Culturally responsive teaching

Given the wide range of cultures that a classroom of students may represent, teachers should incorporate the background, values, history, practices, traditions, and knowledge of students and their families into their curriculum and overall classroom experience. This is commonly known as culturally responsive teaching.

According to Gay (2000), culturally responsive teaching:

• Acknowledges and legitimizes different cultural heritages
• Connects meaning between home and school experiences
• Uses a wide variety of instructional techniques that utilize different learning styles
• Teaches students to understand and appreciate their own and others' cultural heritages
• Incorporates multicultural knowledge, resources, and materials in all subjects

Gathering information
The culturally responsive teacher sets up a classroom environment that addresses the needs of diverse groups of students and implements instructional methods and strategies that incorporate the background knowledge, experiences, and learning styles of his or her students. This requires knowledge about the cultures of the students. There are many ways to obtain this information.

• Museums and cultural centers. One of the easiest ways to gain information is through culturally-based community resources, the library, or even the web. There are many websites devoted to increasing the cultural knowledge base.
• School district trainings. Many districts provide quality in-service training on the various cultures of the local community.
• School personnel from the community. Colleagues who are members of the community can provide a lot of information about the culture and local events, and can also provide frank answers to questions that teachers may feel uncomfortable posing to parents or students.
• Community events. Take advantage of community events that are open to the public throughout the year. Not only will a teacher learn a lot, but their presence signifies to the parents and children that he/she is interested in their culture. By "just being there" the teacher has created a connection with the families.
• Group or individual meetings with families. In addition to the school-scheduled, yearly Open House meetings, teachers can host potluck breakfasts or dinners for the families in their classrooms. Accept invitations to dinner at a student's house...an opportunity to gain invaluable insight that can enhance the educational experience for that student.

Incorporating culture throughout the curriculum
As the teacher continues to learn about the different cultures represented within the classroom, that knowledge can be featured throughout the curriculum and incorporated into daily lesson plans and activities.

Dr. Suina gives some suggestions to teachers on culturally responsive instruction.

Joseph Henry Suina, EdD Associate Professor of Education Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies Department University of New Mexico

Culturally Responsive Curriculum (Time: 1:23) View Transcript

Culturally Responsive Instructional Strategies (Time: 1:16) View Transcript

Adán (left) is a student whose Hispanic American family has roots in northern New Mexico that date back to the 1600s. Both parents are from a rural community and have been married for twenty-five years. His mother is a nurse and works part-time so that she can be home in the afternoons when Adán returns from school. His father is employed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory as a machinist. Adán is deeply involved with his large extended family and their various activities, including weddings, funerals, baptisms, and birthdays. His Uncle Manuel is the mayordomo for the local acequia association, and his Aunt Theresa is an artist who specializes in retablos. Carlos (right), his parents, and two older sisters moved to New Mexico from a small village in central Mexico at the end of the last school year. They are now living with his aunt, uncle, and three cousins in an urban neighborhood populated by other immigrants who share the same language and culture. His father has a job working as a landscaper during the week and in the family store on weekends selling religious artifacts. His mother also helps out in the family store. The family sends a large portion of their earnings back to relatives in Mexico. The family is busy saving and preparing for his oldest sister's Quinciñera. Like Adán, Carlos is very involved in the traditional family celebrations. His grandmother is a curandéra and the mainstay of their community. Because they are related to her, Carlos and the rest of his family hold a special status in the community. Based on the information above, how would you anchor math instruction so that it is culturally relevant for these two students?

Diane Torres-Velásquez is an associate professor of education at the University of New Mexico. Listen as she provides suggestions to provide culturally relevant math instruction for these students.

Diane Torres-Velásquez, PhD Special Education Department University of New Mexico

Importance of anchoring instruction (Time: 1:36) View Transcript Instruction for Adán (Time: 1:24) View Transcript Instruction for Carlos (Time: 0:57) View Transcript