Growing up in Queens, I was always surrounded with different cultural backgrounds and it was amazing to see this especially when we had cultural day in school, all the different clothing, languages, and foods was really cool. However, I realize that public schools are lacking this notation in their curriculum and even students go They are not prideful, they do not want to represent who they are. This is upsetting to see because as a mother I wonder what it would be like when my own children attend school. Will they even have cultural day? Will they be proud to share their heritage? Will kids still be mean for representing their country? This is why this issue is very vital for schools to incorporate culturally responsive teaching because helping student understand the importance of accepting others will help create a better world.

Without the necessary tools and materials in the curriculum and in the classroom environment, teachers won’t be able to help students understand other’s perspective, build empathy, and appreciate others strengths. In addition, teachers need to be mentored on how to include this in their curriculum but also have the advantage of being able to switch their curriculum instead of focusing on a standardized one. Lastly, they need to ensure not to be bias, and not let their own identities and experiences affect the practice of teaching.

To make sure that my students all feel welcome I will start off with having books about different ethnicities and even in different languages! Incorporating them in lesson plans that they can relate to. This will allow for them to be more engaged and feel a sense of belonging. Also, make sure to hang up flags and artwork of all of your student’s races/ethnicities.

What is a key element of culturally responsive teaching?

Communication is key!! Making sure that you create a relationship with your students is important because in order to feel like they can communicate with you, you have to have that relationship developed beforehand. This also allows for open conversations and earning your student’s trust. In addition, it is also key to develop relationships with student’s caregivers and families. Having that open line of communication will allow for you to get a better understanding of the child.