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Signature Assignment Environment Analysis

Annaliese M. Gilsinger

Arizona State University

SED 322

Professor Monica Eklund

24 October 2021
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Signature Assignment Environment Analysis

Internal

Strengths

One strength in every school is the student body. The diversity of students is often looked

at as a weakness, but culturally relevant pedagogy turns that diversity into a strength. Howard

(2003) explains that teachers can teach culturally relevant curriculum through the experiences

and cultures of their students (p. 196). Each student goes to school with their own thoughts,

ideas, backgrounds, and cultures. Teachers can utilize these individual expressions to make their

curriculum culturally relevant. For example, if students are having trouble recognizing the rhyme

scheme in 18th century poetry, a teacher can use a modern comparison, such as a recognizable

song, to demonstrate the rhyme scheme in a way that students will connect to. This is one way in

which the strengths of students, such as their knowledge of popular culture, can be used in the

classroom.

Weaknesses

One current challenge is simply preparation. All teachers are not entering their

classrooms ready for diversity. They do not all know how to respond to unexpected challenges.

Scherff & Spector (2010) point out, “Good English teaching, however, is more than a set of

skills enacted on the students in a classroom, particularly when that classroom contains the

diversity of students found in today’s schools” (p. 80). Teachers currently teaching and future

teachers in school have different ideas on education; this is good, because teaching should not be

standardized. However, this also means that teachers do not all have the same education on how

to help diverse students. Additionally, some teachers have only ever taught students from one
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culture. Now, with increased diversity, some of those teachers do not know how to reach the

students from other cultures who are now being introduced to their classes. The National Center

for Education Statistics (2021) states, “Between fall 2009 and fall 2018, the percentage of public

school students who were Hispanic increased from 22 to 27 percent. The percentage of public

school students who were White decreased from 54 to 47 percent” (para. 1). This indicates that

our schools are becoming more diverse in ethnic background, but our schools are also becoming

more diverse in other ways, such as gender and sexual identity, socioeconomic status, and

ability. Teachers need continuing support in order to understand how to support these students

and teach them. One way to do this is through professional development and programs.

Another weakness is in funding. This is a common problem in schools. School districts

often do not have extra funding, especially in lower socioeconomic areas, where there is often a

lot of diversity. It can be difficult to get funding where it is most needed in order to supply

classrooms with culturally relevant texts, which ideally would be updated as needed in order to

stay relevant.

External

Opportunities

Teacher preparation programs are a perfect opportunity for school boards and districts to

talk about what they are looking for in future teachers. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at

Arizona State University communicates with local districts in order to update their curriculum

and stay relevant. They also encourage their preservice teachers to go to school board meetings,

which helps them engage with the community. In some ways, culturally relevant pedagogy is

already being taught to new teachers. At ASU, preservice English teachers take classes on ethnic
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literature and young adult literature. In other teacher preparation programs, new English teachers

take classes on child development, young adult literature, and multiculturalism (Scherff &

Spector, 2010). By integrating these classes, and others, into all teacher preparation programs in

the United States, teachers can use culturally relevant pedagogy in their classrooms from day

one. Furthermore, teachers can be ready to face the diversity of their students and not shy away

from it. A simple way to ensure that teachers are being trained to use culturally relevant

curriculum is to include it in teacher preparation programs.

One opportunity lies in the internet. Fortunately, many texts are available online in PDF

or similar format for free. These texts, like The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and popular young

adult literature are often online, available for use legally. Students can find their own copy or the

teacher or school can provide a link to the text. There are also many discounted texts online for

classrooms which would be culturally relevant to students. Additionally, music on YouTube is

free with advertisements. Songs are a perfect example of cultural relevant curriculum and can be

used in English for rhyme scheme, or in math, science, and history. There are videos and songs

available online that explain topics like the Pythagorean Theorem available for free on YouTube

and similar websites. Using online resources to develop culturally relevant lessons can help

reduce the cost of materials as well as make materials accessible to students.

Challenges

Some parents and community members may not understand the need for culturally

relevant curriculum. They may push back against the idea of diversity, because there is ignorance

in what actually happens in the classroom. This can create pressure on school boards and

teachers to change curriculum. However, there is a way to educate the community on culturally
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relevant curriculum, and if it was a policy everywhere in the state or country, there would likely

be less push back, because it would be considered a standard part of the curriculum.
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References

Howard, T. C. (2003). Culturally relevant pedagogy: Ingredients for critical teacher reflection.

Theory Into Practice, 42(3), 195–202. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1477420

The National Center for Education Statistics. (May 2021). Racial/ethnic enrollment in public

schools. Condition of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cge

Scherff, L., & Spector, K. (Eds.). (2010). Culturally relevant pedagogy: Clashes and

confrontations. R&L Education.

https://search.lib.asu.edu/permalink/01ASU_INST/kl6fr8/alma991005626639703841