up about things like hobbies, favorite topics, and favorite class exercises.
3. Integrate relevant global issues: There are many different ways to do this. Consider incorporating a summary of current events into your morning meetings or classroom routine. You can also use culturally relevant terms in word problems related to students' interests and cultures.
4. Use the power of the story: many cultures have oral traditions, myths and stories that are passed down from generation to generation. These stories can be used as teaching tools about manners, morals and more. Use your students' diverse cultural histories to bring valuable lessons to your classroom, while sharing the unique history of other groups.
5. Gamification Lessons: The games are very popular among school-age children. Consider "gamifying" your classes: Popular tactics include offering reward badges or setting standards for new "levels" that students can advance to for specific projects or skills.
6. Use media that positively represent a variety of cultures- Find age-appropriate media from different cultures and languages to use in your resume. These outputs can be used to provide a different perspective on a current or historical event.
7. Encourage students to suggest project ideas: Turning the tables and having students come up with ideas for projects is a great way to allow students to play to their strengths and get creative. Encourage them to draw inspiration from their cultural heritage or experience and help them take projects from concept to completion.
8. Try Peer Teaching: It is suggested that teachers try to allow students to participate in peer-to-peer instruction. In this activity, students can use their own vocabulary and cultural references to teach each other about a topic or subject.
9. Encourage students to use cultural capital: Empower your students from diverse backgrounds to talk and talk about their diverse backgrounds. For example, if you are teaching an English class to ESL students, try to find ways to involve them in the class and allow them to share their experiences.
10. Involve parents using take-home cards: Open the door to parent involvement at the start of the school year, when starting a new unit or trying out an educational tool for the first time. Parents can provide context and cultural support and will appreciate being up to date on their child's education.
How to implement culturally engaging lessons in the classroom
There is no step-by-step process that every teacher must follow to introduce culturally relevant instruction into their classroom. Instead, here are some elements of a culturally inclusive classroom and some choices you can make to start this exciting process:
- Gather demographic information about students, such as backgrounds, languages spoken, etc.
- Identify students' assets and cultural capital.
- Create a welcoming classroom environment and build authentic, caring relationships with your students.
- Examine the curriculum to determine where you can incorporate cultural elements.
- Explore the CRT capabilities to deepen your own understanding of the concept.
- Share your own background and experiences with students to open lines of communication.
- Encourage students to discuss in pairs or small groups before sharing their own experiences with the whole class.
- Learn about your students' traditions, holidays, and family activities or other cultural activities, and try to incorporate some of these traditions or activities into your classroom activities.
- Choose media such as stories, poems or videos that reflect the students' culture so they can relate to the theme or characters and teach their classmates about their backgrounds.
How does culturally appropriate education affect parents and families?
Parents and guardians of students can be one of your most valuable resources when it comes to building culturally relevant pedagogy. Because they are their students' resource when it comes to learning about their own cultural background. So you need to deal with families early on and invite parents and legal guardians into the classroom community. They can share books from their culture or country of origin, or participate as guest speakers to tell their own stories. It helps them to be actively involved in their children's learning and share a little bit about what makes them unique.
Resources for culturally engaging teaching
Some easily accessible CRT resources available to teachers include:
Professional development for culturally sensitive teaching
There are a number of introductory resources online for educators interested in culturally responsive teaching. However, these articles and eBooks provide a superficial overview of the CRT. While this information is extremely valuable, there are other options for educators seeking a more complete understanding of this practice.
consider theTeaching diversity, equity and inclusion in the classroom gradeoffered by the University of San Diego. This program is available through the Department of Academic and Professional Development, which means that all courses in this series are available completely online. Through the Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity program, students learn to celebrate diversity and develop strategies to promote inclusion, equity and combating racism in the classroom. For more information about this program, pleasecontact us.
common questions
What is culturally sensitive teaching?
culturally engaging classesis "a student-centered approach to instruction that identifies and nurtures students' unique cultural strengths to enhance student achievement and a sense of well-being related to the student's cultural place in the world."
What are the benefits of culturally sensitive teaching?
There are numerous benefits of culturally responsive teaching, but the four most important points for teachers are: teachers and students contribute more actively to the classroom environment and culture, students learn in a more interactive, collaborative and culturally aware way, this teaching style helps foster a sense of belonging for students of all backgrounds and has been shown to improve brain processing and student engagement.
How can I implement CRT in my classroom?
There are many tools you, as a teacher, can use to implement the CRT in your classroom, but some simple tactics to try early in the classroom include gathering demographic information about students, such as backgrounds, languages spoken, cultural capital, and search. study plan. to determine where you can link cultural elements.