Carson Relling

Professor Schul
EDFD 459
28 September 2020
My Culturally Relevant Classroom
In The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill Miss Agnes fosters a culturally relevant
classroom that utilizes the skills of her students and the culture of the setting she was placed in
to create a memorable and educational learning experience for her students. The techniques
that Miss Agnes used in her lessons involve curriculum elements such as subject matter,
instructional strategies, classroom management decisions, and relationship building with
community writ large. These curriculum strategies benefitted from each other and created a
year of teaching that none of her students would ever forget. I would like to have the same
effect on my students each year and will be incorporating my own curricula-based strategies
into my lessons to create a culturally relevant classroom.
A key technique that Miss Agnes uses is interpretation and address of content
standards, also known as subject matter. Miss Agnes interprets standards about Geography in
order to relate her lesson to her students. She utilizes a map of Alaska in order to show her
students how to read a map and pinpoint locations. Many of the students got excited after
seeing the map and demonstrated a passion for learning. “Little Pete and Roger got just as
excited, showing us where their trapline was, and where they set the blackfish trap, and where
their dad shot the bear” (Hill 42). By interpreting standards to allow for the use of a map of the
students’ native region, Miss Agnes was able to make the lesson more interesting and
applicable to them.
I will also interpret and address content standards in a way that appeals to and benefits
my students. My lesson plans will incorporate the different skills and perspectives that my
students bring to the classroom. I plan to eventually teach in California, a state with a high
concentration of Hispanic students. As a social studies teacher there are a variety of ways that I
can integrate the culture of the diverse students in my classroom. Similarly, to Miss Agnes, I can
utilize maps of Latin and South America to teach students about capitols, landmarks, and
resources in Geography classes I teach. Another great strategy is to have frequent discussions
on current events and governments in politics or government classes I teach. Encouraging
students to share their diverse perspectives and thoughts benefits the discussion and prompts
students to think in new ways. “Integrating academic content using student experiences to
scaffold instruction, allows for discussion to promote understanding of key concepts regarding
positive inclusive learning environments…” (Ford et al 58). The use of discussion and culturally
relevant materials allows me to teach content through a cultural lens and make the subject
matter more memorable and interesting.
 Another method that Miss Agnes takes advantage of is instructional strategies.
Instructional strategies are techniques educators can use to help students learn independently
and strategically. The best example of Miss Agnes’s use of instructional strategies is her use of
differentiated instruction. In one of her first lessons Miss Agnes discovers the level of each
student and tailors her instructional strategies to each individual student. “…she gave us all a
paper with arithmetic on it. She’d made one for each of us, but they were all different. Charlie-
Boy’s and Selina’s just had numbers on them, and places to draw things. To see if they could
count, like” (Hill 43). By differentiating instruction Miss Agnes was able to help each student
individually on the areas they needed to work on. By instructing in this way Miss Agnes assured
that no students were falling behind or far ahead of their peers. This method could also be
called student-centered learning.
I will use instructional strategies to foster a culturally relevant classroom by using
inquiry-based instruction. Thought provoking questions that are open to interpretation sparks
interest in students and leads to greater action and communication. Open ended questions
posed to the class also gives an opportunity for students to present their individual cultural
knowledge and skills. For example, one student may have a different perspective on
administrative law compared to another if a family member is employed by the government. A
student may also have a different opinion of celebrating holidays in schools depending on the
culture and/or background they are a part of. Interesting questions can also encourage
students to use their creativity and imagination to construct thoughtful answers that speak to
their experiences and knowledge.
Classroom management decisions are an interesting part of Miss Agnes’s culturally
relevant classroom. She uses a variety of techniques in order to ensure that the lessons
continue smoothly, and all students are learning effectively. One of the first examples of this
comes at the beginning of the book. Two of the students, Little Pete and Roger, pretended to sit
on the same chair and then began wrestling. “I waited for the teacher to holler at them and hit
her desk with the ruler, but she just looked a look at them, with her eyebrow up and her mouth
a little pushed to one side” (Hill 26). In this management decision Miss Agnes avoid punishing
the students and instead treats them as equals. She looks at them disapprovingly and they feel
foolish for behaving poorly. She also demonstrates that bad behavior will not make her angry or
upset. This will discourage students from trying to provoke the teacher in the future. Another
great classroom management strategy that Miss Agnes uses is peer assisted learning. While
teaching Bokko sign language, the other students learn it along with her and routinely teach
each other. Having students teach each other increases the flow of knowledge and distracts
from any thoughts of bad behavior. “The funny thing was that we didn’t just use the signs to
talk to Bokko, we used them to talk to each other” (Hill 102). This strategy also helps to
strengthen the self-confidence of students and their communication skills.
One of the most important techniques that I will use in my culturally relevant social
studies classroom is that of modeling. I will demonstrate to students how they should act
through my own behavior. By demonstrating acceptance and understanding I will set the
standard for behavior in the classroom. I will be patient, kind, and listen closely to the
experiences and perspectives of my students. This will also discourage discrimination and
bullying between the students. Another way to develop a culturally relevant classroom through
classroom management is to rearrange desks and seating charts often in order to expose
students to a wider range of opinions and cultures. Classmates will work closely in groups and
with their neighbors. By switching the groups and neighbors of students they may learn about a
wider variety of perspectives.
The final component of Miss Agnes’s school curricula is relationship building with the
community writ large. Creating a relationship with the community can help increase
communication with parents and others in the district you are working. Community interaction
can also assist with understanding the needs and backgrounds of the students in your
classroom. Miss Agnes achieves this by attending local gatherings. “Sometimes at night on the
weekends we have music and dancing in the community hall. Different times, like somebody’s
birthday or when everyone came in from beaver trapping. Or a potlatch, that we have for
someone who’s died” (Hill 66). Miss Agnes attended these dances and brought her “squeeze
box” and played music along with the locals. This connected her to the community and exposed
her to the culture of the students she was educating.
I will use a strategy similar to that of Miss Agnes in my classroom. I want to attend local
events, dinners, and be part of community organizations. This includes school dances,
sponsoring clubs, and more. I want to understand what the people of my community know, do,
and care about. I also want to be able to have a good rapport with the parents of my students. I
think it is essential to have good communication with parents in order to understand the
context in which my students are learning. For example, if a student is going through issues at
home then I would like to have a relationship where a parent feels free in communicating the
issue to me. This will help me to make exceptions and give a helping hand to the student going
through personal difficulties.

Ford, Bridgie A, et al. Journal of the International Association of Special Education, vol. 15, no.
2, www.dropbox.com/sh/6ltnrs977ci5btr/AAA6CGIoSZ_K7UmibmJm9FkTa?
dl=0&preview=Bridgie+Ford+et+al+-+CRT+in+the+Inclusive+Classroom.pdf.

HILL, KIRKPATRICK. YEAR OF MISS AGNES. MARGARET MCELDERRY BKS, 2020.