In Adeline's Entry 4, 3-2-1 Understandings, she was inspired by Zaretta Hammond's comment, "All instruction is culturally responsive. The question is to whose culture is it responding" (Hammond, 2021). Adeline commented that this statement made her question how our educational system is set up and structured. I thought Adeline allowed this statement to sink in as she reflected on her role as a culturally responsive teacher. It was insightful for her to recognize that being culturally responsive as a teacher is not something we do or do not do in our classrooms. She mentioned in her blog that it is up to all teachers to recognize that we are either "benefitting all students in [our] class equally, or favoring a dominant culture."
As I considered Adeline's comments and all that I've been learning in the SOE graduate program about culturally responsive teaching, I must recognize that I have my own biases and perspectives, which I bring into the classroom about such aspects as the students, the parents, the educational system, the curriculum, and the school environments and neighborhoods. For example, I recall that one of my first courses in the MS TESOL program required me to write a paper reflecting on my educational experiences, which really enlightened me about my own expectations about schools, students, and teaching. This exercise helped open my mind to other ideas and perspectives on what being a student and teacher in the classroom entails in today's world of education. Hammond (2021), Muhammad (2021), and Yoon (2019) all question the way classrooms are set up today to focus on one cultural experience or perspective and/or language being desirable and being communicated in all aspects of the learning versus classrooms being structured in ways that value and present varied cultural, language, socioeconomic, historical and political perspectives so that all students feel represented, seen, and known in what they are learning. In fact, Hammond (2021) believes that if students' brains are not prepared to receive new information and insights because they do not have any connections, background, or experiences related to what is being taught, then students will not be able to grasp, benefit, and from the educational experiences they encounter in classrooms. In addition, I believe it is valuable for all students to be educated about the importance of diversity in our world by learning in ways that benefit everyone in the classroom so that each student can recognize that the differences around them can come together in ways that make the world better for everyone.Thus, it is vital that as teachers we are in tune with providing the best educational curriculum and strategies that can benefit all students irrespective of their backgrounds. Adeline's reflection reminded me that it is so important that I'm aware of the power I have to create a culturally responsive classroom environment that supports and values the diversity of each of my students.
References
Muhammad, G. (2020). Cultivating genius: an equity framework for culturally
and historically responsive literacy. Scholastic.
Tompkins, G.E., Rodgers, E.M., & Rodgers, A. (2022). Literacy for the 21st century: balancing reading and writing instruction. Pearson.
Yoon, H. S. (2019). Playful Literacies, Creativity, and Multilingual Practices. The Reading Teacher, 72(5), 551–557. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1788
Zaretta Hammond: Using Neuroscience to Help Students | #PLtogether. (2021). Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiOrIN2oJi8
Lida, I can't help but wonder, how is the Literacy Autobiography offering yet another opportunity reflect on your "educational experiences, which really enlightened me about my own expectations about schools, students, and teaching."
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