Equity in Education: Check Your Belief System at the Front Door!

As I continue to visit each school throughout the district, I have seen an intentional focus on schools infusing culture into their educational practices and embracing diversity.  I have noticed more consistent student engagement, collaboration between students, and students inviting me to come back again for another visit so they can share more of their learning.   Students are aware of the learning targets and can explain why they are completing the assignment which is awesome.  As we continue to strive to put culturally relevant teaching into practice, below are some key points to remember.     

Students + Feeling Valued = Ownership of their Learning

One of the most important qualities of Culturally Relevant Teaching is that we as educators must shift toward a diversified pedagogy that emphasizes student engagement versus our ability to lecture on content. Embracing a classroom style that has the teacher as a facilitator instead of specialist can be very difficult, but the switch has proven to show significant payoffs both academically and socially.

Students whose lives and cultures are not recognized are less likely to invest in the overall learning process, whereas those who do feel recognized and valued will be ready to learn. Even if that connection is made through something as simple as teaching the lesson through pop culture, movies, or the music that the class will enjoy, there is still a connection and relevance.  Students who embrace their role as powerful actors inside the classroom will become change agents outside of the classroom.  How do I make my students feel in my classroom/school?

Educators must watch their BS?

A crucial and challenging aspect of culturally responsive instruction for all educators is to abandon old ideas about cultural deficits, whether they are related to ethnic or cultural backgrounds or socioeconomic status. We must be careful not to convey judgment in the classroom that might reflect upon students’ families, friends, or personal histories. This means addressing their own assumptions about different behaviors, like the student who may come late every day or is always tired. 

We as educators should work relentlessly to establish meaningful communication and relationships with our students and their families. When students see family and teacher collaboration combined with mutual respect, they are more likely to invest in their education in meaningful and lasting ways.  As educators, it is vital we check our belief systems at the door and do not let our first thought, become our last.  Am I where I need to be as a culturally relevant educator?