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Five Key Principles of Culturally Responsive Teaching

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Five Key Principles of Culturally Responsive Teaching

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A MiddleWeb Blog

There's a rising wave of discussion around culturally responsive teaching (CRT). The goals of CRT ( Hammond, 2016) are to:

● Improve the learning capacity of diverse students.
● Center instruction around the cognitive aspects of teaching and learning.
● Build resilience and an academic mindset by providing pushback against the deficit narratives about students of color.

Many of us, myself included, have never participated in coursework on this topic, yet it is so crucial to providing an equitable learning experience for multilinguals (MLs). Teachers can develop culturally responsive instruction by incorporating into their lesson design five guiding principles, which come from Dr. Diane Staehr Fenner and Dr. Sydney Snyder's new book entitled Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners (Corwin, 2021).

Guiding Principle 1: CRT is assets-based

The way we see students determines the way we teach them. With a deficit perspective, we are handcuffed by what we think students can't do. From an assets viewpoint, we are free to think of all the things multilinguals can do. One way to be strengths-based is to build on students' linguistic and cultural backgrounds. If multilinguals come from an oral-language tradition, we can incorporate stories. If they come from a community-oriented culture, we can design learning using collaborative structures.

Guiding Principle 2: CRT simultaneously supports and challenges students

If learning is to be equitable for multilinguals, then they must be given access to grade-level curriculum. When I first started teaching MLs, I would scoff at teachers who wanted the multilingual students to learn the same content as their peers. I would think, "How can this teacher expect students to learn about fair trade when they can't even read the words 'fair trade'?" In my pull-out sessions, I would ignore the teacher's content and start by teaching them colors of the rainbow, school supply items, and farm animals.

Reflecting back, I am horrified by how I watered down the curriculum for my students. By doing so, I was widening the achievement gap. Now I have come to realize that multilinguals can and must learn the same content as their grade-level peers ( Echevarría et al., 2017).

Guiding Principle 3: CRT places students at the center of learning

This principle is about instructional design. When designing learning, create experiences where students are required to do the heavy cognitive work of learning and manipulating both content and language. Ways to do this include collaborative structures, inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, concept-based learning, and service learning.

All of these approaches to lesson design see students as active participants in their learning because when designed well, learning is the by-product of engagement.

Guiding Principle 4: CRT leverages students' linguistic and cultural backgrounds

When we can link the content that we are teaching to what students are already familiar with, there is a firm foundation on which to build new learning. For example, when I taught a unit about world religions, students had to learn about the common characteristics of established belief systems. On the first day of that lesson, I had students sit in same-religion groups to identify the features of their own faiths. Starting off with what they know about their spirituality was a low-risk way to learn the content.

Guiding Principle 5: CRT utilizes students' schools, families, and communities

Gone are the days when we taught in silos. Now it's time for us to reach within and beyond schools to partner with all of the stakeholders in students' lives. For example, we might invite families or community members representing the different faiths found in students' communities into school to share their values.

Students' family members and community guests can provide firsthand knowledge of the content and add a level of relevance to learning. It would be a pity not to collaborate with them on our religion unit, for example. When we take advantage of these resources, we have the added benefit of students, families, and community organizations feeling like they are also valued members of the school.

Culturally Responsive Teaching is here to stay

CRT is not a fad. It's not one more thing we have to do for multilinguals. It's a way of being with MLs and their families that is grounded in the assets of multilingual students, their families, and their communities. By our holding high expectations of MLs while providing high support, they can be both successful in school and proud of their heritage.

Which of these guiding principles are you most excited to start with in your context?
References LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
Diane Staehr Fenner and Sydney Snyder share the
five principles of culturally responsive teaching
with Tan Huynh
Echevarría, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. (2016). Making Content Comprehensible for Secondary English Learners: The SIOP Model (5th ed.). Pearson.

Hammond, Z. (2016, October 20). Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain. The Teaching Channel ( Corwin Book)
Click here to access our large collection of how-to articles
about teaching multilingual/English learners
Snyder, S. C., & Staehr Fenner, D. (2021). Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity. Corwin.

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Five Guiding Principles of Culturally Responsive Teaching

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Using CRT, we can hold high expectations of MLs while we provide high support, so they can be successful in school and proud of their heritage, writes Tan Huynh

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Culturally Responsive Teaching in Action

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Culturally Responsive Teaching in Action

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Examples:

Using multicultural literature and resources.

Incorporating students’ traditions and holidays into lessons.

Providing opportunities for students to share their experiences and perspectives.

Inviting families and community members to participate in school activities.

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Strategies for a Culturally Responsive Classroom

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Strategies for a Culturally Responsive Classroom

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Culturally Responsive Instruction

Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based approach that "invites students to bring their expertise to the table" (Fleming, 2019) by identifying and harnessing the assets of students who have historically been underserved in schools. Here are some resources providing an overview to CRT.

Overviews: Research & Resource Guides

Overviews: Articles, Blogs, and Tools

Resources from Zaretta Hammond

Books

Videos and Podcasts

Key Concepts

Funds of Knowledge

Cultural Orientation: Collective vs. Individual

Classroom Resources

Culturally Responsive Books

Academic Language & Literacy

Inquiry and Project-Based Learning (PBL)

Making Local Connections

Student Populations: Resource Collections

American Indian/Alaska Native Students

English Language Learners (ELLs)

Students with Special Needs

Equity Issues

Bias

Race

Culturally Responsive Family Engagement

References

Fleming, J. Personal communication. October 15, 2019.

Fleming, J., et al. (2015). More Mirrors in the Classroom: Using Urban Children's Literature to Increase Literacy. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.

Hamayan, E., et al. (2013.) Special Education Considerations for English Language Learners. Delivering a Continuum of Services. Philadelphia: Caslon Publishing.

Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Rothstein-Fisch, C. and Trumbull, E. (2008). Managing Diverse Classrooms: How to Build on Students' Cultural Strengths. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Vigil, Karla. Personal communication. November 1, 2019.

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Culturally Responsive Instruction: Resource List

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Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based approach that "invites students to bring their expertise to the table" (Fleming, 2019) by identifying and harnessing the assets of students who have historically been underserved in schools. Here are some resources providing an overview to CRT. Resources from Zaretta Hammond Equity Issues Bias Race Fleming, J.

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Benefits of Culturally Responsive Teaching

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Benefits of Culturally Responsive Teaching

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Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity