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Part 1B: Culturally Responsive Teaching

The ever-present goal of teaching for me has always been to create a safe environment.

This includes an environment where students can feel comfortable with all different types of

backgrounds. This includes their own! The first step, however, is for me as a teacher to

acknowledge my own privilege. I’ve never had to struggle based on my diversity. I am a white,

middle class woman. Yes, I have had to work where I am now, but it has been much easier for

me to never question where my next meal will come from or where I will sleep. Before

To establish my classroom, I first have to acknowledge where my diversity has come from. It

also means that I have to expand my knowledge of several different diversities other than my

own! Thus, these next steps can be taken.

Continuing to grow and recognizing my privileges, the next step becomes that of the

students. Who are my students? Where are they from? What have their past teachers noticed? Do

they have access to basic human necessities? The well-being of my students becomes and will

always be first. Therefore, a majority of my decisions will be based on my group of students and

who they are. The beauty of this is that every single student is different in their own way. My

goal, with making decisions, is hoping to first talk with the school counselors of what they know.

Thus, before meeting the students, I can have an idea of what I can do to help them. This

however, can be a drawback with creating stereotypes. Hopefully, I won't fall to the pressure of

making stereotypes of my students before I meet them.

Thus, the first day will be creating “Who I Am” cards. I did this for student teaching in

Dunkirk! The kids were just young enough to love the aspect of this. Students write their

preferred names, preferred pronouns and three fun facts about themselves/ something they want

to tell me. My cooperating teacher learned more about his students than he ever did before. This,

from the beginning, created a classroom environment that shows they belong. This clearly uses
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students' backgrounds to expand the connection between students and the teacher. It gives

students a calm before the storm of a math classroom. After that first step, it becomes our rules

for the classroom and what I expect of them. From IRIS “Classroom Behavior Management Part

1”, the module discusses “Cultural Gaps” which are differences between two cultures which

hinders mutual understanding or relations. This happens in classrooms where a teacher may have

had a different upbringing than their students due to their cultural background. Or it may happen

the opposite way as well! The beauty of us humans is that we are all different. Ways to help these

cultural gaps are setting clear classroom expectations that help students feel safe and secure and

incorporating the cultures of the students in the classroom. This includes making sure that the

math classroom has curricula that can pertain to the historical contemporary cultures of the

children.

I loved this from the IRIS, as it shows the first couple days of the classroom is important

for establishing a classroom culture that respects diversity and creates a climate that encourages

all students.