Creating a Culturally

Responsive Classroom
Amanda Stallings
MEDT 7464
 What is a culturally responsive learning
environment?

A culturally responsive learning

environment is a pedagogy that
acknowledges and respects the
significance of diverse cultures within
a learning environment (Ladson-
Billings, 1994).

What can teachers do to
ensure their classrooms are
culturally responsive?
Teachers must consider many aspects of
their classroom when introduced to
culturally diverse differences. From the
moment a student walks into a classroom, it
is a teacher’s responsibility to create a
responsive environment for all.
Considerations for a culturally responsive classroom-
What should your classroom look like?
What about the curriculum you are required
to teach?
What should instruction look like?
Did all children learn the material presented?
Do we solicit feedback from students?
-clean
-safe
-organized
-welcoming
-preferential seating
-What subjects do diverse students like versus
dislike?
-What subjects are easily understood by our
culturally different population?
-Are students leery of certain topic(s)? Why?
-partner/group work
-reinforcement of instruction
-visual/auditory/kinesthetic
-Did they enjoy the lesson?
-Can they communicate ideas/concepts from
the material taught?
-Were multiple assessment options presented
for those who struggle to read the text?
-Ask students how they felt about the lesson
and what could help them in the future.
"Children don't come with instructions, but they do come with open minds," writes
Christopher Metzler, Ph.D., an authority on issues of diversity and inclusion.

(Take from Teaching Kids to Embrace Diversity and Be Inclusive, Owens, 2012.)
 How can teachers help with parent
interaction?

Parents play an fundamental role in a culturally responsive classroom.

Teachers can create cultural capital (Bazron, Osher, and Fleischman,
2005) by including the parents and helping them navigate the school
system. Conversational language between teachers and parents can help
them feel at ease and in turn give their child motivation to become
productive members of the classroom. Including parents helps with
behavioral problems and connects the cultural shifts within education.
“ Embrace the strengths and addressing the diverse
learning needs of our increasingly multicultural,
multilingual student population requires major
transformation of our current school practices.
-Bazron, Osher, and Fleischman
”
 Culturally responsive classrooms:
The impact on students.
How do we treat our culturally How does this pay off for the
diverse students? student?
• Adjust wait times • Allows time to translate and think
• Social skills instruction • Student feels like part of the
• Encourage problem solving “family” in the classroom

• Be aware of cultural sensitivities • Social development among peers

• Discipline (less behavior incidents)
 The school benefits in many ways from culturally diverse students. It is
ultimately our job, as educators, to be culturally aware and accommodating.
While our standards and expectations for this population should not be
lowered, we still have to find the best ways to reach them academically.
References:

Bazron, Barbara & Osher, David & Fleischman, Steve. (2005). Creating Culturally Responsive Schools. 63.

Ford, D. Y. (2005). Welcoming All Students to Room 202. Gifted Child Today,28(4), 28-65. doi:10.1177/107621750502800407

Herrmann, E. (2016, February 16). MultiBrief: Engaging culturally and linguistically diverse parents and families. Retrieved July 1,
2018, from http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/engaging-culturally-and-linguistically-diverse-parents-and-families/education

Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Publishing Co.

Owens, L. (2012, March 2). Teaching kids to respect differences in others. Retrieved from
https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/946741/encouraging-kids-to-embrace-diversity-and-differences

What Is a Culturally Responsive Learning Environment? (2017, October 13). Retrieved from
https://online.lsus.edu/articles/education/culturally-responsive-learning-environment.aspx

Images were taken from references listed above and Google images.
http://youtu.be/UMGaHJvXCq0?hd=1