Culturally Responsive Teaching

 

 

 

From reading the many articles and references about language barriers and deficits that seem to stray from “Standard English”, it is evident to me that teachers need to change their approach of teaching language and reading to ensure that each student’s needs and backgrounds are understood and met. Teachers must understand the backgrounds and home lives of their students to acknowledge where their skills of language and literacy come from. Just simply believing that a child from the Appalachian Region will always be inferior to other readers because of their low socioeconomic status or accent is a very negative way to begin language and literacy instruction. In order to assist students in the development of reading and writing skills, it is important to understand their previous knowledge and skills in order to move forward. Students should not be condemned for using what they bring to the classroom, but celebrated for what they can achieve by using what they know.

“…as part of this stance of accepting the children as learners, it is necessary to accept their language as that with which they learn, and use that language to help them begin their education” (Purcell Gates, 2002).

Many teachers and public schools are contributing to poor literacy and language instruction perhaps without even noticing. Many teachers believe that by teaching students Standard English, they are helping improve their language skills for future employment opportunities. However, the way many are going about instruction can be very damaging to a student’s psyche. By correcting a student’s speaking or writing, they are making the student feel as though they are wrong, not necessarily just the language. This can give students a negative attitude toward the entire school environment and hinder their desire to learn Standard English. The attitude portrayed by the corrective teacher is one who sees the student from a language deficit perspective. The fact that the student may speak differently from others does not mean that they are unable to learn and be corrected. If the teachers were willing to be more open-minded and view the many varieties of language skills in the classroom as language differences, the attitudes of everyone involved would change and the students and teachers could build from the foundations each child brings to literacy and language instruction.

“Basically, the importance that the attitudes teachers have toward English dialects in the classroom cannot be understated. When teachers ‘correct’ a child’s English, they must be aware that the correction goes deeper than just the child’s speech” (Rowland & Marrow, 2010).

Teachers can overcome cultural deficit perspectives of their students by making them feel like they are fast learners, even if they are learning English as a second language. Luis Moll’s research article explains that by allowing students to use their skills in meaningful tasks and projects, they are learning just as much if not more than by using the facts and drills approach. Students must be praised for their accomplishments, no matter how great or small. If they are able to use their skills in another way to gain knowledge, they should be able to do so without having to abandon what they previously know to pick up on what the teacher thinks they should know.

“We believe that a meaning-centered model…allows bilingual students to take full advantage of their first language abilities, and to surpass the limits set by their more limited knowledge of their second language” (Moll, 1992).

Literacy instruction can be improved for speakers of non-Standard English if the teachers of these students accept them for their differences and help them build on them to learn the basics. If all students in the classroom setting are accepted and feel a sense of comfort and support, they will gain cultural capital among their peers and the teacher. Everyone brings different experiences into the classroom and learns differently. The Funds of Knowledge article makes the valid point that if students are allowed to use their prior skills and knowledge without scrutiny, they can be successful readers and writers. Liz Phillips says it best in the article Honoring Dialect and Increasing Student Performance in Standard English:

“I know my kids as individuals, and this is who they are. It’s my responsibility to teach the learning standards, but not to change them or take away their dialect” (Epstein & Herring-Harris, 2011).

The Where I am From project was a great example of culturally responsive teaching. It incorporated many of the characteristics of culturally responsive strategies. The video and poem we created helped build bridges of meaningfulness between our home and school experiences. By watching our classmates’ photo stories, we were able to see where our peers grew up, what their parents were like, and even where they graduated or attended school. This allowed us to see what types of experiences our friends had growing up, and for us to share as well. This project also encouraged us as students to share our varied perspectives and experiences in an encouraging and supportive environment. Our peers’ comments on our photo stories allowed us to see mistakes or helpful additions that we might have missed. Everyone was positive and supportive throughout this process which gave us the drive to tell our story as best we were able without fear of being judged. We all listened and watched each other’s lives put to music and were able to appreciate everyone in light of their differences.

Culturally responsive instruction is a vital part of being a teacher. Students must feel comfortable and confident in order to maintain a drive to learn. When I have my own classroom, I will make each student feel welcome and instill a sense of community in my class. In the classroom, I will refrain from correcting non-standard forms of English and will allow my students to use what they know, and build on their experiences to be successful.