As an educator and a mother of five children, I strive daily toward intentionality in my actions, in the choices I make, and with the words I use. This is completely contradictory to the age old saying, “Do what I say and NOT what I do.”

For this reason, I not only strive to have a culturally inclusive classroom environment and a culturally inclusive home environment, but a culturally inclusive life. 

So what does this look like in the classroom, in the home, and in life?

Let’s first examine the classroom environment. Whether you desire to create a welcoming and inclusive environment in a private, public, or homeschool setting, the strategies are fairly similar.

Creating a Culturally Responsive Classroom

1. PERSONAL GROWTH – Creating an authentically accepting and inclusive classroom begins with you, the educator, the mentor, the role model. Take responsibility for your own learning. Open your eyes. Do not get stuck in what you have always done BECAUSE you have always done it. Talk to teachers that do not look like you and likely do not teach like you.
2. UNITS OF STUDY – Be thoughtful and intentional about planning units of study. Ask yourself several questions: Why am I teaching this? What are my motivations, preconceived notions, biases, etc.? What do I want my students to learn? How am I going to teach this? How can I include representation from multiple perspectives? Where is the female voice, the Hispanic voice, the African voice, the Black American voice, the Asian voice? **New subscribers get a copy of my step by step unit planning resource. It is designed to help teachers think this way without getting overwhelmed.**
3. CLASSROOM DECOR – Look at the quotations, art work, and pictures you have hanging on the wall. If you are discussing the founding of America, are all the pictures of old, White men? Why? Celebrate color and diversity on your walls. Show your students the beauty of a diverse and rich color palette.
4. CLASSROOM LIBRARY – Check out your leveled readers or “choice books”. How many races and cultures are represented in sports, mystery, science fiction, adventure? Start with one section of your classroom library and add books that represent the world in which we live, not just yourself or your classroom demographic. Choosing window, mirror, and map texts will ensure a diverse offering.

The Big Picture

5. LEADERSHIP – Hold leadership accountable for providing professional development sessions that include training and coaching on developing and maintaining a culturally responsive  classroom and school environment.

6. DON’T GET OVERWHELMED – Truly transforming your classroom takes time and intentionality.

1. • You can do this! This decision to be intentional is transformative. Stay the course.
   • Start with one unit of study. Sit down with your team and talk through it together. Working together can make the task enjoyable.
   • Pick one area of your classroom and revamp the decor.
   • Choose one category in your classroom library at a time to overhaul. Talk to the school or community media specialist about resources that the school can provide.
   • Find conferences or organizations that host interesting PD and suggest it to your leadership team.

Creating a culturally responsive classroom environment will increase acceptance and understanding of differences. It will equip students to interact in the very colorful and diverse world in which we live. 

That’s all for now. We’ll talk about intentionally being inclusive in the home and in life in the next blog posts. Cheers to Culturally Responsive Classrooms!

Cheers!

Joce

Looking for in person or virtual training and coaching to develop a culturally responsive environment at your school? Check out The Culture-Centered Teacher Series and contact me to schedule!

Each year, educators are becoming more aware of these terms, but what do they really mean?

Most importantly, why is it beneficial to create a culturally responsive classroom?

Alright, so here is the skinny. And I mean skinny, because these concepts have been researched and written about for years by people such as Jacqueline Irving, Gloria Ladson-Billings, Geneva Gay, and Zaretta Hammond. I encourage you to read one of their books or scholarly articles.

Culturally Responsive/Relevant Pedagogy

Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) encourages teachers to observe the cultural and ethnic make up of the students in their classroom for the purposes of incorporating practices, language, and texts from those cultures and ethnicities to both affirm these students and positively educate other students.  

Culturally relevant practices are an extension of culturally responsive pedagogy. In this, teachers are encouraged to be culturally competent, meaning they have the ability to understand and effectively communicate and educate students of multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds. To do this teachers must be aware of their own world view, cultural practices, and social norms. Then, they must be willing to learn and understand other world views, cultural practices and social norms. 

Benefits of Using CR Pedagogy

So, why is utilizing culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy beneficial in the classroom? 

I could answer this question now, but first I want you to take a minute and think about the brief descriptions I provided above. Think about the students you typically educate, the dominant social norms, and prevailing cultural practices. Then, list three reasons why you think incorporating this type of pedagogy would be beneficial in your classroom.

Ok. Hold on to that list. You may want to add a few more reasons at the end.

Essentially, I believe the answer to this question comes back to the purpose of education. If the purpose of education is simply to relay information from one source to a recipient, then there is no need for most of the pedagogical strategies we teachers employ. However, if the purpose of education is to develop students who think critically, reflect intentionally, and question thoughtfully, then a culturally relevant curriculum does that. If the purpose is to prepare students, both personally and academically to engage in a diverse world with empathy, compassion, and conviction, then a culturally responsive pedagogy is designed to also do that.   

CR Pedagogy Propositions

Ladson-Billings states that, “culturally relevant pedagogy rests on three criteria or propositions: (a) students must experience academic success; (b) students must develop and/or maintain cultural competence; and (c) students must develop a critical consciousness through which they challenge the status quo of the current social order” (160).

Essentially, students experience academic success because their racial and ethnic identity is affirmed through representation. These students are not always being asked to relate to experiences and concepts for which they have no knowledge base or point of reference. Instead, cultural bridges are built between prior knowledge/experience and new concepts to aid in more complete understanding.

Just like the teacher, students in a culturally responsive classroom are encouraged to reflect on their own world views, cultural practices, and social norms. Then they are guided through lessons that examine the world views, cultural practices, and social norms of their classmates and others across the world. Students who see themselves and members of the global community represented and valued in the classroom are able to engage in more robust discussion of a variety of topics, are challenged to think about concepts and problems from multiple perspectives, develop an appreciation for, and understanding of differences. Employing a culturally responsive pedagogy allows for the discussion of difficult, but necessary topics like injustice, inequalities, and social and economic disparities due to race, class, and gender.

While engaging in self reflection, studying rigorous texts and concepts, and navigating profound and sometimes difficult discussions, students develop a “critical consciousness through which they challenge the status quo of the current social order”(Ladson-Billings, 160).

Simply put, by creating a culturally responsive classroom we are empowering students of every racial and ethnic background to learn and grow more deeply, more purposefully, and more completely.

Wow!

Cheers to intentional teaching,

Joce

P.S. Subscribe to my email list to get a FREE Culturally Responsive Unit planning resource!

Looking for in person or virtual training and coaching to develop a culturally responsive environment at your school? Check out The Intentional Teacher Series and contact me to schedule!

Citation:

Ladson‐Billings, Gloria. “But Thats Just Good Teaching! The Case for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy.” Theory Into Practice, vol. 34, no. 3, 1995, pp. 159–165., doi:10.1080/00405849509543675.

What will you do with these next 30 days? How will you prepare YOU?

Here are the three things I plan to do.

The beginning of the school year is not the time to prepare. In between classroom set up, syllabus printing, roster reorganization, team meetings and other PD, all I have time for is coffee. 

One month before school starts I am still relaxed enough to really think about who I am, what I accomplished last year, who I want to be and what I want to accomplish this year.

To do this, I ask myself focus forward questions. These are questions that help me think about the future. So, I might ask, “Am I purposefully pursuing my passion? How will I continue my pursuit this year?” 

I reflect for a few minutes, but the majority of my time is spent thinking about next steps.

Next steps, for me, always involve finding inspiration and encouragement. 

Reading books, taking walks, watching movies, talking with friends, taking an art class or a dance class. I can gather inspiration from most places when I am open to receiving it.

Over the years I have found that living an inspired life in the best lesson I can teach my students. 

From the inspiration I gather, I can begin to create my first Power Up space.  This is a place where I can continue to be inspired throughout the school year.

For tips on how to create your own Power Up space, check out thisstates synonym essay.

The last thing I do 30 days before the school year is …. pick my poison. 

Stay with me. I promise it makes sense.

One of my favorite movies is The Princess Bride. In that movie there is a battle of wits; the old poison in the cup schtick. The challenger actually places poison in both cups. So, how does he escape death? He deliberately chose this poison and then ingested small amounts of it each day. This built up an immunity in his body.

What does this have to do with the 30 day prep for school? Well, there is always something that we dislike doing, but we know it will make us stronger. This is the poison. 

Poison – anything done or consumed in excess.

So, during my 30 day prep time I choose something that I don’t particularly like doing, but I know it will make me a better person. I do this thing in small doses.

For example, I love a clean, organized house, but with 4 young kids, cleaning is not a task I enjoy. In order to have what I want, I put myself on a small dose cleaning schedule. 

• Mondays – strip all the beds, remake them, and wash all the dirty sheets.
• Tuesday – Clean the bathrooms
• Wednesday – Wash kids’ clothes

In this way, I am not overwhelmed trying to clean everything at once.

Well, that’s all folks!

Cheers to the 30 day prep!

Joce

Need some great professional development? Want some practical strategies you can take straight back to the classroom? Check outdigital essay.

As educators we are always being asked about the impact we are making in our schools and with our students. This is an important question because we have such a significant impact on both the school environment and the student experience. Regularly reflecting on ways that students are negatively and positively impacted by our attitudes, our words, and our interactions is important in creating a successful and thriving school environment.

If we could pause here for just a moment… I want to ask about you, the educator. How are you doing today? How are you feeling? How have your students’ attitudes, words, and interactions impacted you?

It is equally as important to check on how teachers are doing, as it is to check in about the students. Not only do teachers need to check in, but we need to make sure we are taking the time to process.

The Importance of Processing

Today we are going to discuss why we should process and how to process.

Process: To deal with something according to a particular set of actions.

Here are some helpful steps for processing the points of impact along your teaching journey:

1. Acknowledge the feeling.
2. Acknowledge the trigger.
3. Lean into the feeling and learn from it.
4. Ask yourself questions – do you like this feeling? Is it negatively or positively impacting your person?
5. Decide on appropriate responses – counseling, journaling, exercise.
6. Release the feeling, retain the lesson.

As teachers we are emotionally connected to our students and the school environment. Throughout the school year there are things that happen to our students impacting their behavior and academic performance. These things also impact us as teachers.

There are both positive and negative points of impact. Look at the chart below. How do these events make you feel?

Begin Purposeful Reflection

Download the FREE Healthy Processing Packet and begin processing the points of impact you encounter year after year, day after day, class period after class period.

**Here is a teaser** Write down one significant point of impact. Next to it, write a corresponding feeling. Don’t think about it. Don’t try to be politically correct. How does the event make you feel?

Cheers! You have already begun healthy processing.

Is this the first time you have stopped to process?

If not, think about how you typically process these most significant points of impact.

If this is the first time, reflect on why you have not stopped to do this sooner.

The Importance of Awareness & Atunement in Purposeful Reflection

In “Understanding Emotions and How to Process Them“, Dr. Gregg Henriques discusses the importance of awareness and attunement. To be aware is to recognize the existence of the feelings. What feelings are produced as a result of events happening in the school as a whole AND those produced by students’ attitudes, behavior, and interactions?

Attunement describes a person’s awareness and receptivity level in conjunction with the reaction to awareness. So, now that you are aware of the feelings produced by various impacts, what is your response? Do you shove the feelings away? Do you discuss the feelings? Journal? Counseling? Talk to a teacher friend?

Your reaction can be the beginning of a healthy processing journey, or the beginning of an unhealthy compacting journey.

Download the FREE Healthy Processing Packet to begin your journey. We will dive a bit deeper in the next post.

Cheers to healthy processing!

Joce

Looking for a deep dive into purposeful reflection for both teachers and students? Check out the Intentional Teaching Series.

I hate to admit it, but I heard this question from students more times than I would have liked.

Instead of disregarding this question however, it made me think more deeply about my teaching practice. Why were my students completing a particular assignment?

Of course I knew the answer. I had spent time reflecting on the standards and carefully identifying the best way to teach my students to build on their foundation of knowledge. I spent time thinking about ways to make each assignment relevant to the students’ current lives and relevant for their futures.

So, why was the purpose of the assignment unclear to them?

I always had the focus standard identified on the front board. Student learning goals and objectives were clearly posted above the daily agenda. Yet, I still got the questions about purpose.

Before most assignments I would have students write the state standard into student friendly language and share with a partner. Yet, I still got the questions about purpose.

Something was getting lost in translation and it needed to be found.

Identifying a purpose for learning increases student engagement, the quality of work, and completion rate. Therefore, helping students understand the reason for learning is essential.

As teachers we spend a lot of time reflecting on the standards. We see the standards covered in the grade below and above ours. We have vertical alignment meetings. We also have the benefit of life on our hands. We can see how the dots are connected. We can see how learning and growth in certain areas contributed to later success.

So,I decided to add a distinctive reflection component for my students.

For each unit of study I added a pre assignment reflection and a post assignment reflection. Reflection before beginning an assignment allows students’ to activate prior knowledge, identify areas of weakness, and set a purpose for learning. Pre reflection addresses the questions, what am I learning and why am I learning. Any time a student forgets, I have them pull out the pre reflection sheet.

Post reflection allows student learning to be solidified. Students think about what they learned and why. Students think about how they will apply this learning in the future. It gives students an opportunity to reflect on the areas in which they found success and the areas that caused them to struggle.

Not only is this a great way to set purpose, but it keeps students accountable for their learning. This type of student reflection also allows teachers insight into the areas that students need reteaching.

It is a win/win for everyone!

If you are ready to get started with student assignment reflection, check out the pre and post reflection sheets I have already created!

Cheers to intentional teaching and student reflection!

Joce

Looking for a deep dive into purposeful reflection for both teachers and students? Check out the Intentional Teaching Series.

Over the summer my son, a rising first grader, read one book each week. While he read to me this morning, he kept stopping to comment on how different characters looked like certain friends. The book he was reading is called Next Stop: Second Grade! It’s a cute book about the concerns different boys and girls have about entering a new grade level.

Finally I asked him, “Have you seen anyone that looks like you?”

“No.” He replied.

“How does that make you feel?”

“Well, kind of sad. How do I know that I will feel good? I don’t think anyone will explain how I will feel when I’m going to go to second grade.”

“I see. Well, let’s look at the cover of the book,” I replied. “Do you see anyone who looks like you?” I saw a little brown boy and assumed my son would pick out that child.

Instead he said, “No, Mommy. I don’t.”

So, I pointed to the brown boy and said, “What about him? Does he look like you?”

“Not really.”

“Ok? Describe someone who looks like you.”

“He would have short hair like me, light brown skin, and a round face.”

I smiled at my innocent boy. “I see.”

As a classroom teacher, coach/consultant, and certainly as a parent, I pride myself on creating spaces that are culturally responsive. Diverse. Inclusive. I realize that every face, every race, every religion won’t be represented all the time, but how can we try?

So, what about me, teacher?

An important part of creating a classroom environment where students thrive is making them feel like they belong. This requires intentional teaching: being intentional about texts you choose to use in the classroom. A couple of great places to start are the classroom library, read alouds, and novel studies. Ask yourself three questions about the text you will include.

1. Is this a mirror text? For which students?

2. Is this a window text? For which students?

3. Is this a map text? For which students?

Asking these three questions is a great way to be intentional about the text you are choosing to use in your classroom. Taking these three questions to grade level and department meetings continues the conversation beyond your classroom.

Concerned that you need new books, but don’t have the funds? Here are a few solutions:

1. Do a classroom library swap with another teacher.
2. Borrow books from the school or local library.
3. Read eBooks. Sites like Planet eBooks, Open Library, and Open Culture are good places to start.
4. We are Teachers has also compiled a great list! Check it out.

Being intentional in all of our teaching practices shows the students how much we care. It shows that coming to school is more than just textbooks, test prep, and teachers talking.

As a mother, I pride myself on knowing my children well.  As a diversity and inclusion practitioner, I pride myself on understanding the importance of diverse literature, and it’s role in magnifying and reinforcing the beauty in each child.  This morning my son reminded me that creating a truly diverse learning atmosphere is a never-ending journey.

To learn even more about window, mirror, map, and sliding glass door texts, listen to an interview with Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop. She is known as the “mother of multicultural literature”.

Let’s begin our journey by being intentional with the books we use in our classrooms.

Cheers to using diverse and inclusive books!

Looking for in person or virtual training and coaching to develop a culturally responsive environment at your school? Check out The Culture-Centered Teacher Series and contact me to schedule!

A+ for creating this space for your students to thrive.

But what about you? The teacher. What motivates, encourages, and informs you?

One key element you should consider adding to your classroom wall is a display just for you. It is your classroom after all. “Oooops! Did I just type that in real life?” I know there are other bloggers, administrators, and coaches saying to minimize the teacher footprint in the classroom. I get it, and I agree for the most part. Get rid of your huge desk and shelves filled with professional texts. Do not, however, erase your identity from the classroom.

Find a space on the wall near your desk or podium and encourage, support, or educate yourself.  This little addition is what I like to call my Professional Power Up space. It is an area filled with little reminders of greatness, tokens of strength, and dollops of wisdom to keep me going through my day.

Creating a classroom culture where students thrive begins with the teacher. YOU are the leader in the classroom. You set the tone from the moment the students walk through your classroom door until the bell rings. So, make sure the atmosphere nurtures you as well.

Keep in mind that just like every other display in your classroom, the Professional Power Up space needs to change from time to time. You may want to refresh your power up pieces based on the academic, sports, or calendar seasons. You don’t want this to be stressful.

Here are some examples of Professional Power Up spaces I have created.

Remember, these are just examples. This is the type of display that inspires me. Maybe you love a painting. Hang that. Maybe you have a rocking chair that was your grandmother’s. She inspired you and sitting in that chair while doing a read aloud energizes you.

Two things I love about the Professional Power Up space is 1) it allows your students and colleagues a chance to know you a little better. When your students know about you, they begin to trust you. They see that you are a person who needs encouragement and motivation, a person who is seeking to be inspired. 2) The Professional Power Up space is a conversation starter. Your students will want to know why you added something to your space. What a great way to start a conversation that is appropriate, but not purely academic. It is often these types of conversations that inspire students to do more and be more.

If you really want to take it to the next level, have your students create their own Power Up space. This could be a small area of their desk or binder. It should be located somewhere they can see it every day. This is a great idea for a beginning of the school year activity. Then, students can refresh it at the beginning of every quarter.

What I’ve found is that students liked my space so much they started to either create one on their own, or ask if it could be a class project. It gave them a sense of ownership in the class and provided an opportuity for self reflection and growth.

Taking time to think about who we are and what makes us happy is so important. One of the first steps in creating a classroom where students thrive is making sure you, their teacher, their cheerleader, their facilitator, their guide are able to find joy. The students can sense when you are running low. So… “Power Up”!

Cheers to creating a little slice of motivation!

CTS

Have you started back to school already?  Are you in the middle of the school year, or are you preparing to head back into the classroom? Either way, I hear the school bells ringing because this blog is back in session!

So, whether you’re knee deep in a novel study, or just arranging your flexible seating I’ve got a few topics I think you’ll find interesting and helpful moving forward.

One of the most important characteristics of a successful classroom is the environment. Inside the space that is room (insert # here), the dynamic should be noticeably different. It is more than just the smell or the colors on the wall. More than the flexible seating or neatly lined desks. The atmosphere in your classroom sets the mood, the tone, and the pace. The atmosphere energizes the neurons or zaps the curiosity.

No matter how great the lesson plan, your students will not have a growth experience that transcends your classroom and this one grade level unless you consider a few key elements.

Ready to energize?!

Great! Over the next few weeks we will discuss all things atmosphere.  Transforming the atmosphere to transcend all expectations. Hmmmnnn… I like that. Transforming to transcend. What do you think? Will you join me?

Tune in next week. Same day, same site.

Cheers to transformation!

Hopefully you had a chance to pull out that calendar and schedule time for you. Self care is so important. If you are not good, you definitely cannot give your best. Now that we have our personal goals for success in place, let’s continue by discussing some helpful ways to be successful professionally. The three tips I’m offering are like a reverse gradual release strategy. LOL I do, you do, we do.

As I previously stated, if you’re not caring for you, you can not give your best, at least not for long. The same is true professionally.  If you are not investing in yourself professionally, you will become stagnant in your teaching practices.

So, the first thing you want to do to ensure professional success is to engage in professional development. Attend conferences, read books, participate in webinars, take courses toward an advanced degree or certification. And here is a little thing that I do that I’ve actually never told anyone. (Shhhh!) I like to explore other areas. I may be an English and social studies teacher, but I have taken courses in health studies, technology, and some that are spiritually rejuvenating. Now, this may not work for you, but I love to see how I can incorporate other aspects of life into my teaching. Taking courses that are unrelated to education often gives me a boost of energy. I have a new appreciation for other professions and the work my students will have to do to reach their professional goals.

Next, you should try to find unique growth opportunities for your students. What you do in this area is definitely going to depend on the age of  your students. Here are some suggestions that may work for your group:

• Community Service or Service Learning – Although many schools now require students to have community service hours, all do not. Find places around your community where students can volunteer.

Ex. Elderly housing development, soup kitchen, or a place like Matthew 25 Ministries or the Red Cross. We have also done some cool lessons with the book Wear am I Wearing and Where am I Eating by Kelsey Timmerman.

• Reading Buddies – Have your students visit students in a lower grade and read to them.
• Attend a career fair. Before attending we talk about goals and potential career interests. For this type of experience I typically send my students with a clipboard and packet of questions to ask people at the booths. If you are interested in this packet please send an email to customteachingsolutions.com and I would be happy to provide you the template.

The final area to focus on is growth opportunities for you AND your students. I find that when I am learning along side my students we grow together in a unique way. My students see that learning really is life long. I know this can be tough because teachers are ultimate planners and need to preview potential resources before exposing the students, but it can be done. Here are some suggestions:

1. Field trips – Choose three experiences for a curriculum based field trip. These need to be trips that you have not previously taken. Then, allow your students to vote.
2. Speaker – Having a speaker present to your class, or a group of classes is always fun. For example, as a social studies teacher I might contact the VA and ask if someone can come speak to the class while we are discussing war.
3. Role Reverse – Allow your students to teach you how to do something. I typically have students get into groups of 2-4 and decide on a lesson they want to teach.

These experiences are really great ways to build trust and facilitate learning through the year. I would love for you to share some activities you have tried with your students.

Taking a fresh look at your classroom teaching practices allows for continual growth, but also gives you new reasons to love what you do. While teaching the same way every day of every year can make things easy, it also makes them boring. Our students thrive off our passion and excitement for educating.

So feed your passion by refreshing your perspective.

Comment below with your experiences or additional ideas. We love discussion.

Cheers to professional success!

-CTS

If you missed part one, you can read it HERE.