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Addressing Inequity and Fostering Inclusion

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Addressing Inequity and Fostering Inclusion

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This text explains why addressing educational inequities is so important. It offers strategies and approaches for educators to create an empowering, supportive, and inclusive learning environment.

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Welcome to this toolkit. The links you will find in each category are aimed to help secondary educators teach students who come from lower income families or areas. In each category you will find several resources with descriptions of their purposes. There are resources aimed to help you engage with your lower income students, build a classroom community and relationships, how best to differentiate instruction for the purposes of inclusion, and resources to help you teach with culture in mind. All of these are extremely important when looking to teach students from low income households.

After engaging with this toolkit you should be able to identify practices and strategies to implement in your own classroom to best serve your students in low income areas.

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Oakland Schools has a semi-truck that travels to different schools and presents students with different STEM career paths. These kinds of programs are extremely important for students who are not necessarily exposed to different post-secondary options.

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Oakland Schools' STEMi Mobile Innovation Station, a mobile lab is designed to engage K-12 students, teachers, and families a one-of-a-kind Industry 4.0 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) experience. The 1,000 square feet mobile lab will provide schools with access to high-end industry equipment, staff with subject matter expertise, and an engaging hand-on experience that will spark students interest in engineering practices, build career awareness and self-efficacy.

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Upcoming Events

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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Oakland Schools is designing, developing and deploying a mobile lab to engage k - 12 students, teachers and families in Industry 4.0 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) experiences. Learners are able to engage with autonomous vehicles, collaborative robots, extended reality and smart manufacturing.

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In this Ted Talk, Kandice Sumner shares her experience as an educator and student facing inequities in school. A video worth a watch for a new perspective.

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Why should a good education be exclusive to rich kids? Schools in low-income neighborhoods across the US, specifically in communities of color, lack resources that are standard at wealthier schools -- things like musical instruments, new books, healthy school lunches and soccer fields -- and this has a real impact on the potential of students. Kandice Sumner sees the disparity every day in her classroom in Boston. In this inspiring talk, she asks us to face facts -- and change them.

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Become a TED Member

Want to hear more great ideas like this one? Sign up for TED Membership to get exclusive access to captivating conversations, engaging events, and more!

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBeaconStreet, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Why should a good education be exclusive to rich kids? Schools in low-income neighborhoods across the US, specifically in communities of color, lack resources that are standard at wealthier schools -- things like musical instruments, new books, healthy school lunches and soccer fields -- and this has a real impact on the potential of students. Kandice Sumner sees the disparity every day in her classroom in Boston. In this inspiring talk, she asks us to face facts -- and change them.

education

community

race

United States

personal growth

society

TEDx

Slavery

policy

teaching

kids

equality

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBeaconStreet, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

About the speaker

Kandice Sumner thinks we've been looking at the "achievement gap" in education all wrong.

About TEDx

TEDx was created in the spirit of TED's mission, "ideas worth spreading." It supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community.

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Kandice Sumner: How America's public schools keep kids in poverty

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Why should a good education be exclusive to rich kids? Schools in low-income neighborhoods across the US, specifically in communities of color, lack resources that are standard at wealthier schools -- things like musical instruments, new books, healthy school lunches and soccer fields -- and this has a real impact on the potential of students.

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Providing students with resources outside of school is an important part of breaking the poverty cycle. United Way for Southeastern Michigan is one of the programs in our area that aims to "advance equitable communities".

https://unitedwaysem.org/

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Promoting Student Autonomy in the Classroom

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Promoting Student Autonomy in the Classroom

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According to this article, students are more successful when they have an interest in what they are learning. Giving them a chance to have a say in their education, promoting their autonomy as learners, will help to increase overall engagement. Motivation is particularly important in low income areas as schools in these areas typically have fewer resources.

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Barbara McCombs, PhD, University of Denver

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Developing responsible and autonomous learners: A key to motivating students

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Research has shown that motivation is related to whether or not students have opportunities to be autonomous and to make important academic choices.

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Eric Jensen Interview: Engaging Students With Poverty In Mind

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Eric Jensen Interview: Engaging Students With Poverty In Mind

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Eric Jensen, the well known author of Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind and Teaching With Poverty in Mind, discusses his "brain-based" approach to teaching low income students in this YouTube video. He discusses his findings, strategies, and practices for serving our students.

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Teaching With Poverty In Mind With Eric Jensen and Melanie Veasy Interview

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In this article, author Andrew Boryga compiles a list of strategies and procedures educators may implement to build and sustain relationships in the classroom. Some are activities to build into daily routines and some can be done here and there throughout the school year. Boryga backs up most of the activities on the list with some kind of evidence or teacher approval.

Building and sustaining relationships is the foundation to a successful student, especially in low income districts.

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Most agree: Strong, trusting relationships between students and teachers are the key to high-functioning, academically challenging classrooms. But according to high school Spanish teacher Natalie Lalagos, that's only a fraction of the story.

To lay the groundwork for productive classroom discussions and truly fruitful group work, for example, teachers should think about relationships along four dimensions: teacher to individual student, teacher to whole class, student to student, and student to whole class.

It might start with simple adjustments that improve classroom cohesion more generally. A teacher's identity, Lalagos suggests, should be known to the class, just as a student should feel "seen and known" by their teacher. Students, meanwhile, should develop bonds with each other, as well as a "sense of belonging" in the classroom community as a whole.

We've scoured our archives to highlight fun, quick, and easy-to-implement strategies that can (and should) be deployed daily, weekly, and even year-round to build and sustain strong classroom communities.

1. Morning meetings: The ubiquitous morning meeting, suitable for all ages, is simple to conduct and gives students and teachers a chance to reflect on the day ahead and recalibrate as they prepare to learn. The meetings can take many forms but tend to focus on prosocial greetings, reflection, and sharing: Tools like mood meters and strategies like roses and thorns allow students to convey how they're feeling that day without oversharing. Integrating group activities into the first minutes of your lessons- relationship-building games, mindfulness activities like deep breathing, or even movement-can loosen kids up for learning while having fun in the process.

By establishing strong social connections, morning meetings can reduce classroom disruptions by up to 75 percent, according to a 2017 study.

2. Name tents/name toss: An easy and interesting way to tackle name pronunciation at the start of the year is to ask students to fold paper in half and create name tents, complete with the phonetic spelling of their name. Students can decorate the other side of these tents-with drawings or images that represent them, for example-so that teachers can glean valuable insights about their passions or identities, writes high school teacher Kati Begen.

To socialize pronunciations more broadly, Kristy Zamagni-Twomey recommends fun games. Arrange students in a circle, introduce a ball, and have each student pronounce their name before tossing the ball to another child (alternatively, you can have all students say "Hi, ____" before the ball is tossed). Or, you can give students blindfolds, have one student speak a simple greeting, and ask the blindfolded student to guess the name of the speaker. During the games, be sure to gently correct mispronunciations.

3. Get-to-know-you surveys: Use free tools like SurveyMonkey or Poll Everywhere to ask students questions that range from icebreakers like "What is the best gift you've ever received and why?" or "Who are you closest to in your family and why?" to more academically oriented questions, such as "What scares you most about this class?"

Because you can make responses anonymous to peers, "students will often reveal things that they wouldn't otherwise," says high school administrator Sean Cassel. The activity really bears fruit when you follow up with students, writes middle school teacher Lindsay Kervan: Pull a student aside and ask about the sibling they mentioned on the survey, for example, or integrate student interests in curricular materials.

4. All about me: Askstudents to create a fun presentation including 10 facts about themselves: Encourage them to use media like video, photos, and music, Cassel writes. To model the activity, ease the pressure, and help students connect with you, make a presentation for yourself and go first.

Another spin on the activity? High school English teacher Larry Ferlazzo recommends "I Am" lists, which provide students with sentence starters they can complete, like "I am happy when ____," "I hope to ____," or "I am most scared when ____."

7. Identity portraits: This activity is really beginning to take off in the Edutopia community. To get to know her students better, and make their whole selves feel included and visible in her classroom, middle school teacher Shana V. White gives students crayons and colored pencils and asks them to draw an outline of their head and shoulders.

After drawing a line down the middle of their hand-drawn outline, they add skin tone, clothing, and other visible features on one side, and on the other side of the portrait they list words that describe their identity-their ethnic background, hobbies, or religion, for example. White says she hangs up the final portraits in her classroom so that students see them every day and "know that all those identities are accepted in this place."

8. 5x5 assessment: Choose five students to think about for five minutes each day, suggests Todd Finley, a professor of English education at East Carolina University, in North Carolina. Dwell on questions like these: What have I noticed about them recently? What behavior patterns? What outside affinities, struggles, values, and goals have been revealed? After you've done this, interact with the students that same day and ask them a question that came up during your thinking-for instance, "Mike, a couple of days ago you were talking about your dad's new job. How will that change things for you and your family?"

For two minutes each day, 10 days in a row, have a personal conversation with a student about anything they're interested in (as long as it's G-rated). The strategy sounds simple, but its inventor, psychologist Raymond Wlodkowski, found that it can lead to an 85 percent improvement in one student's behavior and improve the behavior of other students in your classroom too.

10. Greeting at the door: To get a quick pulse on how students are feeling and provide them with a jolt of encouragement before they take their seats, greet them individually at the door.

Kindergarten teacher Falon Turner starts her mornings by saying a student's name, making eye contact, and using a friendly greeting-like a high-five-to motivate students and gather important information about them. "Do they look escalated, do they look triggered, do they look upset?" High school teacher David Tow asks older students, "How are you doing?" when he greets them at the door. If he senses reluctance or evasion in the response, he makes a note and follows up with "Are you sure?"

12. Attendance check-in: Transform the drudgery ofattendance into an easy, daily way to get students to open up, writes high school English teacher Jori Krulder.Instead of having students say "Here" when their name is called, Krulder suggests giving them prompts that invite them to "have a voice, share a piece of themselves with peers, and build a culture of connectedness." This can include using a mood meter to identify the color they're feeling, sharing a word they've been dwelling on, or mentioning the last thing they read (a book or text message) that moved them in some way.

13. Assign seats (but change them often): Cicely Woodard recommends switching up seating assignments periodically-once a month or so. This gives students more opportunities to work together and "learn about each other," Woodard writes. Apps like Random Name Picker and Smart Seat can make this simple to do. After each change, Woodard recommends making time for short icebreakers so that students can get to know each other a bit.

14. Show and tell: It's old school, but it still works like a charm, according to Woodard.Starting at the beginning of the year, ask students to bring in something that represents them, their culture, or their passions. Plan to set aside five or 10 minutes each day for a few students to share what they brought until everyone in the class has participated.

To mix things up, ask students to stand and find a random partner to discuss the questions with, using prompts like "Find someone wearing the same color shoes as you."

16. Dialogue journals: Liz Galarza, a middle school writing teacher in New York, tells Cult of Pedagogy that exchanging short letters (three to five sentences) with individual students during the year can help you connect with them individually and improve their writing. She suggests using a simple notebook that teachers and students can pass back and forth. Initial entries can build off of surveys or other get-to-know-you activities. For example, "You wrote that you play basketball. Me too! Who is your favorite player?"

Galarza asks her students to write one letter a week and said she spends an hour writing back responses for one classroom-however, the timeline and frequency can be adjusted to fit your own needs.
We'd love this article to be an evolving document of best practices, so please use the comments to add any of your own favorite strategies to build relationships in the classroom. If we see something we love, we may well add it to the list!

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23 Ways to Build and Sustain Classroom Relationships

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These teacher-approved activities will help create the sort of classroom bonds that pave the way to academic success.

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DonorsChoose is a site that allows educators to build a wishlist for their classroom. Ms. Sumner briefly mentions this site in her TED Talk above. Anonymous donors may go on to this site and choose to sponsor a classroom. A fantastic resource for teachers in schools with limited funding.

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About us

Founded in 2000 by a high school teacher in the Bronx, DonorsChoose empowers public school teachers from across the country to request much-needed materials for their students. Right now there are thousands of teacher requests that you can help bring to life with a gift of any amount.
Read the story

Support teachers and students with a

Monthly Donation

Choose a new project every month.

We'll charge you once a month, and you handpick the projects you want to support. No time to pick? We'll use your donation to help an urgent teacher request.
Support teachers monthly

Transparency & Efficiency

We know that you care about how effectively your donation is being used. That's why we show you how every dollar was spent, how you made a difference, and how grateful the students and teachers are!

We've received the highest possible ratings from:
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by teachers, donors, administrators, and partner organizations across the country.
Learn how to get funded

Looking to help out? There are thousands of exciting teacher requests that would benefit from a donation of any size!
Find a request to support

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DonorsChoose: Support a classroom. Build a future.

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DonorsChoose connects teachers in high-need communities with donors who want to help.

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Why Student-Teacher Relationships are Important

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Why Student-Teacher Relationships are Important

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This article explains the importance of building strong relationships with students. Understanding why these relationships are so crucial may motivate you to implement strategies in your classroom. According to the article, teacher-student relationships are one of the foundations of effective classroom management.

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Why Strong Teacher Student Relationships Matter - Waterford.org

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Learn about challenges facing teacher-student interaction, how good relationships can improve your school, and five tips for promoting student engagement.

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Strategies to Engage Students in the Classroom

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Strategies to Engage Students in the Classroom

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This article from Harvard Business Publishing lists ten "creative" strategies to engage your students. There are ten different activities or procedures that when implemented may increase student participation, engagement, and performance.

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Starting out as a young adjunct instructor, I can painfully recall reading my lesson notes from index cards as my students sat passively with blank stares. Fortunately that didn't last long, thanks to a mentor observing my class. But I doubt my experience was much different from that of other emerging educators. After all, I had modeled these ineffective teaching practices after my own experiences as a university student.

Today, however, there has been a huge push in higher education to move beyond these passive methods of instruction that lead to less student engagement and low motivation. As Jennifer Stanchfield discovered, "More is learned through exploring and struggling than by being provided the answer."

It's harder than ever these days to keep our students' attention. But I have improved my approach over the past 30 years based on the simple belief that telling is not teaching. Because of this, I am continually exploring interesting and creative ways to engage my students.

I have identified some outstanding techniques, which I will share here, that have helped to enhance my students' engagement and motivation for learning. Many of these strategies have come from the book Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner by Himmele and Himmele, which has truly transformed my teaching. So let's get started on transforming yours.

10 Engagement Strategies to Energize and Motivate Your Students

Before we break down specific strategies you can use to enhance participation, it's important to understand that there are five different types of engagement: social, behavioral, emotional, intellectual, and physical. As teachers, we may organically hit two or three of these engagement types, but some we are likely to miss, especially if we're not aware of them. I've struggled with ideas for how to get my students physically engaged, for example.

Below, I've categorized my top engagement strategies by these types to help you address all five. They have been designed for use in university classes and can easily be adapted for any area of study.

Social Engagement: Creating Connections with Students Through Collaboration and Sharing

Social engagement involves social interactions. The key to having effective social engagement is to help students get to know and trust you and other students early in the semester. The following strategies are designed to allow students to make these important connections as they help build a collaborative learning environment of support and trust.

1. Getting to Know You

Prior to the start of a new semester, I email my students a survey to learn more about their interests and preferences. Here are the key questions I ask:

What are your career goals?

How do you learn best?

Share five facts about yourself that will help me get to know you and best meet your needs.

What are your three favorite songs or musicians?

Is there anything else you would like to share that will help me better support your learning?

I also prepare a PowerPoint presentation that I use to introduce myself on the first day of class. I share personal and professional stories and family photos with the hope that my students will feel more connected to me and thus more motivated to open up themselves. I also love sharing stories about my latest connections to the country music stars I meet in Nashville (like that time I got a huge hug from Chris Janson in church).

I then have my students create name tents: They display their names on large, folded index cards to quickly familiarize the class. I also have them use this card to draw or write brief ideas about their interests, which form the basis for how they introduce themselves to their peers.

2. Find Someone Who . . .

I plan first-day-of-class activities that give students simple opportunities to get to know one another in a light-hearted way. For one such activity, I create a template with a nine-space grid in which various criteria are listed. Students must find a different person in the class who meets the criteria listed in each grid space (see Figure 1). For example, "Find someone who is an early riser."

As they circulate around the room, they must find someone for each grid space and fill in that person's name. This activity serves as a great icebreaker and helps students learn each other's names, which is important for helping them feel connected to their peers.

Behavioral Engagement: Establishing Rules, Routines, and Roles

Behavioral engagement deals with routines and behaviors that help promote learning. It is important to teach the routines and behaviors that you want your students to use to improve the quality of peer discussions and the efficiency of class activities. These strategies also help to create a sense of security as students know what to expect from you.

For example, before my students can enter the classroom, I have them wait until I open the door, as I want to be sure I have the room prepared for the day's activities. They also know that I will have a daily prompt posted for them to discuss with their peers as they arrive, which is designed to engage them in the lesson topic of the day.

Here are some other strategies for behavioral engagement.

3. Bounce Cards

With the "Bounce Card" strategy, I provide a card for each student that lists key questions or prompts I want them to discuss with a partner or small group. The questions can be generic so that the card can be used to discuss any topic. (For example, "Rephrase what your partner just said," or, "That's a great point because . . .") The questions are designed to help students strengthen their listening skills and deepen their conversations. The prompts require students to extend, rephrase, and ask follow-up questions to their bounce partners, rather than just give a simple answer.

For example, if I ask students to discuss a video clip, they might just say whether they liked it. But using a Bounce Card forces them to dig deeper. You can adapt the questions on the card to suit your educational purposes, but for the students who struggle with conversational skills, this can be a great template for helping them develop more thoughtful responses.

4. The Lecture T-Chart

You may have noticed that sometimes as students take notes, they don't seem to really be processing what they are learning. The "Lecture T-Chart" consists of a simple template where students record their notes on the left side of a page. Periodically throughout my lecture, I pause and have them use their own words to summarize the key ideas I've just presented, which they write on the right side of the template.

This pause-review-summarize process helps to strengthen comprehension and can be extended by having students share their summaries with others to further process the information through social engagement.

Emotional Engagement: Facilitating Joy, Connection, and Memories

Emotional engagement entails creating safe, positive learning experiences for everyone involved. Students will not be open to sharing their thoughts and responses in class if they feel they will be mocked or disrespected by their professor or peers.

One of the ways I create emotional connection is through music. I'll start each class playing a different student's favorite song or music video (based on what they told me in that initial survey). They love it and appreciate that I actually read their responses.

Here are some other strategies to emotionally engage your students.

5. The Ripple Method

Himmele and Himmele propose the use of the ripple method: Instead of just calling on students who raise their hand, you "ripple" your questions by first having each student respond individually to the prompt (either in their mind or in writing). They then share their responses with one to three peers before you open up the floor to volunteers willing to share with the whole class. This process ensures that every student has time to think of a response.

For example, I use the ripple method when I ask my students each week to share an "aha moment" from their clinical experiences. This relieves pressure for those students who are less motivated to engage in discussion. The students soon realize that their experiences are just as valid as everyone else's and that we are all in this together. They also realize that some of their perceived failures in the field become some of their most precious learning experiences.

Intellectual Engagement: Promoting Choice, Challenge, and Curiosity

Intellectual engagement involves curiosity and meaningful explorations. Whenever possible, give students choices in terms of tasks, topics, and strategies for demonstrating their learning. The more relevant and authentic the task, the higher the level of engagement and motivation.

Here are some activities to spur curiosity and meaning.

6. Drama, Please!

Consider using problem solving, role playing, and acting as ways of demonstrating learning. You will need to be specific about your expectations, but the freedom to explore interests and determine a mode of presentation of ideas will be motivating for many students.

In my teacher education class, I have my students roleplay parent-teacher conferences. I preface this by showing a video clip from the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. While the clip is humorous, it helps the students recognize the vulnerability of parents (and teachers) in these situations, which is an essential understanding when conducting an effective parent-teacher conference.

7. IQ Cards

IQ cards provide an interesting and efficient way for students to share insights about what they have learned, as well as raise questions after a lecture or class activity. Students write an insight (representing the "I" in IQ) on one side of an index card. This insight can be related to something new they learned during that class, or it can be a "so what" statement, indicating how this information can be applied in professional or personal practice.

On the other side of the card, the students write a question (Q) that they have about the information. Typically, I like to have students share their cards with their peers in pairs and then I collect the cards to gather informal assessment data about student learning. This works as an excellent closure activity as it reviews key lesson content and helps me assess whether students are grasping the material.

Physical Engagement: Making Movement Meaningful

Physical engagement involves some type of movement and is an often-neglected engagement strategy in the higher ed classroom. John Ratey, author of Spark (Hatchett, 2008), states that "exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function." While time and space may be challenges to including physical movement in the classroom, small efforts to engage students physically help to keep them focused and may help change their brains by strengthening neuropathways leading to improved storage and retrieval of information.

While physical engagement can introduce novelty to your class, it's important to think about the physical and mobile abilities of your students, and to provide accommodations and make room for modifications when necessary.

The following strategies help to engage students in movement connected with their learning.

8. Whiteboard Splash and Gallery Walk

Whiteboard Splash (sometimes known as "chalkboard splash" or "graffiti wall") involves students responding to a prompt with words or pictures to explain an idea or concept by writing on the whiteboard (or large chart paper).

For example, I might ask my teacher education students, "What are the activities that should be included in the schedule for the first day of school for young children?" or "What are some strategies you can use to reflect on your teaching practice?" Students work individually or in small groups to illustrate their ideas. Then students circulate around the room for a "gallery walk" to view and discuss the displayed information.

To ensure that students don't passively walk by the work, have them write down the ideas they found new, different, surprising, or worth remembering. Students can then share the results and address additional questions.

9. Inside-Outside Circles

This is one of my students' favorite strategies for physical movement and social engagement. I have students create two concentric circles where each person is in front of or behind someone in the other circle. The inside circle group is then told to turn and face their outside circle group partner. I provide a prompt for the pairs to discuss (for example, "What are some reasons for student misbehavior?") and set a time limit for each partner to share a brief response to the question.

Students then take turns listening to their partner's response. Be sure to set a timer so students know when to end their conversations. Then I have the outside circle group move two places to the left so they are facing a different person. You can provide the same or a different prompt and the process repeats.

To hold students accountable, be sure to circulate and listen to the conversations so you get an idea of their level of understanding and interaction, which you can then use in conducting a closing discussion with the whole group. If space is an issue, consider using the hallway or go outdoors (weather permitting).

If you have students with limited mobility, you can conduct this activity with chairs (and wheelchairs) and students can still have rich interactions. Be sure to position any students with mobility limitations in the inner circle so just the students in the outside circle have to move during the activity.

For online classes, assign pairs of students to breakout rooms and give them a short amount of time (one to two minutes) to share their ideas with their partners. Then you can randomly assign them a new partner using a new set of breakout rooms.

10. Origami Review Game

Depending on your age, you may recall playing a game with origami paper creations with questions and answers on them. Partners can take turns telling each other's fortunes or quizzing each other. I use this often as a content review activity before exams. (You can find directions for the construction and implementation of this game here.)

Your role is to create eight close-ended questions that have simple (i.e., short) answers so they fit on the game board. (for example, "What type of engagement involves movement?" followed by the answer, "Physical engagement.") Each pair of students receives an origami paper creation (see Figure 2), and they take turns asking each other questions from the game piece until all the questions have been covered.

Keep It Fresh and Meaningful

Adding these simple but meaningful engagement strategies into my instructional practices has not only helped create a stimulating, joyful learning environment for my students, but it has also made me a more motivated teacher. I teach a three-hour class and the time now passes quickly for everyone.

Simply put: To keep our students motivated, we have to stay motivated. These strategies can help you avoid the rut of doing the same thing all the time. But keep in mind that even a clever idea can become stale if overused, so make sure to mix and match.

Just remember that novelty and fun are additional benefits of students' cognitive engagement; they are not the main focus of our efforts. So use your class time wisely by choosing meaningful questions and engagement strategies that are related to your learning goals. If you do so, I think you'll find that your students quickly get on board.

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10 Creative Ways to Better Engage Your Students

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Transform your teaching with these outstanding techniques that will enhance your students' engagement and motivation for learning.

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Rita Pearson's perspective on building relationships with students: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like."

Pearson discusses how important relationship building is in this TED Talk.

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Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, “They don’t pay me to like the kids.” Her response: “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.’” A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.

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Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs depicts basic human needs in a pyramid format. When basic needs are met, it is said students will perform at a higher level. The lower tiers of this pyramid are sometimes more important in low income areas.

Simply Psychology explains the concept in further detail in their article: Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs

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Establishing Relationships with Students in Urban America

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Establishing Relationships with Students in Urban America

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High School Principal Kate Gallagher wrote this article detailing the importance of developing relationships in urban education settings. She also mentions Maslow's Hierarchy and the "Every Kid Needs a Champion" TED Talk. Gallagher lists some tips for developing positive relationships with students.

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Developing Relationships in Urban Education - Graduate Programs for Educators

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Students in urban environments face their own unique set of challenges. Learn about the importance of developing relationships in urban education.

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YouTube Video: Building Relationships as a Foundation of Trauma-Informed Practices in Schools

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YouTube Video: Building Relationships as a Foundation of Trauma-Informed Practices in Schools

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Trauma-informed teaching in low income school districts is an extremely important practice. This video explains how building relationships is an important part of trauma-informed teaching.

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Building Relationships as a Foundation of Trauma-Informed Practices in Schools

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Toolkit: Relationship Building Strategies 

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Toolkit: Relationship Building Strategies 

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This toolkit goes into a deep dive of different relationship building strategies. The toolkit provides additional resources for each strategy and a step-by-step of how to implement each strategy and why you should implement each strategy.

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In this article the author goes over the ways income affects classroom engagement. For each article the author provides advice for what educators can do for their students depending on circumstance.

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Poverty is an uncomfortable word. I'm often asked, "What should I expect from kids from low-income households?" Typically, teachers are unsure what to do differently.

Just as the phrase middle class tells us little about a person, the word poverty typically tells us little about the students we serve. We know, for example, that the poor and middle classes have many overlapping values, including valuing education and the importance of hard work (Gorski, 2008). But if poor people were exactly the same cognitively, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally as those from the middle class, then the exact same teaching provided to both middle-class students and students from poverty would bring the exact same results.

But it doesn't work that way. In one study of 81,000 students across the United States, the students not in Title I programs consistently reported higher levels of engagement than students who were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (Yazzie-Mintz, 2007). Are children from poverty more likely to struggle with engagement in school?

The answer is yes. Seven differences between middle-class and low-income students show up at school. By understanding those differences and how to address them, teachers can help mitigate some of the negative effects of poverty.

But first, my most important suggestion is to get to know your students well. Without respect-and without taking time to connect with your students-these seven factors will mean little.

Overall, poor people are less likely to exercise, get proper diagnoses, receive appropriate and prompt medical attention, or be prescribed appropriate medications or interventions. A study by two prominent neuroscientists suggested that intelligence is linked to health (Gray &amp; Thompson, 2004). The poor have more untreated ear infections and hearing loss issues (Menyuk, 1980); greater exposure to lead (Sargent et al., 1995); and a higher incidence of asthma (Gottlieb, Beiser, &amp; O'Connor, 1995) than middle-class children. Each of these health-related factors can affect attention, reasoning, learning, and memory.

Nutrition plays a crucial role as well. Children who grow up in poor families are exposed to food with lower nutritional value. This can adversely affect them even in the womb (Antonow-Schlorke et al., 2011). Moreover, poor nutrition at breakfast affects gray matter mass in children's brains (Taki et al., 2010). Skipping breakfast is highly prevalent among urban minority youth, and it negatively affects students' academic achievement by adversely affecting cognition and raising absenteeism (Basch, 2011).

When students experience poor nutrition and diminished health practices, it's harder for them to listen, concentrate, and learn. Exposure to lead is correlated with poor working memory and weaker ability to link cause and effect. Kids with ear infections may have trouble with sound discrimination, making it tough to follow directions, do highly demanding auditory processing, and understand the teacher. This can hurt reading ability and other skills. Poor diets also affect behavior. Students can often appear listless (with low energy) or hyperactive (on a sugar "high").

Remember, the two primary foods for the brain are oxygen and glucose; oxygen reacts with glucose to produce energy for cell function. Schools can provide these at zero cost. Having students engage in slow stretching while taking slow deep breaths can increase their oxygenation. Yoga training has been shown to increase metabolic controls so children can better manage themselves.

Recess and physical education contribute to greater oxygen intake and better learning (Winter et al., 2007). Never withhold recess from students for a disciplinary issue; there are countless other ways to let them know they behaved inappropriately. Children need physical education programs at every level to perform well academically. In addition, the use of games, movement, and drama will trigger the release of glucose, stored in the body as glycogen. Proper glucose levels are associated with stronger memory and cognitive function. In short, physical activity will reduce some of the issues associated with poor nutrition and will build student health.

Children who grow up in low socioeconomic conditions typically have a smaller vocabulary than middle-class children do, which raises the risk for academic failure (Walker, Greenwood, Hart, &amp; Carta, 1994). Children from low-income families hear, on average, 13 million words by age 4. In middle-class families, children hear about 26 million words during that same time period. In upper-income families, they hear a staggering 46 million words by age 4-three times as many as their lower-income counterparts (Hart &amp; Risley, 1995). In fact, toddlers from middle- and upper-income families actually used more words in talking to their parents than low-SES mothers used in talking to their own children (Bracey, 2006). This language difference is not subtle; it's a mind-boggling, jaw-dropping cognitive chasm.

A child's vocabulary is part of the brain's tool kit for learning, memory, and cognition. Words help children represent, manipulate, and reframe information. Kids from low-income families are less likely to know the words a teacher uses in class or the words that appear in reading material. When children aren't familiar with words, they don't want to read, often tune out, or feel like school is not for them. Also, many students don't want to risk looking stupid (especially to their peers), so they won't participate in class.

Vocabulary building must form a key part of enrichment experiences for students, and teachers must be relentless about introducing and using new words. Include vocabulary building in engagement activities, such as by creating "trading card" activities, in which students write a vocabulary word on one side of a 3 × 5 card and a sentence using the word correctly on the other. Students can do a "class mixer" and test other students; they give the new word to their partner, and their partner has to use it in a sentence. Teachers can also draw cards from a bowl and ask the class to use the new word in a sentence.

Teachers can incorporate vocabulary practice into daily rituals. For example, the teacher posts a word for the day and when either the teacher or a student uses it-and another student is first to point it out-that student gets a simple privilege. Classroom teams or cooperative groups should present a word for the day to the whole class every day, with teachers reinforcing those words for days and weeks afterward.

Uninformed teachers may think that poor children slouch, slump, and show little effort because they are-or their parents are-lazy. Yet research suggests that parents from poor families work as much as parents of middle- or upper-class families do (Economic Policy Institute, 2002). There's no "inherited laziness" passed down from parents.

One reason many students seem unmotivated is because of lack of hope and optimism. Low socioeconomic status and the accompanying financial hardships are correlated with depressive symptoms (Butterworth, Olesen, &amp; Leach, 2012). Moreover, the passive "I give up" posture may actually be learned helplessness, shown for decades in the research as a symptom of a stress disorder and depression. Research from 60 high-poverty schools tells us that the primary factor in student motivation and achievement isn't the student's home environment; it's the school and the teacher (Irvin, Meece, Byun, Farmer, &amp; Hutchins, 2011). Effort can be taught, and strong teachers do this every day.

Students who show little or no effort are simply giving you feedback. When you liked your teacher, you worked harder. When the learning got you excited, curious, and intrigued, you put out more effort. We've all seen how students will often work much harder in one class than in another. The feedback is about themselves-and about your class.

Take on the challenge. Invest in students who are not putting out effort. In a study of more than 1,800 children from poverty, school engagement was a key factor in whether the student stayed in school (Finn &amp; Rock, 1997).

First, strengthen your relationships with students by revealing more of yourself and learning more about your students. Ask yourself, "What have I done to build relationships and respect? Do my students like me?"

Use more buy-in strategies, such as curiosity builders (a mystery box or bag); excitement and risk ("This idea's a bit crazy; let's make sure we have the number for the fire department, just in case"); and competition ("My last class accomplished _____; let's see what you can do!"). Make the learning more of the students' idea by offering a choice, and involve them more in decision making.

Second, teachers must make connections to students' worlds in ways that help them see a viable reason to play the academic game. Can you tie classroom learning to the real world? Use money, shopping, technology, and their family members to make the learning more relevant. Without clear links between the two, students often experience a demotivating disconnect between the school world and their home life. As a result, they give up.

Third, affirm effort every day in class. Most teachers don't keep track of their comments to students; maybe they should. When teachers give more positives than negatives (a 3:1 ratio is best), they optimize both learning and growth (Fredrickson &amp; Losada, 2005). When affirmed, challenged, and encouraged, students work harder.

Fourth, set high goals and sell students on their chances to reach them. Get them to believe in the goals by showing them real-world success stories of adults who came from the same circumstances the students did and who achieved their goals.

Finally, provide daily feedback so students see that effort matters and that they can adjust it for even greater success. Affirm your students, and let them know how much good you see in them.

Hope is a powerful thing. Research suggests that lower socioeconomic status is often associated with viewing the future as containing more negative events than positive ones (Robb, Simon, &amp; Wardle, 2009). Low or no expectancy ("helplessness") is also related to low socioeconomic status (Odéen et al., 2012). In short, being poor is associated with lowered expectations about future outcomes.

The student's attitude about learning (his or her mind-set) is also a moderately robust predictive factor (Blackwell, Trzesniewski, &amp; Dweck, 2007). Taken together, hope-or the lack of hope-and mind-set-whether you believe that you're simply born smart or that you can grow in intelligence along the way-can be either significant assets or serious liabilities. If students think failure or low performance is likely, they'll probably not bother to try. Similarly, if they think they aren't smart enough and can't succeed, they'll probably not put out any effort.

Teacher and student beliefs about having a fixed amount of "smarts" that the student can't increase will influence engagement and learning. Teach students that their brains can change and grow, that they can even raise their IQs. Provide better-quality feedback (prompt, actionable, and task-specific).

Also, telling students that they have a limited amount of focusing power is likely to disengage many of them (Miller et al., 2012). There's an alternative to saying, "Don't feel bad that you didn't finish. It's late in the day, and we've all got brain drain." Instead, say, "Stick with this just a bit longer. You can do this! Your mind is a powerful force to help you reach your goals."

Don't use comforting phrases that imply that even though a student isn't good at something, he or she has "other" strengths (Cooper, 2012). Instead, focus on affirming and reinforcing effort. Guide students in making smarter strategy choices and cultivating a positive attitude.

Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often perform below those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds on tests of intelligence and academic achievement (Bradley &amp; Corwyn, 2002). Commonly, low-SES children show cognitive problems, including short attention spans, high levels of distractibility, difficulty monitoring the quality of their work, and difficulty generating new solutions to problems (Alloway, Gathercole, Kirkwood, &amp; Elliott, 2009). These issues can make school harder for children from impoverished backgrounds.

Many children who struggle cognitively either act out (exhibit problem behavior) or shut down (show learned helplessness). But cognitive capacity, as well as intelligence, is a teachable skill (Buschkuehl &amp; Jaeggi, 2010).

If you're not teaching core cognitive skills, rethink your teaching methods. Students who struggle with reading, math, and following directions may have weak vocabulary, poor working memory, or poor processing skills. Studies show that high-performing teachers can overcome the problems of underperforming kids (Ferguson, 1998). Like effort, cognitive capacity is teachable.

Focus on the core academic skills that students need the most. Begin with the basics, such as how to organize, study, take notes, prioritize, and remember key ideas. Then teach problem-solving, processing, and working-memory skills.

Start small. Teach students immediate recall of words, then phrases, then whole sentences. This will help them remember the directions you give in class and will support them as they learn how to do mental computations. This will take tons of encouragement, positive feedback, and persistence. Later, you can use this foundation to build higher-level skills.

When children's early experiences are chaotic and one or both of the parents are absent, the developing brain often becomes insecure and stressed. Three-quarters of all children from poverty have a single-parent caregiver.

In homes of those from poverty, children commonly get twice as many reprimands as positive comments, compared with a 3:1 ratio of positives to negatives in middle-class homes (Risley &amp; Hart, 2006). If caregivers are stressed about health care, housing, and food, they're more likely to be grumpy and less likely to offer positive comments to their kids.

The probability of dropping out and school failure increases as a function of the timing and length of time that children are exposed to relational adversity (Spilt, Hughes, Wu, &amp; Kwok, 2012). Having only a single caregiver in the home-if the father is absent, for example-can create both instability and uncertainty because the children are missing a role model. Two caregivers offer the luxury of a backup-when one parent is at work, busy, or overly stressed, the other can provide for the children so there's always a stabilizing force present. Relationships can be challenging for children who lack role models and sufficient supports.

Low-income parents are often less able than middle-class parents to adjust their parenting to the demands of their higher-needs children (Paulussen-Hoogeboom, Stams, Hermanns, &amp; Peetsma, 2007). For example, many parents don't know what to do with children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), who are oppositional, or who are dyslexic.

Disruptive home relationships often create mistrust in students. Adults have often failed them at home, and children may assume that the adults in school will fail them, too. Classroom misbehaviors are likely because many children simply do not have the at-home stability or repertoire of necessary social-emotional responses for school. Students are more likely to be impulsive, use inappropriate language, and act disrespectful-until you teach them more appropriate social and emotional responses.

Children with unstable home lives are particularly in need of strong, positive, caring adults. The more you care, the better the foundation for interventions. Learn every student's name. Ask about their family, their hobbies, and what's important to them. Stop telling students what to do and start teaching them how to do it.

For example, if you ask a high school student to dial down his or her energy for the next few minutes and the student responds with a smirk or wisecrack, simply ask him or her to stay a moment after class. Never embarrass the student in front of his or her peers. After class, first reaffirm your relationship with the student. Then demonstrate the behavior you wanted (show the student the appropriate facial expression and posture); say why it will be important as the student moves through school ("This will keep you out of trouble with other adults"); and indicate when a given response is appropriate and what it should look like ("When you think your teacher has overstepped his or her bounds, this is what you should say"). End by affirming common goals and interests ("We're both in this together. We can make this work-if we each do our part").

Although small amounts of stress are healthy, acute and chronic stress-known as distress-is toxic. Children living in poverty experience greater chronic stress than do their more affluent counterparts. Low-income parents' chronic stress affects their kids through chronic activation of their children's immune systems, which taxes available resources and has long-reaching effects (Blair &amp; Raver, 2012). Distress affects brain development, academic success, and social competence (Evans, Kim, Ting, Tesher, &amp; Shannis, 2007). It also impairs behaviors; reduces attentional control (Liston, McEwen, &amp; Casey, 2009); boosts impulsivity (Evans, 2003); and impairs working memory (Evans &amp; Schamberg, 2009).

Distressed children typically exhibit one of two behaviors: angry "in your face" assertiveness or disconnected "leave me alone" passivity. To the uninformed, the student may appear to be either out of control, showing an attitude, or lazy. But those behaviors are actually symptoms of stress disorders-and distress influences many behaviors that influence engagement.

The more aggressive behaviors include talking back to the teacher, getting in the teacher's face, using inappropriate body language, and making inappropriate facial expressions. The more passive behaviors include failing to respond to questions or requests, exhibiting passivity, slumping or slouching, and disconnecting from peers or academic work.

Address the real issue-distress-and the symptoms will diminish over time. Begin by building stronger relationships with students; this helps alleviate student stress.

Reduce stress by embedding more classroom fun in academics. Provide temporary cognitive support-that is, help students get the extra glucose and oxygen they need-by having them engage in such sensory motor activities as the childhood game "head-toes-knees-shoulders," in which children touch different parts of their bodies in quick succession. Such actions can support behavioral regulation, which is so important for early academic success.

Next, don't try to exert more control over the student's life. This will only create continued issues with engagement. Instead, give students more control over their own daily lives at school. Encourage responsibility and leadership by offering choices, having students engage in projects, and supporting teamwork and classroom decision making. Having a sense of control is the fundamental element that helps diminish the effects of chronic and acute stress.

Finally, teach students ongoing coping skills so they can better deal with their stressors. For example, give them a simple, "If this, then that" strategy for solving problems using new skills. You can do this through telling stories about your own daily stressors, allowing students to brainstorm solutions, and then sharing the coping tools that worked for you and modeling how you addressed various challenges.

Remember, students in poverty are not broken or damaged. In fact, human brains adapt to experiences by making changes-and your students can change.

You can help them do so by understanding these seven differences and addressing these differences with purposeful teaching. Your school can join the ranks of the many high-performing Title I schools where students succeed every day.

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How Poverty Affects Classroom Engagement

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Students from low-income households are more likely to struggle with engagement-for seven reasons.

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IRIS Module: Defining Differentiated Instruction

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IRIS Module: Defining Differentiated Instruction

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This IRIS module explains differentiated instruction. As you move through the module it explains the process, instructional elements, strategies, and more. It also tells the reader when differentiated instruction might be necessary.

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Lilian Katz, Professor Emeritus, College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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IRIS | Page 1: Defining Differentiated Instruction

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Mr. Shelton learns that differentiated instruction is an approach whereby teachers adjust their curriculum and instruction to maximize the learning of all students: average learners, English language learners, struggling students, students with learning disabilities, and gifted and talented students. Differentiated instruction is not a single strategy but rather a framework that teachers can use to implement a variety of strategies, many of which are evidence-based. These evidence-based strategies include:

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YouTube Video: It's Not as Hard as You Think

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YouTube Video: It's Not as Hard as You Think

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Differentiating instruction may seem like an intimidating task -- coming up with individual instruction for each student? It sounds impossible, but according to this video, it is not as hard as you think. This clip explains differentiating instruction and how best to alter instructional needs for different students.

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Differentiating Instruction: It’s Not as Hard as You Think

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This article talks about the concept of "teaching up" and how it relates to students from low income households. The idea that when you raise expectations and content for students, they will actually perform at a higher level. This article is all about moving from the "pedagogy of poverty" to the "pedagogy of plenty".

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Abstract

Resisting the Pedagogy of Poverty

Teaching Up-A Way Forward

Teaching Up in Action

An Ethic of Excellence

For marginalized students especially, we need to move from a "pedagogy of poverty" to a "pedagogy of plenty."

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Abstract

Resisting the Pedagogy of Poverty

Teaching Up-A Way Forward

Teaching Up in Action

An Ethic of Excellence

Differentiated instruction has always been about providing every learner full opportunity to grow as much as possible academically, intellectually, and socially. Our students' lives are complex in so many ways-learning needs and strengths, interests, culture, race, language, social skills, emotional development, economic background, adult support, prior school experiences, and a host of other variables-and each of these factors impacts learning. Striving to see, understand, and respond to that complexity is at the core of quality differentiation. It is non-negotiable for teachers who seek to make a significant, positive difference in the trajectories of the young lives in their care.

A key principle of differentiation is "teaching up" (Tomlinson, 2021, 2022; Tomlinson & Javius, 2012). When we teach up, we provide equitable access to excellent learning opportunities for all students. This idea reflects and elaborates a position voiced by Grant Wiggins two decades ago:

We will not successfully restructure schools to be effective until we stop seeing diversity in students as a problem. ... They have the right to thought-provoking and enabling schoolwork, so they might use their minds well and discover the joy therein to willingly push themselves farther. They have the right to instruction that obligates the teacher, like the doctor, to change tactics when progress fails to occur. They have the right to assessment that provides students and teachers with insights into real-world standards, useable feedback, the opportunity to self-assess, and the chance to have dialogue with or even challenge, the assessor-a right in a democratic culture. Until such a time, we will have no insight into human potential. Until the challenge is met, schools will continue to reward the lucky or the already-equipped and weed out poor performers. (Wiggins, 1992, pp. xv-xvi)

Teaching up is of particular importance at this moment in education because it offers a path forward on two related, lingering, and defining concerns. The first is our enduring negligence to provide equity of opportunity to students from persistently marginalized groups. The second concern is a decades-long blindness to the test-driven, impoverishing nature of curriculum and instruction that pervades today's classrooms. The two concerns are tightly bonded. It is impossible to claim a quality system of public education without placing both concerns in the foreground of educational policy and practice.

Resisting the Pedagogy of Poverty

Just over three decades ago, Martin Haberman (1991) reflected on his experience of observing classrooms where teaching and learning were characterized by teachers giving information, asking right-answer questions, giving directions, assigning low-level tasks, monitoring seat work, reviewing, giving tests, going over tests, assigning homework, going over homework, settling disputes that were common among disenchanted students, punishing noncompliance, grading papers, and giving grades. Haberman called what he observed in these classrooms "a pedagogy of poverty." The label seemed apt to him because, he said, students in those classes came largely from backgrounds in which poverty was pervasive and because students who spent much or most of their school years in those classrooms were virtually guaranteed a life of poverty after their school days ended.

A decade later, Helene Hodges (2001) wrote about an alternative approach to teaching and learning characterized by authentic tasks, meaning-driven curriculum, a literacy-rich environment, quality resources, and strong connections between classroom and home. This approach centered on problem-focused learning and cognition and metacognition in the context of purposeful activities. Students worked collaboratively (in various social configurations) on issues of deep concern to them and engaged in discussion and debate about the substance of content and meaning-making. Hodges, referencing Haberman's work, called this approach to teaching and learning "a pedagogy of plenty" because students in classrooms using it came largely from economically sound backgrounds and because students who spent much or most of their time in such classrooms were virtually guaranteed a life of plenty after their school days ended.

Unfortunately, a "pedagogy of poverty" has been synonymous with the experiences of most students of color in public schools since the years of mandated integration. These experiences continue to convey the unambiguous and debilitating message that the people in charge of these students' education view most students of color as capable of handling only remedial, mind-and-soul-numbing academic fare-and often not even that. In the end, for too many of these young people, school becomes irrelevant, and just one more barrier standing in the way of full membership in the broader world.

While the damage done to already marginalized learners by a pedagogy of poverty is broad in duration and scope, that degenerative approach to teaching and learning stunts the growth of many other learners as well. Students of many races and economic backgrounds whose adult support systems are unable to zero in on academic achievement, or who have learning, social, or emotional challenges, rarely find themselves in classrooms that provide a pedagogy of plenty, engage them in dynamic work, and mentor them to reach for excellence. Students we deem to be "just average" are taught in ways that lead them to establish limiting ceilings of expectation for themselves. Even learners identified as "advanced" or "gifted" are seldom consistently challenged adequately in general education classrooms or pullout programs.

The all-consuming drive to raise standardized test scores has led us in some cases to embrace, or at least accept, a pedagogy of poverty for most students.

Teaching Up-A Way Forward

Despite the prevailing winds of contemporary schooling that encourage us to "teach down" to many students, there are teachers who swim against the tide-who "teach up." These teachers work from two foundational principles. First, the job of the teacher is to prepare young people for life, not for a test. Second, every student is worthy of the most compelling and energizing learning opportunities that are available to any student.

Unfortunately, a 'pedagogy of poverty' has been synonymous with the experiences of most students of color in public schools since the years of mandated integration.

To teach up, educators must plan curriculum and instruction for students with "high ceilings" of learning and then provide scaffolding that enables a very wide range of learners to access and succeed with that work. But, of course, the fabric of teaching up is sturdier and more tightly woven than any single strand would suggest. Excellence and equity in teaching and learning require high-quality practice in all classroom elements that work interdependently to maximize student opportunity and growth.

Toward that end, for example, teachers who teach up work from a vision for equity and excellence in the classroom and invite students to contribute to that vision and help enact it. They model empathy, respect, and appreciation for the diversity of students' cultures, languages, talents, experiences, and learning needs. These teachers work persistently to establish a learning environment that is invitational for each learner, building bonds of trust with their students and supporting them in building bonds of trust with their peers. Through the curriculum these teachers use, students become curious, because their learning connects with their lives and experiences and motivates them to commit to the hard work of learning.

Such teachers consistently use formative assessment practices to gain insights into each student's learning trajectories. They plan learning opportunities that make room for student variance and that are also responsive to learners' strengths and interests-opportunities that are active, collaborative, and authentic. They have no superpowers but rather aspire to grow as vigorously as they ask their students to grow, learn from mistakes as they ask their students to learn, and persist as they ask their students to persist.

Teaching Up in Action

To show how teaching up looks in practice, let me tell you about three teachers who do this well. These are teachers who I've worked with, observed, or taught throughout the years who all exemplify the characteristics of "teaching up." It is interesting to note that one of them has taught largely in public schools in small, rural communities, one primarily in a public school in a large urban district, and one in private schools. Teaching up belongs everywhere there are young learners.

Letting Curiosity Guide Learning

Cris Lozon's preschoolers, in a private school in California, commonly investigate questions that arise from their daily lives. They engage in play with materials of their own choosing and share work that helps them become good thinkers and problem solvers. Ms. Lozon and her colleagues observe the students and engage the students in purposeful talk designed to help them develop conceptual understandings of how things work. Recently, while the students used blocks and other materials to design roadways for a town, conversations centered on form and function, patterns, and systems. When the children created scientific drawings of spiders, they considered scale and proportion. In music class, they counted beats and talked about the rhythms they heard. Fundamental concepts like these recur throughout their learning all year, and students begin to incorporate the concepts and their meanings into their thinking and expression.

At a recent end-of-year "Works of Wonder (WOW) Night," students presented to their parents some questions that had guided their projects as well as some answers they found in their investigations. Among the questions the students posed and considered were:

How do we keep ourselves and our friends safe? How do rules keep us safe?

How do light and shadow affect the life of plants, insects, and baby chicks? How does light make shadows grow and shrink?

How do we make bridges that can connect two countries together? How do bridges bring people together?

How do the stories we tell bring together the past and the present? Why are stories important? (Lozon, 2021)

While play remains central to the children's days, their teachers guide them to think about durable concepts, develop complex academic vocabulary, pose and seek answers to questions, and collaborate consistently as thinkers, problem solvers, knowledge generators, and effective communicators. At a young age, these children are building the habits of mind and work that are foundational to success in school and in the world.

Making Real Change in the World

During the many years Ron Berger taught elementary students in rural Massachusetts, they had hands-on experiences to guide them through learning. His students tested the water quality of all the local streams and lakes. They tested the private wells in town to see if the water was safe to drink. They cleaned up the playground and built playground equipment, a recycling shed, and a playhouse for kindergarteners. The teachers guided the learners in doing sophisticated scientific and demographic research. The students learned how to use computers and Excel for their work, and they prepared reports for their town and state.

These types of community service projects not only show students they have the power to make a difference in their local environments, but they also help students develop an ethic of excellence and the skills and hard work necessary to achieve excellence. Berger says:

Once a student sees that he or she is capable of excellence, that student is never quite the same. There is a new self-image, a new notion of possibility. There is an appetite for excellence. After students have had a taste of excellence, they're never quite satisfied with less; they're always hungry. (Gosner, 2021)

Redefining Success

Chad Prather's high school students bring to school with them the deep anger and resentment felt by many students of color whose families bear the weight of poverty and marginalization. They come with the predictable hallmarks of a pedagogy of poverty. There is little in their experiences to commend the study of world history.

To bring the subject alive, Prather created a year-long simulation, called CIVGAME, for his students studying world history. The game requires students to form teams and build a civilization and to try to make it successful. Students must consider leadership, ethics, competition, collaboration, stability, natural disasters, and more. The game reflects the struggles that many of the students face regularly. It also makes history make sense to students who have seldom seen their lives reflected in it.

At the end of the year, a panel of judges studies all of the nation-states developed by the 26 student teams to determine which team has created the most successful state. When students ask Prather how they will know what the judges are going to think is success, he tells them:

You won't. You'll need to determine that for yourself. What makes a state successful? Is it size and power, the accumulation of land and wealth, the growth of a far-reaching empire? Is it military might, wins in war, perhaps the conquest of enemies? Is it a set of systems that meet the needs of small populations? Or perhaps a record of humanitarianism and service to other states? You decide.

At the heart of CIVGAME are essential questions familiar in student experiences: What does it take to get ahead? Where do good ideas come from? How do you keep from crumbling? What matters more, where you end up or how you get there? Is there anything worth the sacrifice of everything? What drives people forward? What holds people back? Students explore these questions over time, sometimes directly but often in the background of the work they do as they explore world history and the context of their life experiences.

I owe my students an experience that will sharpen their lenses and equip them to be the designers of a changing world. Instead of positioning them to be textbook readers observing the history-makers inside our curriculum, they become the subjects of our curriculum-the heads of state, the generals, the artists, the innovators, the diplomats, the activists, and the empire-builders. They will study history, of course, but more than that they will do history. (Prather, 2021)

Opportunities for academic excellence and engagement are often denied to students who live in poverty, students of color, and students who've been discouraged by previous school experiences. But through CIVGAME and other projects like it, students who have most often experienced a pedagogy of poverty can find themselves immersed in a pedagogy of plenty.

An Ethic of Excellence

These examples come from three educators who, through their classroom work, have shaped my understanding of the transformational power of teachers to elevate students' prospects through what they teach and how they teach. They welcome students from broadly diverse backgrounds to be full participants in ambitious, distinguished work and deep learning. They embrace what Berger (2003) calls an ethic of excellence for all learners, establishing high ceilings of expectation and high support to help each student achieve excellence.

The educators described here ensure dedicated time for the whole class to encounter, explore, and discuss compelling ideas; connect their own experiences with what they learn; plan for expressions of learning; and become skilled collaborators. They allow students to work alone, with peers, and with the teacher to pursue their interests, plan for and take their own next steps in the learning process, and give and receive feedback on their work. They differentiate in response to their students' strengths and needs in both contexts.

We must be dedicated believers, learners, and plodders toward leading classrooms that recognize and fuel each student's capacities-and our own.

Teachers who teach up work simultaneously for equity and excellence. But they are not a supernatural breed, not magicians. This work is within the realm of all teachers. We must be dedicated believers, learners, and plodders toward leading classrooms that recognize and fuel each student's capacities-and our own.

We clearly know-have known for a long time-what teaching for equity and excellence looks like. The pull to persist in familiar teaching patterns is powerful even as the evidence of need for change surrounds us daily. The opportunity we have to strengthen the lives of the young people we serve, re-shape the profession we represent, and extend our own reach is, I believe, far more compelling.

Reflect & Discuss

➛ Does the concept of "teaching up" resonate with you? Why or why not?

➛ What characteristics are most important for a teacher to have when "teaching up"?

➛ How can we capitalize on children's curiosity to enhance their learning?

Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom

The second edition of this foundational guide from Carol Ann Tomlinson provides practical strategies for creating effective student-centered instruction that recognizes and respects each student as a successful learner.

ASCD is a community dedicated to educators' professional growth and well-being.

Let us help you put your vision into action.

We empower educators to reimagine and redesign learning through impactful pedagogy and meaningful technology use. We achieve this by offering transformative professional learning, fostering vibrant communities, and ensuring that digital tools and experiences are accessible and effective.

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For marginalized students especially, we need to move from a "pedagogy of poverty" to a "pedagogy of plenty."

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This module includes information on how to incorporate differentiated instruction in your lesson planning. There is a video that explains the process as well as several templates and resources so that you can try the process yourself. They walk you through an example lesson plan to help you understand what it looks like to differentiate a lesson plan.

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This is a free editable template on Teachers Pay Teachers for a differentiated lesson plan. Teachers found this template to be very helpful in their lesson planning and their planning for differentiated instruction.

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This free Differentiated Instruction Lesson Plan Template is a wonderful planning tool that really forces you to consider all of your students as you plan your lesson.This lesson plan includes:
- three separate sections for 3 different activities to help you consider each learning goal for the lesson
- a place for the mini lesson necessary to model the instruction for your students
- space to adjust the activity to accommodate all students'
- a spot for your formative assessment
- an exit slip for the end of the lesson.

When you download this lesson plan template, you will receive two files - 1 Word template and 1 PDF. If you need spaces to expand for your content, I recommend using the Word file.

If you like this template, be sure to follow me :) You can also check out my growing blog for teachers at www.themasterclassroom.com

Happy Planning!

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The purchase of this download grants ONE personal use. Sharing of any kind requires an additional license, which is available through my TpT store at half price.
Copyright prohibits sharing with or posting of any kind at any time, including within district and on shared servers.

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Differentiated Instruction Lesson Plan Template ~FREEBIE~

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This free Differentiated Instruction Lesson Plan Template is a wonderful planning tool that really forces you to consider all of your students as you plan your lesson.This lesson plan includes: - three separate sections for 3 different activities to help you consider each learning goal for the lesso...

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In this brief article the author defines culturally responsive teaching. The website, Understood, has a multitude of resources for incorporating culturally responsive teaching in your classroom. They even have a how to guide: How to use culturally responsive teaching in the classroom

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At a glance

Culturally responsive teaching is a rich, intentional approach woven into every aspect of student learning.

It focuses on the assets students bring to the classroom rather than what students can't do.

It raises expectations and makes learning relevant for all students.

Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based approach to teaching. It connects students' cultures, languages, and life experiences with what they learn in school. These connections help students access rigorous curriculum and develop higher-level academic skills.

Our brains are wired to make connections. It's easier for our brains to learn and store information when we have a hook to hang it on. That hook is background knowledge. Students bring this knowledge to the classroom every day.

But for students of color, English language learners (ELLs), and other underserved student populations, those assets are often overlooked. When that happens, educators miss the chance to use them to support learning. (See recent work by Zaretta Hammond for the neuroscience behind this.)

Culturally responsive teaching values and reflects the assets of all students. By doing that, it raises academic expectations for all learners. It also sends the message that multiculturalism is an asset.

Dive deeper

The benefits of culturally responsive teaching

How culturally responsive teaching, UDL, and SEL work together

For educators: Culturally responsive teaching in the classroom

For educators: How to partner with families

Lydia Breiseth (director of Colorín Colorado), Shivohn García, PhD (senior director of the Impact team at Understood), and Shaquala Butler (Understood Teacher Fellow) contributed to this article.

About the author

About the author

Educators Team at Understood is made up of passionate writers, editors, educators, and subject matter experts who have worked in classrooms and with students who learn and think differently.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Karla Vigil, MAT is the chief executive officer and co-founder of the Equity Institute.

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Culturally responsive teaching helps create learning environments that validate and reflect the diversity, identities, and experiences of all students. Learn more.

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Books for the Culturally Responsive Teacher

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Books for the Culturally Responsive Teacher

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This article lists 11 different "contemporary diverse" novels for middle school readers. These books depict a wide range of stories, backgrounds, nationalities, and more. It is important to fill libraries with all different kinds of books, especially in areas where there may be fewer resources.

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If you've kept up with the young adult book world recently, you have certainly noticed that diverse YA books with big, important topics are exploding right now. I love that many middle grade books have also started to embrace today's tough subject matter without shying away from the difficulties of growing up in a complicated world.

I have recently found myself gravitating more toward contemporary middle grade books with diverse characters because they oftentimes provide me, as well as young readers, with the opportunity to think long after the final page is turned about themes ranging from important social issues to difficult-to-grasp concepts to universal experiences related to adolescence. Below I've rounded up a list of diverse books for tweens that truly feel contemporary. They all do a great job of making the middle grade "voice" sound as authentic and real as possible and they resonate with the times in which we live today.

by Mae Respicio

Lou Bulosan-Nelson shares a room with her mom in her grandmother's house, but longs for a place of her own where she can escape her crazy but lovable extended Filipino family. So she plans to spend her summer building a 100-square-foot tiny house. In the end, Lou finds herself constructing a deeper meaning of home and family.

by Jason Reynolds

In this first installment of Reynolds's Track series, follows a boy nicknamed Ghost who is fast. When he unintentionally ends up participating in a local track team's practice, he leaves the other runners in the dust. Coach offers Ghost a spot on the team - but it means he's going to have to work hard and follow all the rules in order to compete. Ghost is a rich, relatable story about true resilience.

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11 Contemporary Diverse Novels for Middle Grade Readers | Brightly

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These diverse middle grade books feel truly contemporary. They offer authentic stories driven by character development, rich narrative voice, and modern-day plots, and they don't shy away from difficult-to-grasp concepts.

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Why is Culturally Responsive Teaching Important in Low Income Areas? 

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Why is Culturally Responsive Teaching Important in Low Income Areas? 

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This 2015 study details the need for "culturally relevant teaching" in low-income areas. The author argues for the implementation of culturally relevant teaching in low-income areas as a way to see student achievement improve.

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Introduction
Culturally relevant teaching is a pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes. It is not a matter of race, gender, or teaching style. Teachers with culturally relevant practices see themselves as part of the community and they encourage students to learn collaboratively. Culturally relevant teachers help students make connections between their community, nationality and global identities. Teachers who are culturally relevant view knowledge critically and see teaching as "digging knowledge out" of students. The lack of culturally relevant teaching seems to be at the forefront of the educational setbacks of our youth. Our students are learning but there seems to be something lacking. As a team, we want to understand why it is important for culturally relevant teaching to be implemented in low income neighborhoods?
Ethical Consideration
Informed participation:
Our number one priority as a group is to make sure that we follow a strict ethics code when it comes to our upcoming research. Before approaching the teachers, we will need consent from the principals. Once given permission, they will be given a formal letter that will introduce to them the topic and reasons on why we have chosen to do this study. Children's feelings are often taken for granted when it comes to research and we want to make sure that they are comfortable knowing that we as interviewers will give them the utmost respect. They will also be given a formal letter that will introduce to them the topic and reasons why we chose to do this study for them to take home to their parents. When dealing with children, we want to make sure the adults who supervise them from home to school are well aware of our intentions.
Voluntary participation:
To make sure everyone knows that sharing their opinions is completely voluntary, on the letter mentioned above, there will be a question asking whether or not they wish to participate in the interview. It will specify that it is solely their decision, and no one else's. This letter will act as a legal document so the aforementioned will be protected from any malicious intent.
Confidentiality and anonymity:
To keep the identities of our participant's safe they shall remain anonymous, keeping all of their information a secret. Any interview response given by our participants will be completely unknown to the reader. We will only use the neighborhood location and school for documentation purposes. The participants' names will never be listed or said during or after the interview process but we will have our own personal records of the participants, schools, and locations for documentation purposes.
Protection from harm:
Our study does not intend to harm any of our participants but in the event we happen to anger someone or make them feel sadness in any way we will pause the discussion and let them know their open and honest emotions are respected. We will apologize but let them know that the main reason we are doing this study is to get what's real and not what we want to hear. We will be interviewing willing children with discretion in respect to them, their parents and their school. There are no serious risks involved in our study and the honest opinions from our participants are the only thing we sincerely need from them.
Participation of children:
In recruiting the children we'd like to include in our study, the above-mentioned consent form comes into play. We plan on going to the school, and speaking with the different teachers. They will be our gatekeepers. This of course will be after speaking with the Principal, who then will inform their faculty of our study. Those who sign up and agree will be our gatekeepers. They will then pass on the letters to their students of which will then pass on to their parent or guardian. This will only be done after we speak openly and respectfully to each class, of course with the teachers consent. In order to gain voluntary consent of the teachers, we will explain to the parents of the children as well as the teachers and other associates of the school that the purpose of our interview is to understand the factors of a school in a low income neighborhood as well the influences it has on the children attending it. We will answer any questions the children or teachers may have right then and there referring to the upcoming interview. We want the children to know that their opinion and theirs alone is who we want to focus on. We want to explain to them how important it is for them to know that they shouldn't feel coerced into lying or saying anything that doesn't respect how they feel as individuals. When speaking with the children who are actively participate in our study we have to switch things up. We need to make it clear and comprehensible for these kids because they will be the ones reading our research and findings. We will use vocabulary that they are more familiar with, and speak in friendly tones. We don't want the children to feel intimidated by our presence, especially because we are strangers to them compared to their teacher. Our body language has to give off a friendly demeanor that will enable the children to build a certain trust with us as researchers. When it comes to the children we will do this in a way that makes them feel comfortable and at ease knowing they're input will be included. In no way do we want to make them feel judged or seem as if they are just a project or experiment. We want to observe them in an environment where they feel relaxed.
Impartiality:
Some researchers of children disregard the true opinions of the youth and say what they feel children are thinking. Any questions asked by us, we want them to know that their responses are solely based upon what they feel and that alone. When synthesizing and trying to make sense of each word from the scripts presented to us, we will only be narrowing down the focus areas. We will have to compare and contrast the original script with what we synthesized so we make sure the voices and feelings of the kids remain at the forefront.
Data security:
To ensure the security of the data received from our participants, they will be filed in a locked cabinet where only the three of us will have access with our keys. Then our coded data for analysis and reporting will be kept password protected in which only the three of us will know what that password will be.
Dissemination and use of research:
There are many ways our research can be manipulated and misunderstood by those who are reading it and participating in it. With that being said, we want to make sure there are no misunderstandings. We will thoroughly explain exactly what our research is and its purpose.
Literature Review
Our literature review allows one to understand the link between race and academic achievement amongst minorities who are underprivileged. Noguera states "minority and disadvantaged children tend to not do as well in school than affluent white students" (Noguera, 2003). There are children who are not able to have the same opportunities as other students. They get sent to schools that do not have enough funding, which cause the students to have less than they deserve. The schools that are funded and have the resources are geared to children who in a higher class and have the means to get a good education and achieve academically. They analyzed a school in East Bay (Richmond, Berkeley, and Oakland) and it showed the outcomes of the student's academics. There was a study that showed academic outcomes of children was linked to a child's race and class based on the characteristics of their neighborhood. Also a child's culture may determine how they perceive education and the importance of it. Though this is happening, there is no one making a big enough impact because there are still failing schools and students who are dropping out.
According to Mickelson, young people have two different mindsets on education. It is explained that Blacks have a positive attitude toward education but they have poor academics. They know having an education is important but continue to fail academically or drop out. They know they do not have the same opportunities as their white counterparts. They have these attitudes that cause them to act and think this way. The first attitude is called "abstract attitude" which is a global way of thinking and deals with cultural values. Abstract thinking is how we view success and goals. We know that school is a way to be successful. On the other hand, there's "concrete attitudes" that shape our realistic views on education and our experiences. Concrete attitudes are situationally based. A study was done on 8 schools which included 1,193 seniors in a social studies course. They were given a questionnaire on their concrete and abstract attitudes toward education, family background, peers, and leisure and work history. The findings showed that all students have abstract and concrete attitudes but when it came to race and class, they only had concrete attitudes. It showed that concrete predicted academic achievement. With that being said, the relationship between, race, class, and school performance has been one of the most consistent features of education in the United States and has an effect on academics and future success.
Gloria Ladson-Billings does an awesome job illustrating the different methods her teachers use within her book Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American children. Within the book, she introduces us as readers to teachers who are current examples of good teaching. She shows that culturally relevant teaching is not a matter of race, gender, or teaching style. What matters most are the teacher's efforts to work with the unique strengths a child brings to the classroom. The mischaracterization of African American children, in particular, has roused Ladson-Billings to write about ways to educate and inspire them. Dedicated to discovering what kind of instruction works in diverse classrooms, she is credited with coining the phrase "culturally relevant teaching," an educational philosophy rooted in using students' home cultures to engage them. . During her travels across the country, she encountered a number of incredible teachers that easily fell into the category, "Dreamkeeper." These were teachers who focused on student learning, cultural competence, and sociopolitical consciousness in their work with African American and Latino students. These teachers exist and she felt the need to acknowledge and celebrate them in writing this book.
Gloria Ladson-Billings is considered one of the leaders in scholarship concerning the education of African-American children today. Ladson-Billings' research examines the pedagogical practices of teachers who are successful with African American students. Most notably she is credited with the concept of "culturally relevant pedagogy," which is explored in great depth in her book, The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children. She asks the African-American community in her study to identify good teachers (regardless of race) and develops profiles of those teachers. She also investigates Critical Race Theory applications to education.
One teacher, Elizabeth Harris, illustrates the importance of such behavior perfectly by inviting her students to her Sunday school class. She states, "You've got to realize that being with the children for 5 or 6 hours a day is just not enough for the kind of impact you want to have on them. The stuff they're exposed to on TV and in the movies, the music, the streets...all if this is vying for their hearts and minds. I just want to do whatever I can to get to know the children better" (Ladson-Billings, p69). Examples as such within the book shows the reader that having this philosophy as a culturally competent teacher demonstrates a connectedness with all of their students and encourages that same connectedness between the students. They are a family. When one fails, they all fail; when one succeeds, they all succeed. As members of an extended family, the students assist, support, and encourage one another to strive for success. These teachers can be identified by the ways in which they structure their social interactions. Their relationships with students are fluid and unbiased and extend beyond the classroom.
Mrs. Ladson-Billings shows that culturally relevant teaching is not a matter of race, gender, or teaching style. What matters most are a teacher's efforts to work with the unique strengths a child brings to the classroom. With a brilliant mixture of scholarship and storytelling, The Dreamkeepers challenges us to envision intellectually rigorous and culturally relevant classrooms that have the power to improve the lives of not just African American students, but all children. She makes you understand that participating in culturally relevant teaching essentially means that teachers create a bridge between students' home and school lives, while still meeting the expectations of the district and state curricular requirements. Culturally relevant teaching utilizes the backgrounds, knowledge, and experiences of the students to inform the teacher's lessons and methodology. Teachers who use culturally relevant pedagogy provide students with a curriculum that builds on their prior knowledge and cultural experiences.
Gay points out that there needs to be recognition that underachievement may have more to do with the education system and less to do with the students who are participating in it (especially those who are struggling). The author supports this concept with some common misconceptions about education and diversity such as "education has nothing to do with culture and heritage" and "good teaching in transcendent; it is identical for all students..." (Gay, 2000, 22). Gay argues that this is the opposite of what should be expressed in a diverse classroom. Students' individuality (and thus their identity in their cultural and ethnicity) need to be considered when striving to provide them with the best education possible. Not only will implementing cultural components that every student can identify with help the individual student from that particular culture or ethnic group, but the class as a whole will benefit from the positive exposure to the cultures of their classmates.
Tatum addresses specific topics in which give the reader a better understanding of race, the influence it has on an individual and the influence it has in society. The main topics discussed throughout the book initiate with defining racism and identity, how children are influenced by racism in schools, the outcome of identity development in adults, white identity, identity development beyond black and white, identity development in multiracial families and cross-racial dialogue. Race is the main topic in this book and Tatum goes into depth to talk about the levels in which it affects our lives. She explains how race is "system of advantage based on race" and through this system, individuals in such a society, are defined by their race (Tatum, 1997, 7) Further into the book, she discusses how this idea of having society define us is implemented in our minds. This creates an imbalance amongst races by creating a false perception about what each individual's role should be in society based on race instead of the individual.
Every topic discussed by the author was supported in her agenda through evidence she provided such as her expertise in the field of psychology, research on black families in white communities, racial identity in teens and the role of race in a classroom. She uses different models such as Cross's Model, Helms Model and Phinney's Model to further explain the idea behind seclusion amongst races, how this idea must be approached and ultimately how to achieve identity development over time. The implications Tatum illustrates in her book for the future of unprivileged children in the urban education system aid to resist negative societal messages and develop an empowered sense of self in the face of a racist society. In other words, because differences will always exist amongst each individual in society whether it has to do with race, culture, sex etc., one must achieve acceptance within him/herself through the development of identity and learn how this can be applied to society to create a just environment.
W. E. B. Du Bois states that, "The proper education of any people includes sympathetic touch between teacher and pupil; knowledge on the part of the teacher, not simply of the individual taught but of his surroundings and background, and the history of his class and group" (DuBois, p328). In chapter 2 of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire discusses the concept of banking, a tactic in which has been used in the education system to teach children. This banking concept consists of feeding children's minds with information in which they are to carelessly memorize various teachings such as certain events, important dates and specific individuals throughout history. The problem with this system is it doesn't allow for outside information to be discussed to expand the child's mind beyond the given information in which can allow the child to raise questions and think outside the box. Students are treated like robots where they are given this information to recite, use this information to succeed in state tests, and dispose of the information once it is no longer useful to them. What this is taking away from the child is the ability to develop an independent way of thinking because all the child is being taught is how to memorize. Through this concept, the child will grow up with facts that may or may not be remembered and the inability to contribute anything besides these facts because the mind wasn't trained to creatively and critically think.
Data Collection Methodology
The qualitative data collection method we chose to do as a group was the interview method with a heavy focus on survey use. By using a combination of these two methods, it lays out the best platform for us as child researchers to get unbiased information from our research participants directly. We believe that by choosing the survey method to collect this data, we will acquire the desired information in which will build the foundation of our research. Acknowledging that surveys do not entirely provide the information needed to conduct this research, they are a crucial step to build up on. By supplementing our data collection with interviews, we are able to retrieve an in depth analysis in which supports our study. When children are in their natural setting such as the classroom where they interact with their peers and be themselves, you get the raw idea of who that child is. I have friends who are teachers and they tell me some of the things their students say and all you can do is laugh. They are honest almost to a fault but you know for a fact that the child is saying what they truly feel. When they are in the classroom, they are at peace and completely in their element and their own world. Interviewing a child about how they feel they are learning and being taught within the environment in which they learn everyday seems to be the best way to get their minds flowing. In order to ensure reliability of our data collection, one must take into consideration whether the information is an accurate representation of reality. Considering the selection of population and sample of our research through the various districts we are choosing as well as the cluster of population involved in our data, we are choosing targets in which represent the majority of the population in each given location. By doing so, this accurately supports the representation of the variables of which will back up our research.
Population and Sample
Our population of interest is elementary schools in 20 different school districts within the 5 boroughs. We will use non-participatory approach to collecting our data by allowing the population to answer freely on the survey given. The population consists of the students, parents and educators of these schools. By choosing these participants, we plan to obtain a variety of insight from different perspectives. From each school we will pick one class to interview, 5 teachers from each school and 1 parent/guardian from each of the participating children. Then we will go to the schools and set up a meeting with the principles and ask them if we will be allowed to conduct our research at the school. We need to ask for permission to interview the teachers, students and parents. After that is said and done, we would need to send out consent letters to ask the parents if they will agree to allow us to interview their child. The sampling technique used here is cluster sample due to the fact that we are choosing randomly selected schools and from each cluster the targeted audience will complete the survey.
Study site
In order to conduct our research we decided to go to a school to interview the teachers, students and the parents. The school is the best site for us to gather our information because it is a communal space where the child feels safe considering the convenience and ease of our targeted audience is of the utmost importance. It is also the most convenient space to talk to the teachers to get their input. When it comes to the parents we can get their ideas on the topic when they are either picking up or dropping off their child at school. We will be conducting our interviews within the 20 schools in each of the 5 boroughs. By doing so, we can get a wide array of data in which represents the various cultures and backgrounds that make up New York City. We want to be able to compare and contrast between the different school districts and take this into consideration when completing our study. It would also help to see the range of teaching styles these teachers use. We will decide on which schools we would want to interview by random lottery picking.
Sample Survey: Thinking about your school, how much do you agree or disagree with the following? For each statement, please check the appropriate box.
Agree: 1
Somewhat Disagree: 3
Disagree: 5
1. Students in my school treat one another with respect.
2. Most of my teachers don't understand what my life is like outside of school.
3. I feel emotionally safe in my classes.
4. I feel emotionally safe outside of the classroom (restrooms, lockers, hallways, cafeteria, etc.).
5. My school disciplines students fairly. 6. My principal models respectful behavior.
7. Faculty and staff value what students have to say.
8. My school respects all races and cultures.
9. Students in my school care about learning and getting a good education.
10. Classes in my school are challenging.
11. Students are involved in decisions about things that affect them in school.
12. Most of my teachers are enthusiastic about teaching and communicate this to students.
13. I feel that I belong (am accepted and liked) at school.
14. Most of my teachers like me.
15. I respect most of my teachers.
16. Most of my teachers know my name.
17. Students in my school help one another even if they are not friends.
18. Teachers at my school are respectful toward one another.
19. I feel physically safe outside of the classroom (restrooms, lockers, hallways, cafeteria, etc.).
20. Students at my school support most extra-curricular activities (not just sports).
21. Students are encouraged to say what they think.
22. I feel physically safe in my classes.
Interview & Survey
For the distribution of the survey, each participant will receive one survey in which will be given in person. The survey will consist of only 20 questions and we will give the students about 20 minutes to complete it as the adult participants get 15 minutes. We will be attending the schools from the cluster pick and speak to the people we need to that would help us gain information for our research. We will be interviewing parents, teachers and the children that attend the school. Each interview question would be similar for each category but worded differently. For the children, we will make it simple but make it an open-ended question so they are comfortable and also have an opportunity to talk. For the teachers we would get their opinion on what the curriculum and how they would want to change it. For parents we would ask them questions that more relate to what they think is being taught in their child's school and what they would want them to learn. Our interviews would be semi-structured but also formal because with the children we don't want them to feel coerced when speaking with us. When it comes to the teachers and parents we want them to be able to give us their honest opinions and their views on culturally relevant teaching. The sample will be divided into control and experiment groups by sectioning our population and supplying them with the given survey constructed specifically for the role they take in this experiment such as teacher, parent or student. The dependent variable in our research consists of asking questions to indicate students' achievements and learning abilities in school. The independent variable is the overall picture of how children in low income neighborhoods are influenced on their achievements and learning abilities based on their socioeconomic status and environment. We will be observing 4 schools in each of the 5 boroughs consisting neighborhoods of different socioeconomic status in order to compare results on the targeted variable. We will be using paper and pencil to record the data.
Data Analysis Plan
We will be collecting qualitative data because we chose the interview method with a heavy focus on survey use. With that being said, organizing the data to be analyzed will have to be by school and then by the students. Data collected from the parent and teacher groups will be reviewed but will mainly be for documentation purposes. The children's responses are our main focus. We will go through all of the interviews and try and sieve through the dominant responses and themes. We will be putting all 20 schools together. It may sound weird but the idea is to see if there is a collective response throughout the schools or if there seems to be certain mentalities based on location. Once that is done, reviewing the answers to the survey by school and borough will give us a thorough understanding of what the overall mindset of the students, parents, and teachers feel about culturally relevant pedagogy in their school, neighborhood and borough is. The children may feel one way while the parents and teachers feeling another way. In her book Dreamkeepers, Ladson-Billings uses different themes to use as a focal point for her study such as "Does Culture Matter", "Seeing Color, Seeing Culture", and "Making Dreams Into Reality". Using examples such as these will allow us to categorize our findings within these boundaries. Because her pedagogy is the foundation of our overall analysis, we want to compare our qualitative data findings with that of her teachings. She was able to find success with her teachers and students and comparing our findings will help us to be successful as well. If we can see similarities from our research and they be indicative of what Ladson-Billings was trying to portray with her study, then we can say that we have found validation through our research. We can then come to an overall conclusion on how to make sure that culturally relevant teaching is prominent in the classrooms and a success for our students, teachers and parents.
Outcome
All students do not learn in the same way. As educators, we need to be mindful of this and respond accordingly. If we do not, then we run the risk of treating students as unintelligent, incapable of understanding or achieving. The primary aim of culturally relevant teaching is to assist in the development of a "relevant black personality" that allows African American students to choose academic excellence yet still identify with African and African American culture. Teachers who emphasize and practice cultural relevant methods, help students make connection between their local, national, racial, cultural and global identities. These teachers believe that students are capable of excellence and assume responsibility for ensuring that their students achieve such excellence. Finally the teachers that know the importance of culture and apply it within the class and beyond, they do not need personal recognition in order to achieve such excellence.
Below are the ways in which students lives were impacted and may continue to be impacted as a result of culturally relevant teaching:
* Because of the demands and encouragement from teachers, African American students will develop a strong social power.
* When teachers show appreciation and are attentive to their students' culture, students will be more willing to engage in discussions about history and the culture of others.
* The demand from teachers, unto the students, to develop a broad sociopolitical consciousness and engage critically in the world will help students to have a healthy dose of self.

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| The Importance of Culturally Relevant Teaching in Low-income NeighborhoodsApplied Research in Children's Studies 2015

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Introduction Culturally relevant teaching is a pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes. It is not a matter of race, gender, or teaching style. Teachers with culturally relevant practices see themselves as part of the community and they encourage students to learn collaboratively.

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Fact Sheet: Culturally Responsive Education

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Fact Sheet: Culturally Responsive Education

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This is a quick fact sheet to look over to understand the need for culturally responsive teaching. It provides some research-proven solutions for educators to consider.

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Culturally Responsive Education Research Fact Sheet

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Two-page summary of research documenting the need for culturally responsive education, and the positive impact on students in the classroom.

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Here is an article that details the why of culturally responsive teaching, but also some examples that you may introduce in your classroom. Different activities and procedures that will create a safe space to be a culturally responsive educator.

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No single teaching approach will engage each student at once, but building a strategy to consistently deliver culturally-responsive teaching lessons will help you appeal to diverse learners with distinct backgrounds.

Rooted in differentiated instruction principles, culturally-responsive pedagogy aims to link content - from delivery to assessment - with students' ancestral and contemporary cultures.

To augment their understanding and responsiveness, this involves:

Empowering students to share thoughts

Integrating diverse work and study practices

Understanding student learning needs and styles

Emulating culturally-significant instruction styles, such as oral storytelling

To help you plan and deliver lessons that resonate with a diverse classroom, we'll explain what culturally responsive teaching is and how it is implemented.

We also put together 15 culturally-responsive teaching strategies and examples that will resonate with diverse students and foster an inclusive classroom environment.

These strategies are available as a downloadable list below for quick reference so you can reference them during classroom instruction.

Let's start with some simple explanation of what culturally responsive teaching actually means.

What is culturally responsive teaching?

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a pedagogy that acknowledges and embraces students' cultures, languages and experiences - and relates them to classroom learning.

Culturally responsive teachers are actively aware of the various cultural backgrounds present in their classrooms, and act as a facilitator of lessons that can resonate with each.

It is not an easy task - creating this learning environment requires not only a high level of cultural competence, but also an intentional effort to learn about students' backgrounds and cultures.

It can be majorly beneficial to closing achievement gaps between students of different backgrounds and addressing inequities in the classroom. You can also create stronger partnerships with your students by fostering a learning environment where they are represented clearly.

Conditions for creating a culturally-responsive classroom

Reflected in the 15 strategies and examples in the next section, there are four conditions any teacher must fulfill to establish a culturally-responsive classroom, according to an authoritative academic book about the subject called Diversity and Motivation.

As you prepare and deliver any lesson, strive to:

Establish inclusion

This starts by highlighting how the topic you're teaching may relate or apply to students. For example, many societies and cultures have fireworks festivals.

While such a festival runs, you could teach how to calculate speed using fireworks in sample questions. Establishing inclusion also involves regularly grouping students with different classmates, encouraging discussion to solve problems. In doing so, they can share unique perspectives and diverse background knowledge.

Develop positive attitudes

This further focuses on relating content to students. A popular method is allowing them to choose between activities and assessments that let them showcase their values, strengths and experiences.

For example, while providing clear learning goals and evaluation criteria, encourage students to submit their own project ideas.

Enhance meaning

You can bolster lesson content by drawing connections with real-world issues, asking students to use opinions and existing knowledge to address them.

For example, when teaching about government, you could contextualize concepts through municipal political issues. When appropriate, use student jargon to clarify these issues or improve communication in general.

Foster confidence

Make the assessment process less intimidating by offering different ways to demonstrate skills and understanding. For example, avoid handing out quizzes that are purely multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank.

Among other question types, mix in problems that involve writing short- and long-form answers. After, give students time to assess their own progress and performance, helping them focus on growth.

Meeting these four conditions largely relies on using specific approaches, such as the 15 explored below.

15 Culturally-responsive teaching strategies and examples

1. Learn about your students

At the start of the year or semester, demonstrating a desire to adapt your teaching style to students can help them feel valued. Because open communication should uncover their learning needs and preferences, try:

Distributing questionnaires, asking about interests

Handing out surveys, gathering information about learning styles

Holding open discussions, allowing students to talk about positive experiences from past classes

Once you've gathered enough information, tell the class you'll focus on adjusting your teaching approach to help them learn as best as they can. Students should quickly warm up to you.

2. Interview students

You'll build a stronger understanding of students' values and habits - as well as strengths and weaknesses - by individually asking them questions. While running a large-group exercise, pull each student aside for a few minutes. Ask about:

Hobbies

Their favourite lessons and activities

Which kinds of exercises help them remember lessons and improve skills

Note what each student says to identify themes and different preferences. Then, when possible, relate content to their interests and deliver lessons that appeal to shared strengths.

3. Integrate relevant word problems

Many students will take a greater interest in math if you use word problems to contextualize equations. Working with 41 7th grade students throughout an academic year, a study published by the Canadian Center of Science and Education used such contextual learning strategies to increase test scores by more than 44%. Create culturally-relevant word problems by:

Including student names to make subject matter relatable

Linking to student interests, such as by measuring the shot distance of a famous soccer player

Referencing diverse cultures, such as by determining the diameter of a specific ethnic food platter

Using these word problem tips will not only help you establish a culturally-responsive classroom, but engage students more than by using abstract questions.

4. Present new concepts by using student vocabulary

Delivering relatable content goes beyond math class. In any subject, you can grab and keep student attention by using their vocabulary to build understanding before moving to academic diction. Let's say many of your students are sports fans with family from soccer-crazed nations. Use a soccer example to demonstrate metaphors in language arts class:
Andrea Pirlo is an eagle on the pitch, armed with vision sharp enough to detect the smallest openings and recognize opportunities his opposition can't.
This kind of culturally-responsive language should open the door to presenting challenging skills and concepts, engaging students while doing so.

5. Bring in guest speakers

Guest speakers can bring context and passion to history, geography and social studies lessons, capturing student interest.

A war veteran could deliver a vivid narrative of his or her experiences. A mountaineer could give a striking recount of scaling Lhotse. Both could answer questions many teachers would struggle with, while engaging students much more effectively than a slideshow.

Plus, according to a study by the Economics of Education Review, students are often encouraged to work harder when they share a background with an educator. So, diverse guest speakers may inherently engage and motivate students who share a culture with them.

6. Deliver different forms of content through learning stations

Whether due to culture, socialization, preference or learning needs, students respond differently to different types of content. You can provide a range of material to each student by setting up learning stations. Each station should use a unique method of teaching a skill or concept related to your lesson.

For example, students can rotate between stations that involve:

Playing a game

Creating artwork

Watching a video

Reading an article

Completing puzzles

Listening to you teach

After going through each station, you can help students further process the material by holding a class discussion or assigning questions to answer.

7. Gamify lessons

Want another way to consistently diversify content and its delivery, appealing to different learning styles? Gamify some lesson elements. Easy-to-implement practices include:

Offering rewards, such as badges, for completing specific tasks or achieving certain scores

Setting a clear learning goal for the lesson, charting progress throughout the class to motivate students

Creating an "instruction manual" for a project, which contains the rubric and best practices for earning a high grade

Plus, gamifying your lessons is a way of making connections with contemporary gaming culture - helping students within this culture process and demonstrate understanding of content.

8. Call on each student

Call-and-response - the practice of asking students frequent questions while giving lessons - usually keeps them engaged, but also enables them to share thoughts and opinions. Involve everyone by:

Encouraging the sharing of personal perspectives, when a question allows for it

Calling on students without their hands up, acclimatizing them to speaking amongst peers

Asking a question after each new point or thought, having a student teach back the concept you just spoke about

By lesson's end, this call-and-response approach should allow each student to speak at least once.

9. Use media that positively depict a range of cultures

Children process content more effectively when their cultures and languages have places in the curriculum, according to an oft-cited academic book about teaching in multiracial schools.

Using media, such as books and movies, that positively depict a range of cultures and are relevant to your syllabus can partially address this need. Finding options through databases such as IMDB or American Literature isn't a tough task.

As a bonus, using different media should boost engagement levels.

10. Offer different types of free study time

Free study time typically appeals to students who prefer solo learning, but many cultures prioritize learning in group settings. You can meet both preferences by dividing your class into clearly-sectioned team and individual activities, such as the following:

Provide audiobooks, which play material relevant to your lessons

Create a station for group games that teach curriculum-aligned skills

Keep a dedicated quiet space for students to take notes and complete work

Allow some students to work in groups while taking notes and completing work, away from the dedicated quiet space

Presented with these options, free study time should appeal to a wider range of learners.

11. Encourage students to propose ideas for projects

By asking students to submit ideas for their own projects, the benefits of choice extend beyond free study time. Specifically, they should build confidence by showcasing their strengths and existing background knowledge.

So, encourage them to pitch ideas for taking a project from concept to completion. A student must show how the product will meet academic standards in his or her pitch. If the idea falls short, give the student ideas to refine it. If the student can't refine the idea, he or she can choose a project from a list of options you provide.

Not only will you be pleasantly surprised by some pitches, but you may generate ideas for future culturally-responsive exercises and assessments.

12. Experiment with peer teaching

There'll almost always be some student vocabulary and communal practices you never pick up on. But you can fill these gaps through peer teaching. Relatively-simple exercises include:

Students who read and discuss story passages with peers recall more content and score higher on assessments, according an Ohio University pilot study. And, according to a science education study, students who work in pairs and groups typically perform better on tests that involve reasoning and critical thinking.

Such results are largely achieved due to students discussing and rationalizing concepts in their own words, many of which belong to contemporary cultural lexicon and are not academic.

13. Establish cooperative base groups

Cooperative base groups - which come from collaborative learning pedagogy - allow students to regularly learn and process content together.

Your role consists of creating groups of three or four, scheduling meeting times and detailing agendas for them. Filling knowledge gaps and encouraging communication is also involved. Students' roles focus on supporting each other while striving to meet learning goals over the year.

While working in base groups, students can:

Review lessons

Take on guided research

Address each other's questions

Complete in-class assessments

The connection to culturally-responsive teaching is the same as peer learning: cooperative base groups encourage students to make sense of concepts you've taught by using their own words and thoughts.

14. Run problem-based learning scenarios

The flexibility of problem-based learning lends itself to culturally-responsive teaching. This is because, when presenting a relatable real-world problem for your students to solve, two cultural connections will typically occur.

1. First, there will likely be a cultural link in the question, whether it's explicit or students make it themselves.

2. Second, because they can apply different approaches toward problem-solving, they may use unique cultural perspectives.

But if you want to create a scenario with explicit cultural ties, consider:

Encouraging students to take historical, sociological and anthropological viewpoints

Framing the problem using ethnic events - for instance, solving logistical challenges of running a heritage festival - in the area

Regardless, the student-centred nature of problem-based learning will allow your class to use culturally-relevant examples and information when appropriate.

15. Involve parents by using take-home letters

Involving parents in their child's learning is a core part of almost any culturally-responsive teaching approach -- they act as the main educators in many societies and can provide cultural context. When starting a new unit or trying out an education tool for the first time, consider sending a letter home to parents.

For reference, here's the letter Prodigy provides to its teachers. This opens the door to parent participation. While not all parents will be subject matter experts, most should be able to provide guidance.

Downloadable list of culturally-responsive teaching strategies and examples

Click here to download and print a simplified list of the 15 culturally-responsive teaching strategies and examples to keep at your desk.

Interested in other teaching strategies to deploy in your classroom?

Culturally-responsive teaching strategies overlap in important ways with many other pedagogical approaches. Consider researching other teaching and instructional strategies to help bolster your approach, or combine different elements of each strategy!

Active learning strategies empower, engage, and stimulate your students as they put them at the center of the learning process.

Experiential learning activities, in contrast to traditional learning activities,aim to develop knowledge and skills through direct, firsthand experience.

Project-based learning involves an open-ended approach that sees students work alone or collectively to work on engaging, intricate curriculum-related questions or challenges..

Inquiry-based learning is broken down into four categories, all of which emphasize student questions, ideas and analyses.

Adaptive learning focuses on changing - or "adapting" - content for each student on an individual basis, especially with the help of technology.

Social emotional learning activities help students build social skills, establish healthy relationships and manage their emotions.

Final thoughts about culturally-relevant pedagogy

Delivering culturally-responsive lessons can not only help you engage students, but allow them to make personal connections with content.

Student populations across your school district are comprised of different races, backgrounds, cultural identities and socioeconomic statuses - it's important that teaching practices reflect and embrace these differences.

Greater student investment should lead to other benefits, such as more rigor and motivation. A happier, focused classroom is the ideal outcome.

Prodigy is a digital game-based learning platform that delivers a range of culturally-relevant math content through engaging word and scenario-based problems. Standards-aligned, it's used by millions of teachers and students across the world.

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Culturally Responsive Teaching: Definition, Strategies & Examples

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Need to engage your diverse classroom? Try using these 15 culturally-responsive teaching strategies and examples, complete with a downloadable list.

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Video: Dr. Zaretta Hammond Presents on Culturally Responsive Teaching

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Video: Dr. Zaretta Hammond Presents on Culturally Responsive Teaching

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One of the big names we see in lots of culturally responsive teaching literature is Dr. Zaretta Hammond. She has done lots of research on the subject and wrote a book entitled Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. This video is a presentation she gave in San Francisco where she discusses culturally responsive teaching.

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Zaretta Hammond "Culturally Responsive Teaching" at the San Francisco Public Library