Culturally Responsive Teaching: Double Journal Entry #6

2. Communicate clear expectations
I honestly have not had much experience where teachers are culturally responsive.Many teachers simply lecture for the 60 or 90 minutes they were given. One experience that really sticks out to me was Dr. Smith's classes. She began the class stating what was expected, and then held each of her students to that standard.

I consider culturally responsive teaching to be important, but in a state with almost no diversity, will these skills actually help, or are they to widen West Virginia's perspectives of other cultures? I know many of the education classes stress using multicultural themes in the classroom, but many of them just said incorporate a country or a book with people of another ethnicity. I think its important as teachers to get to know your students and take them from where they are to a more open idea of other cultures and each other. By knowing the students, culturally responsive teaching will easily happen as you teach.


I found a practical application of being culturally responsive. I like simplified explanations, and this article, presented by The Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning, asks the question "am I a culturally responsive teacher?" by using 6 guidelines to teaching.

"6 Ways To Know If You Are Culturally Responsive." The Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning . N.p., 2010. Web. 11 Sep 2011. "http://www.culturallyresponsive.org/resources/42-news/91-6-ways-to-know-if-you-are-culturally-responsive"

"Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching." Teaching Diverse Learners. The Education Alliance, 2006. Web. 11 Sep 2011. "http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/tl-strategies/crt-principles.shtml"