Class: SED Leadership and Law

Teaching

Subject: Culturally Responsive

Sociocultural Consciousness
o Awareness of multiple perspectives on the world, reflecting a persons
race, class, gender, etc.
o Understanding that any hierarchy is due to uneven power
arrangement, not inherent superiority
Affirmation Attitude Toward Difference
o All cultures are valid and greater status is a result of who is in power,
not inherent superiority
o Ways of thinking and behaving that differ from norms are valid.
Differences are opportunities to learn and need to be respected and
affirmed
Constructivist Approach to teaching and Learning
o Knowledge is a social construction, influenced by experience, and
value-based. School knowledge must be based on social and cultural
knowledge.
o Learning is an active process. Students connect new and prior
experience to create knowledge. Teachers build knowledge with
students, with emphasis on dialogue.
Affirming and Building on Student Prior Knowledge
o Constantly actively leaning about students, their families, their
community, their experiences, and their relationship towards subject
matter.
o Design instruction around what students already know academically,
culturally
Capacity and Responsibility to be Culturally Responsive
o Teacher as an agent of change. Teaching is a political an ethical
activity towards promoting equity and justice. Actions are never
neutral.