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Impossible. That was my first thought when I saw the class roster. In one of my ninth grade English classes, 13 of my 27 students had IEPs. Additionally, about one-third of the students had failed the class the previous year. I dreaded the first day of school. But then something wonderful happened: The principal assigned me a co-teacher, a special education expert to serve as another set of hands (and eyes and ears!) during this class every day. I was thrilled.

My co-teacher Sandie was a joy to collaborate with, but our relationship was by no means perfect, especially at the beginning. We often struggled to find planning time. Sometimes we disagreed about how to best help a particular student. However, we nurtured the co-teaching relationship and, in time, found a rhythm that worked for us-and for the students we served.

In the years since I co-taught with Sandie and other teachers, I've coached and consulted with dozens of successful and not-so-successful teams. Co-teaching, when done well, offers benefits for both students and teachers. When not done well, it can be confusing or downright frustrating for all involved. If you are or will be part of a co-teaching partnership, this post will show you some ways to make your partnership work beautifully.

What is Co-Teaching?

In a co-teaching relationship, also known as a "push-in" arrangement, a general education teacher partners with a specialist who may be certified in teaching English Language Learners (ELLs), students with learning disabilities, or some other special population. A co-teaching team works in the general ed classroom; for the majority of the time, students with special needs are not pulled out to receive services in another location.

For instance, a middle school social studies teacher may have an ELL teacher co-teaching with him during one class period because five students in that class are newcomers to the United States and speak only Arabic fluently. A high school teacher may have one or two sections of biology to which many students with IEPs for reading are channeled; a co-teacher who specializes in reading disabilities co-teaches in these classes. A 4th grade teacher may have two students with 504 plans and another three who have specific learning disabilities in her class; she works alongside a special education teacher daily during lessons in the four core academic subject areas.

For more background, download this Brief History of Co-Teaching.

Co-Teaching Structures

General education teachers working with specialists in a "push-in" model often work in one of the following structures described by Friend and Cook (1996):

One teach, one observe: One teacher delivers instruction while the other observes student learning. Usually the observer collects data on student understanding so that the co-teaching team can better plan future instruction. Sometimes, specific students are watched closely so that the teachers can determine new strategies to use with them.

One teach, one assist: One teacher takes the lead in providing instruction while the other moves around the classroom, assisting struggling students. This help is not limited to students with special needs; the assisting professional is there to serve whomever needs support.

Parallel teaching: The class is divided in two groups and the same material is presented simultaneously by both teachers. The teachers plan the two groups deliberately to maximize the success of all students; this is not simply a "pull-out" or intervention group sitting in the same room.

Station teaching: Both teachers are actively involved in instruction as students are divided into groups and rotate from one station to the next. There may be stations where students work independently or with a paraprofessional in addition to the two stations the co-teachers facilitate.

Alternative teaching: One teacher takes a small group of students and provides them more intensive or specialized instruction that is different than what the large group receives from the other teacher.

Team teaching: Both teachers teach the content at the same time in tandem or "tag team" fashion.

It is important to note that both teachers have equal status and equal responsibility in all six of these arrangements. In the co-teaching relationships that work best, at no time is one teacher seen as subordinate to the other. Both professionals are credentialed professionals, although each may have his or her specific areas of expertise.

How to Make the Most of a Co-Teaching Partnership

Researchers and practitioners have tons of advice about how to co-teach effectively, and as a person who has been "in the trenches" with several different co-teachers, so do I. The advice below sums up the most common recommendations.

1. Respect each other.

Not surprisingly, mutual respect is critical to the co-teaching relationship. You'll have to share ideas openly and do much of your work facing students together, so respecting each other is paramount. Sometimes you'll disagree, and that's to be expected. As co-teacher and ELL specialist Melissa Eddington says, it's fine to disagree with someone's ideas, but don't make the disagreement about the person.

Teachers in co-teaching situations that don't work well often report feeling disrespected. Amy* is an ELL specialist paired with a middle school social studies teacher. When they collaborate, Amy feels her suggestions for tweaking whole-class lessons are not taken seriously by her partner. "She respects me as a professional," Amy says of her co-teacher, "but I think because I'm not experienced in her content, she doesn't see my input as valuable."

Susan*, who is licensed in both secondary science and learning disabilities, works with two physical science teachers and one biology teacher. The physical science teachers welcome her ideas and eagerly adjust their lessons based on her suggestions. They are seeing a steady increase of students mastering the required standards in the classes Susan supports. The biology teacher, however, dismisses many of Susan's ideas and accuses her of "dumbing down" his content. Susan feels disrespected and finds it hard to even be in the room with the biology teacher because he constantly positions himself as "the expert" and places her in a subordinate role.

Words and gestures speak volumes. Take care to show respect for your partner in all you do.

2. Clearly define roles and responsibilities.

Co-teaching works better when the partners agree on who does what, when. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities prevent either partner from feeling the other has overstepped a boundary or shirked responsibilities.

Natalie Marston (2002-2015), an elementary special ed teacher, recommends co-teachers reach agreement on scheduling, classroom procedures and behaviors, classwork and homework policies, grading, and school/home communication together so they present a united front at all times.

Obviously this type of planning requires a great deal of time, ideally before school starts. If extended time is not available prior to the beginning of the school year, then the co-teaching team should expect to put in extra hours before and after school in the first few weeks so things get off to a good start.

My co-teacher Sandie and I did not have advance warning of our assignment. We found out about it on the first teacher workday, leaving us only a few days before the students arrived. For weeks, we both felt like we were playing "catch up and keep up," but found that having lunch together (and some happy hours together) helped us stay in sync.

3. Be flexible.

Innovation is difficult. That's why so many teachers find themselves falling back on comfortable (and even tired) activities and strategies. Co-teaching allows you to gain another person's perspective on how instruction might be improved, how students might be best assessed, what resources to use, and so much more. Sometimes this means one person has to put aside his or her favorite tried-and-true strategy and try something different.

When Susan suggested a tactile, quiz-like method for reviewing the periodic table to her physical science co-teaching partners, they were skeptical about the time and materials it might require. They initially felt it would be more efficient to simply give additional notes to their students and then pair students to quiz each other. However, they agreed to try the review Susan's way. The students loved the activity, and almost every student with special needs passed the chapter test two days later. All three teachers were thrilled and committed to using the activity in future years.

4. Plan together.

The co-teaching relationship brings together two people with wonderfully rich expertise and experiences. Special educators are typically skilled in individualizing curriculum and instruction based on children's needs (Dettmer et al., 2005; Volonino & Zigmond, 2007). General educators, on the other hand, tend to have broad knowledge of the curriculum, standards, and desired outcomes for the larger group. Therefore, when general educators plan lessons, they tend to aim for the masses (Dettmer et al., 2005). Both perspectives are important, and co-teaching teams need ample planning time to work through how to best utilize each one.

Lack of planning time can lead to territorialism. Without time to plan for a good balance of content and individualization, a general ed teacher may become protective of his subject matter, or a specialist may become protective of his students. Emma*, a high school special ed teacher partnered with two geometry teachers, has experienced this. One teacher often asks Emma to pull aside the five or six students with specific disabilities within his class and work only with them. He sometimes says to her, "You worry about your kids. I'll worry about geometry." The principal is now providing an additional hour of planning time for Emma and this teacher. An assistant principal who oversees the math department facilitates the meetings so Emma feels supported and the geometry teacher has another content-area expert to hash things out with.

Keep in mind that planning must include both instruction and assessment. Considering many students with special needs have legal accommodations for assessment (like being provided translation, extended time, or oral reading), it's best to include both partners fully in designing quizzes, tests, papers, and other high-stakes assessment tasks.

How much time is ideal? One study found that co-teachers desired, on average, 15 minutes to an hour each day for planning (Dieker & Murawski, 2003). This figure corresponds to what worked for my co-teacher and me, and it also confirms what I hear from many co-teachers in the field. Strive to find that time any way you can.

5. Don't take yourself too seriously.

Innovation requires failure. Many times, teachers feel they've failed somehow during instruction, and in reality, the students haven't even noticed. We are often our own worst critics. Revisiting or correcting something later in the day (or the next day) doesn't mean you failed earlier. It means you've learned something since. This is the kind of ongoing learning we want to model for our students.

And, as in most situations in life, a little bit of humor goes a long way. Laugh with your co-teacher. Allow students to see both of you laughing with each other and with them when something is surprising, silly, or just doesn't go the way you planned. In the words of Jennifer Wolf who co-teaches with Melissa Eddington, "Take the work seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously."

Eddington adds, "You gotta laugh at each other! Our job is hard, and if you're not laughing and making light of some things, then it's just not going to be a good place to be."

6. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

Planning time is one thing; constant communication is another. Not only should co-teachers frequently plan for what standards will be covered, how material will be taught, and how students will be assessed, they should also regularly communicate in less formal ways.

Co-teaching teams have different methods to create and sustain that communication:

Eddington and Wolf use the Voxer app throughout the school day and on their drives home to send messages back and forth. Voxer works like a walkie-talkie and allows back-and-forth conversation in real time when two people are not physically close to each other. Melissa says, "We're constantly communicating. We're talking about specific students. We're looking at assessments to see what areas are lacking...different things we want to bring to the classroom, things we don't want to do..."

Some other teams I've worked with use texting and emails throughout each day to share updates. Voxer, texts, and emails can all work well, especially if one teacher has urgent information or an urgent question about a particular student.

Teams can use Google Docs or other shared documents to keep track of lesson planning and to share feedback with each other on how lessons went. Collaborative documents can also be used to provide each other with information about targeted students.

In addition to ongoing communication, Ariel Sacks (2014) reminds us to periodically check in with our co-teacher about how we are doing in general. She recommends asking your partner the following:

Are there management items we should clarify, such as when are students allowed to go to the bathroom?

Are we sharing airtime well?

Are we dividing grading in an equitable way?

Would different teaching formats better utilize the two of us in the classroom?

Finally, co-teachers need to present a united front when dealing with parents. Some partners go as far as to create a shared email address from which all communication flows. This may or may not be practical in your situation. At the very least, important parent communication about a student's progress should be drafted by both parties.

For more in-depth information about communicating and collaborating with your co-teacher, see Communicating and Collaborating in Co-Taught Classrooms (Conderman et al., 2009).

7. Seek administrative support.

Sometimes, teachers have been scheduled to co-teach by administrators but didn't have much advance notice. This is what happened with Sandie and me. We were able to find snippets of time during the school day to use for planning and checking in with each other, but we had no common planning period. If you and your partner don't have a common planning time when you can frequently collaborate, ask for it. Go to your principal with a couple of proposals about how this can work without too much disruption to the rest of the schedule.

Sometimes co-teachers may not understand fully why they are being asked to team. If this is the case, ask for a meeting with the principal and any others responsible for the assignment. Ask them why they thought the two of you would be a good fit and what they hope you will accomplish with students.

If you're already in a co-teaching partnership that's not working well, and you've tried to address this with your partner, turn to a trusted administrator next for advice. If you and your co-teacher have not recently been observed, ask the administrator to come sit in on part of a lesson. Tell him or her what you'd like feedback on or what feels like it's not working well. Debrief with the administrator, ideally with your co-teaching partner. When an observer offers data and feedback to both of you, it may feel different for your partner than when you share things from your perspective. (This co-teaching observation form can help.)

It's important not to go to other teachers with your concerns. Respect the collegial relationship you have with your co-teacher and don't do anything that might undermine it. And it should go without saying that you don't want students to perceive any problems within the co-teaching relationship. Be cognizant of your demeanor, tone, and body language. Students are quite perceptive and can easily spot trouble. They are also experts at "good cop/bad cop." Don't let students play you and your partner against each other. If your colleagues or students give you any evidence that they know the co-teaching arrangement is ineffective, head straight for that trusted administrator to support you. ♦

*These names have been changed.
References:
Conderman, G., Johnston-Rodriguez, S., & Hartman, P. (2009). Communicating and collaborating in co-taught classrooms. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus,5(5). Retrieved January 26, 2017, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ967751.pdf

Dettmer, P., Thurston, L., Knackendoffel, A., & Dyck, N. (2009). Collaboration, consultation, and teamwork (6th ed.). Columbus, OH: Pearson.

Dieker, Lisa A., Murawski, W. M. (2003). "Co-teaching at the Secondary Level: Unique Issues, Current Trends, and Suggestions for Success." The High School Journal, 86(4). Retrieved January 26, 2017, from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220220652/13494E2D48D1DB506F0/8

Friend, M. & Cook, L. (1996). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals. White Plains, NY: Longman.

Marston, N. (2002-2015). Six steps to successful co-teaching: Helping special and regular education teachers work together. National Education Association. Retrieved January 26, 2017 from http://www.nea.org/tools/6-steps-to-successful-co-teaching.html

Sacks, A. (2014, October 15). Blog post. Eight tips for making the most of co-teaching. Retrieved January 26, 2017, from http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/10/15/ctq_sacks_coteaching.html

Volonino, V. & Zigmond, N. (2007). Promoting research-based practices through inclusion. Theory into Practice, 46(4), 291-300.

Learn More

Angela Peery is the author of The Co-Teacher's Playbook, which will be available in September 2019.

Links to this book are Amazon Affiliate links. Cult of Pedagogy gets a small commission for all purchases made through these links.

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When done well, co-teaching offers benefits for both students and teachers. When not done well, it can be confusing or downright frustrating for all involved.

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Use the following resources to assess your school's climate.

According to a survey conducted by Learning for Justice, then Teaching Tolerance, the National Education Association and the Civil Rights Project, the vast majority of teachers say their schools are free of racial and ethnic tensions. Yet, federal reports show that one in four students are victimized in racial or ethnic incidents in the course of a typical school year.

Students of color aren't the only victims, either: nearly 70 percent of girls say they've been sexually harassed, 75 percent of gay students report hearing anti-gay slurs at school, and more than a third of gay students say they've been physically harassed.

This simple one-page questionnaire can be used to uncover differences in teacher and student perceptions, as an activity to open professional development programs related to school climate and safety, or as part of larger school-climate assessments that also include interviews, focus groups and other tools. It also can be adapted for use with parents.

Teachers and students draw maps showing where they think social divisions exist at school, and compare views of the community as a whole.

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Use these resources to assess your school's climate.

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ESL teachers have a variety of important roles in their schools and districts. Some may be assigned to a specific grade or students, while others travel from building to building each day. Learn more about the unique opportunity that ESL teachers have to collaborate, advocate, and lead their colleagues in the resources below.

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Co Teaching for English Language Learners in NYC

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Brown University Resource site

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This collection holds materials from the Education Alliance at Brown University. The Education Alliance was a reform support organization committed to advancing equitable educational opportunities that prepare all student populations to succeed in the 21st century. From 1975-2021, the Alliance partnered with schools, districts and state departments of education to apply research findings in developing solutions to educational challenges. Its mission was to enhance learning for culturally and linguistically diverse students and focused on district and school improvement with special attention to underperformance and issues of equity and diversity. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26300/7eez-dz04

The Education Alliance archived website can be found here

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Brown Digital Repository | Collection | The Education ...

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This collection holds materials from the Education Alliance at Brown University. The Education Alliance was a reform support organization committed to advancing equitable educational opportunities that prepare all student populations to succeed in the 21st century. From 1975-2021, the Alliance partnered with schools, districts and state departments of education to apply research findings in developing solutions to educational challenges.

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Assessing your co-taught program

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Geneva Gay's classic book on CRT book

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The achievement of students of color continues to be disproportionately low at all levels of education. More than ever, Geneva Gay's foundational book on culturally responsive teaching is essential reading in addressing the needs of today's diverse student population. Combining insights from multicultural education theory and research with real-life classroom stories, Gay demonstrates that all students will perform better on multiple measures of achievement when teaching is filtered through their own cultural experiences. This bestselling text has been extensively revised to include expanded coverage of student ethnic groups: African and Latino Americans as well as Asian and Native Americans as well as new material on culturally diverse communication, addressing common myths about language diversity and the effects of "English Plus" instruction.

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The achievement of students of color continues to be disproportionately low at all levels of education. More than ever, Geneva Gay's foundational book on culturally responsive teaching is essential reading in addressing the needs of today's diverse student population.

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Dove & Honigsfeld Website

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English as a New Language (ENL)
in New York State

YS CR Part 154 regulations define ENL (English as a New Language), formerly known as ESL, as a research -based program comprised of two components : a content area instructional component in English, and an English language development component. a class.

For Information about the 7 dimensions for delivering instruction in an integrated ENL class or our 7 co-teaching models, continue to scroll down the page.

For a more global look at our co-teaching resources as well as our articles and research on the subject, please click on our companion website below.
Integrated ENL requires either a dually certified teacher or a certified ESOL teacher and a certified content area teacher who co-teach

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YS CR Part 154 regulations define ENL (English as a New Language), formerly known as ESL, as a research -based program comprised of two components : a content area instructional component in English, and an English language development component. a class.

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The Teaching Channel

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Learners Edge and Insight Advance have merged with Teaching Channel to become your single source for graduate-level courses, professional development, video coaching, plus lots of free resources-all in one place.

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Teacher Toolkit: English Language Learners

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Learners Edge and Insight Advance have merged with Teaching Channel to become your single source for graduate-level courses, professional development, video coaching, plus lots of free resources-all in one place.

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My recent post on scaffolds and success criteria seemed to be useful to folks, so I thought I should share something more on scaffolding that can help to further clarify the term.

Scaffolding and differentiation are both words frequently thrown around in schools, often interchangeably and without precision. But there's a clear distinction between the two that must be made, most especially as teachers are increasingly pressured to "differentiate" their lessons by school and district leadership with little guidance and concrete models.

So what is differentiation?

Differentiation asks teachers to plan different tasks or learning experiences for different groups of students, with the idea being that we can better meet the needs of diverse learners.

So for example, if we had our "high" student, our "medium" student, and our "low" performing student, we might provide a different text for each one in order to ensure they would be reading something at their "level."

But there's a problem with this. If the so-called "low" students only ever receive less complex and challenging expectations, texts, and learning experiences, they will continue to perform at a lower level.

This is why too many of our kids end up in "remedial" classes if and when they make it to college. This is why too many students consigned to a segregated "self-contained" program rarely even make it to graduation.

There's another problem with differentiation. It demands quite a bit from a teacher to design (at least) 3 separate tasks or resources for any given lesson - time and energy that could perhaps be more effectively spent elsewhere.

To acknowledge these problems is not to say that differentiation can't be applied effectively nor that it is universally the wrong thing to do. Structures for guided reading, for example, draw from this model and can be very effective in a school and classroom that have developed the necessary systems and routines. But these problems are big enough that they should give us strong pause before mindlessly evaluating and chiding teachers about whether they are adequately "differentiating" their lessons.

What is scaffolding, and how is it different?

The concept of scaffolding shifts how we approach meeting the needs of diverse learners.

We may have students coming into a learning experience with differing levels of knowledge, ability, or background, but rather than providing them with something different, we instead consider how we can provide the scaffolding necessary to ensure they can work together in grappling with a common task or text.

This is a shift offered by common standards, which demand a shared set of expectations for all students. For our students who may struggle in meeting these more rigorous demands, we must consider how to scaffold the concepts, procedures, and environment to support their engagement in practice with the texts and learning experiences that can enable them to meet those expectations.

This is certainly not an easy thing to do, either. But if I had to take a pick about what is going to give me the most bang for my buck, designing access and practice with common vocabulary, tasks, and texts is where I would ask educators to more wisely invest their time and energy.

For more on what that scaffolding should look like, take a look at my prior post, Scaffolding and Success Criteria.

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My recent post on scaffolds and success criteria seemed to be useful to folks, so I thought I should share something more on scaffolding that can help to further clarify the term. Scaffolding and differentiation are both words frequently thrown around in schools, often interchangeably and without precision.

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Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in the literacy classroom

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Classrooms are more diverse than ever before. In our interconnected world, students bring a range of languages, literacies, and cultural practices into their schools. As educators, we've often thought about culture as something associated with a student's ethnic heritage. However, a newer approach to teaching and learning called culturally sustaining pedagogy challenges us to promote, celebrate, and even critique the multiple and shifting ways that students engage with culture.

Django Paris, associate professor of language and literacy in the College of Education at Michigan State University, developed culturally sustaining pedagogy to extend asset-based teaching approaches such as culturally relevant pedagogy for the 21st century. His approach challenges us to go beyond acceptance or tolerance of students' cultures and to move instead toward explicitly supporting aspects of their languages, literacies, and cultural traditions. Culturally sustaining pedagogy also encourages us to consider the term "culture" in a broader sense, including concepts such as popular, youth, and local culture alongside those associated with ethnicity.

Recently, educators have taken up culturally sustaining pedagogy within particular academic content areas. My colleagues (Rebecca Woodard, Andrea Vaughan, and Rick Coppola) and I have examined what culturally sustaining pedagogy might look like in literacy classrooms in Chicago, IL. We've found a few practices that literacy teachers might try as entry points to this work.

Seek out nontraditional texts. In our research, literacy teachers sought out nontraditional read-alouds and mentor texts for writing. We've documented teachers going beyond canonical texts and incorporating videos, student writing, poetry, and more into culturally sustaining units. Teachers might also consider using blog posts, memes, podcasts, and other artifacts as reading material or writing models. In addition to potentially promoting students' cultures, languages, and literacies, these texts encourage broader ideas about what counts as reading and writing in schools.

Explore and model meshing languages. Language is a critical part of culture. Rather than require only "standard" English in the classroom, culturally sustaining literacy teachers explore, model, and support the meshing and blending of language varieties. We've documented teachers speaking and writing in ways that blend languages, dialects, and formal and informal registers. In addition to helping students see themselves in the texts they write, this approach helps students note complex power dynamics surrounding language use.

Encourage students to explore alternative cultural affiliations. Culturally sustaining literacy teachers understand that students engage with a wide range of cultural groups and encourage them to explore these affiliations. In our research, we've seen students explore Chicago culture, culinary culture, digital culture, and more. Teachers can ask students about spaces, places, and communities where they feel like cultural "insiders" and can help them connect with these communities in person or online. This practice helps students and teachers understand the complexity of culture and the multiple affiliations of every student.

These suggestions just scratch the surface of what it means to teach literacy in ways that are culturally sustaining. Teaching, like culture, is complex. However, by approaching our practices with this cultural complexity in mind, we may be able to see and understand our students' languages, literacies, and cultural practices in deeper and more meaningful ways.
Emily Machado is a doctoral candidate studying literacy, language, and culture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She researches equity-oriented writing pedagogies in urban classrooms. Previously, she worked as a public elementary school teacher in Washington, D.C. She tweets at @emilynmachado. Emily Machado, along with Rebecca Woodard, Andrea Vaughan, and Rick Coppola, will present a session titled "Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in the Urban Literacy Classroom: Lessons from Mr. C's Class" at the ILA 2017 Conference & Exhibits, held in Orlando, FL, July 15-17.

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Classrooms are more diverse than ever before. In our interconnected world, students bring a range of languages, literacies, and cultural practices into their schools. As educators, we've often thought about culture as something associated with a student's ethnic heritage.

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Assessment of ELLs in the Four Skill Areas of Language Development 

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Assessment of ELLs in the Four Skill Areas of Language Development 

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Larry Ferlazzo's collection

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Culturally Responsive Teaching in the ELL Classroom is an excerpt from our book.
'Culturally Responsive Teaching Is Not a Quick Fix' is a series in my Education Week Teacher column.
Excerpt From Our New Book: "Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Teaching" Help Language Learners Lead Their Own Learning is another excerpt from our new book, the second edition of The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide.
The majority of students in U.S. schools are students of color, and the vast majority of educators who teach them are white.

Two of the most common strategies/philosophies guiding how teachers of all races can be better teachers to students of color are "culturally responsive teaching" and "culturally sustaining pedagogy."

Here are how well-known advocates of each describe them:

Zaretta Hammond:
In a nutshell, culturally responsive teaching is about helping culturally and linguistically diverse students who have been marginalized in schools build their skill and capacity to do rigorous work. The focus isn't on motivation but on improving their brainpower and information processing skills.
Django Paris:
A few years ago, I introduced CSP as teaching and learning that seeks to perpetuate and foster linguistic, literate, and cultural pluralism as part of the democratic project of schooling and as a needed response to demographic and social change. I was building off the foundational work of Gloria Ladson-Billings, work that continues to lead our visions of educational equity. CSP asks us to imagine and enact teaching and learning that forwards multiple ways with language, literacy, and culture against the backdrop of an educational system that continues to be centered largely on White, middle class, monolingual, cis-heteropatriarchal, and abliest norms of achievement.
You might also be interested in A Collection Of Useful Posts, Articles & Videos On Race & Racism - Help Me Find More, which contains a number of related links, including quite a few on the need for more teachers of color.

This list is a beginning one, and I'll be adding far more - including suggestions from readers:

'Culturally Responsive Teaching': An Interview With Zaretta Hammond is an interview that appeared in my Education Week Teacher column.

Making Connections: Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain is an interview with Zaretta that appeared in Edutopia. Thanks to Akilah Ellison for the tip.

3 Tips to Make Any Lesson More Culturally Responsive (and it's not what you think!) is by Zaretta Hammond and appeared at Cult of Pedagogy.

No, DeAndre. It's Not Your Imagination: What the DOJ Report Tells Us about Implicit Bias and Validation is by Zaretta Hammond.

'It is Long Past Time to Meet the Needs of Students of Color' is Part One of a series co-hosted by Django and Travis Bristol at my Ed Week Teacher column.

Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy 'Increases Student Engagement & Learning' is Part Two of that series.

Teachable Moments and Academic Rigor: A Mini-Unit is by Travis Bristol and Claude Goldenberg.

Here are additional posts that are related, though I'm not sure if they specifically fit into either of the earlier two categories:

'For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood...': An Interview With Chris Emdin is another recent post at my Ed Week Teacher column.

On the Importance of Mirrors for Students (and Teachers) appeared in The Huffington Post.

Teachers undo personal biases to help students of color engage is from Colorado Public Radio.

Read This: "Teachers More Likely to Label Black Students as Troublemakers" is by Renee Moore.

Educate to Liberate: Build an Anti-Racist Classroom is from Edutopia.

10 Ways Well-Meaning White Teachers Bring Racism Into Our Schools is from Everyday Feminism.

Understanding Implicit Bias: What Educators Should Know is from the AFT.

How to Change White Teachers' Lenses is from Slate.

@BU_SED's @chriscmartell wrk w/ @bostonschooIs tchers on culturally relevant argumentation writing https://t.co/ivRD1ZtvYw @Larryferlazzo

- Dr. Travis.Bristol (@TJacksonBristol) June 13, 2016

Hyped to share my @Teachingworks paper, "On Educating Culturally Sustaining Teachers." Hope it's useful in the work! https://t.co/0DXnDFZgvX

- Django Paris (@django_paris) June 27, 2016

Three teachers in my BPS Workshop on culturally relevant argumentation have posted their unit plans. Check them out: https://t.co/RWoNHwsFCI

- Christopher Martell (@chriscmartell) July 22, 2016

Relationship Building Through Culturally Responsive Classroom Management is by Todd Finley.
The National Association for Multicultural Education
What Is 'Culturally Competent' Teaching? (Videos) is from Ed Week.

Matching Student Resources With Student Experiences is by Jordan Lanfair.

Reading Your Way to a Culturally Responsive Classroom is from NAEYC. I'm adding to the same list.

#CRTandtheBrain What's the difference between CRT and multicultural education? See @Ready4rigor definitions here #anewkindofPD pic.twitter.com/rGn88YnGlZ

- Teaching Channel (@TeachingChannel) October 6, 2016

But That's Just Good Teaching! The Case for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy is by Gloria Ladson-Billings.

This is a useful infographic on culturally responsive teaching.

Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain is by Zaretta Hammond.

Working to Build a Multicultural Classroom is from Middleweb.

7 Tips to Implement Culturally Responsive Teaching is geared specifically for ELLs.

Culturally Responsive Classrooms is from Scholastic.

Equity and Cultural Responsiveness is from Just Ask Publications. I'm adding it to Rick Wormeli shared it on Twitter.

Four Ways Teachers Can Support Students of Color is by Jennifer Gonzalez.

9 THINGS EVERY EDUCATOR NEEDS TO KNOW WHEN TEACHING BLACK STUDENTS is from Philly's 7th Ward.

3 Lessons Learned When Bringing to Life Culturally Responsive Practices is by DR. YEMI STEMBRIDGE.

Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: An Interview With Zaretta Hammond is from Corwin.

How Leaders Can Improve Their Schools' Cultural Competence is by Chris Lehmann.

Are You Practicing Culturally Responsive Teaching? is from Valentina Gonzalez.

Author Interview: 'Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies' is the headline of one of my Education Week Teacher columns. In it, Django Paris and H. Samy Alim agreed to answer a few questions about their new book, "Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World."

What Culturally Responsive Teaching Sounds Like is by Sean Riley.

Culturally Responsive Teaching: 4 Misconceptions appeared in Cult of Pedagogy.

How to Create Culturally Responsive Classrooms is by Valentina Gonzalez and appeared at Middleweb.
Nice Ed Week Interview With Glorida Ladson-Billings
Culturally Responsive Education:Facing Pushback is from The Coalition For Educational Justice.

Cultural Responsiveness Starts in the Principal's Office is by Joseph Ellison.

Courtesy of @sonianieto

What Culturally Responsive Pedagogy IS and IS NOT: pic.twitter.com/D3IdM4BaMe

- Adeyemi Stembridge (@DrYemiS) May 13, 2018

Culturally Responsive Instruction is a collection from Cornelius Minor.

A Culturally Responsive Guide to Understanding Immigrant-Origin Children is from UCLA.

How to avoid known pitfalls associated with culturally responsive instruction is from STEM Teaching Tools.

Our presentation "Countering Culture Loss" for #ELLs in schools #CLRteaching #CSPjustice w/Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies (CSP). Check out our materials at https://t.co/y8euJJZMoF & look 4 our list of CSP practices. Thanks @LCIColloquium @django_paris @HSamyAlim @mynamemyid_ pic.twitter.com/P1FzbHodMA

- Mat Espinosa (@matheworyan) July 18, 2018

Three Principles for Culturally Relevant Teaching is from Ed Week.

Building A Culturally Responsive Classroom is from Achieve The Core.

Three Research-based Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies is from Teach Learn Grow.

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING PUTS RIGOR AT THE CENTER is by Zaretta Hammond.

Culturally Responsive Instruction for Native American Students. Video series and tasks! What is culturally responsive instruction?Why is it important for Native American students?What does it look like for Native American students? https://t.co/KwdPBys78N @WestEd @UCLA_CRESST pic.twitter.com/bXJLlRN5oT

- ELL Stanford (@ELLStanford) November 20, 2018

We're Still Here - Why Aren't You Teaching To or About Us? is by Susan C. Faircloth, Ph.D.

Creating a More Welcoming and Culturally Responsive School Community to Engage American Indian and Alaska Native Families is a three-part series by Mandy Smoker Broaddus.

The Culturally Responsive Curriculum Scorecard was designed by The NYU Metro Center.

The Board of Regents is hearing from SED staff and the Advisory Panel for the Culturally-Responsive-Sustaining Framework. Presenters are reviewing the importance of the framework and the steps taken to date.
Framework: https://t.co/ctDiqXkna7
Presentation: https://t.co/4LD9NL9ufj pic.twitter.com/RyxhCOyr34

- NYS Education Dept (@NYSEDNews) January 14, 2019

States' Standards for Teachers Don't Define Culturally Responsive Teaching, Study Argues is from Ed Week.

These are good to use! I took some of my #pln feedback and included my twitter handle for ownership! Feel free to share now! 😉 Thanks to my awesome #pln for always giving the best consejo! #Ellchat_BkClub pic.twitter.com/pyGnojMVG7

- Carlota Holder (@carlota_holder) May 2, 2019

Sustaining Readers Through Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction is by Lisa Stringfellow.

A Culturally Responsive Guide to Fostering the Inclusion of Immigrant Origin Students is from Re-imagining Migration.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Checklist is from Re-Imagining Migration.

Creating a welcoming environment for ELs is by Tan Huynh.

You don't want to miss this interview with Gloria Ladson Billings that appeared in The 74. Here's an excerpt:

ACESSE Resource C: Making Science Instruction Compelling for All Students: Using Cultural Formative Assessment to Build on Learner Interest and Experience is from STEM Teaching Tools.

This is my favorite tool to start building some background knowledge for teachers. I use it as a row sort. So I have them at table groups sort the categories at the top from left-right most destructive to most constructive. Then we go down and repeat row-by-row and discuss. pic.twitter.com/T2ZCFqcSY2

- James Tuck - ESOL Teacher (@MrTuckESOL) August 18, 2019

That is something to think about. You are as culturally responsive as each new group of students enters your classroom.

Your cultural responsiveness starts over every year.

New students = New needs https://t.co/BPYUBovEqp

- Dr. Janice Wyatt-Ross (@JaniceWyattRoss) August 30, 2019

Jenny Muñiz has written a good - and short - piece over at New America reviewing the benefits of culturally responsive teaching. 5 Ways Culturally Responsive Teaching Benefits Learners contains lots of links to research, and is the perfect piece to share with administrators and colleagues who have questions about it and are open to learning.
"SCIENCE IN THE CITY" LOOKS LIKE AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE LESSONS

Instructional equity requires skilled coaching in order to close student learning gaps, which reduces opportunity gaps and, eventually, eliminates achievement gaps. But what does that look like? Listen to my interview w/ @ajjuliani https://t.co/QHLL6ACMx2

- Zaretta Hammond (@Ready4rigor) November 11, 2019

How Our Language Feeds Inequity is from ASCD.

Like they say, "If you want to know, ask somebody." Here's some answers about CRT from @DingleTeach. Please give it a listen. Excellent!
[LISTEN] Teaching Math to Students of Color? Do This, Not That with@rosaIsiah @bamradionetwork @DingleTeach https://t.co/fTfOI35LzB

- Annette Hilts (@imcalled2teach) November 25, 2019

Mathematician Alphabet (Not Just Dead White Dudes) is from VIE Math.

Bringing a Culturally Responsive Lens to Math Class is from Edutopia.

How the #DisruptTexts Movement Can Help English Teachers Be More Inclusive is from MindShift.

A Conversation About Instructional Equity with Zaretta Hammond, Part 1 is from The Center For The Collaborative Classroom.

Zaretta Hammond on Coaching and Culturally Responsive Teaching is from ASCD.

How Culturally Responsive Lessons Teach Critical Thinking is from Teaching Tolerance.

Bringing a Culturally Responsive Lens to Math Class is from Edutopia.

Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Guide for Urban Educators is from the Smithsonian.

A Cultural Lens Leads to More Effective Teaching is from ASCD.

Online Teaching Can Be Culturally Responsive is from Teaching Tolerance.

Leading Together / Retraining the Brain is by Jill Harrison Berg.

How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning is from MindShift.

The Remote DEI Toolkit offers ideas for applying culturally responsive teaching online.

Teaching Math Isn't Just About Numbers. It's About Us. is from Better Lesson.

How To Begin Bringing Rich and Inclusive Math History Resources Inside K to 12 Classrooms is from Sunil Singh.

The Underrepresentation Curriculum Project is a new and free STEM curriculum.

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching the Colonization of the Americas is from Edutopia.

How The Navajo Nation Is Transforming Math Education is from Forbes.

The "Is Your U.S. History Text Racist" tool seems useful, and forced me to reflect on some questions that I am embarrassed to say I had not done before.

Creating a Culturally Responsive Math Curriculum for the Elementary Grades appeared in Edutopia.

❤️ this example of a culturally responsive word problem! The content is aligned to the standards, but the context is familiar to Ss. #MathforElls #pisdell #pisdmathchat #ellchat #elemmathchat https://t.co/kuZfiphj7V

- 🅲🅸🅽🅳🆈 (@CindyGarciaTX) June 18, 2021

Resources for Culturally Responsive Teaching is from Mathematica.
This Interview With Zaretta Hammond Is Well-Worth Your Time To Read/Listen To... It Is Worth Your Time To Listen To Or Read Part Two Of This Zaretta Hammond Interview
Check out 5 Strides on the Path to Math Equity.

This one is less cropped at the bottom but it has the Z Hammond copyright. pic.twitter.com/oRPG828bKd

- EveryWoman (@smilingvision08) July 31, 2021

Three Decades of Culturally Relevant, Responsive, & Sustaining Pedagogy: What Lies Ahead? is chockful of interesting research. It's behind a paywall, but there are ways to still access it.

3 Ways to Enhance Culturally Responsive Teaching is from Edutopia.
Excerpt From Our New Book: "Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Teaching"
What Is Culturally Responsive Teaching? is from Ed Week.

What Should Culturally Relevant Teaching Look Like Today? Gloria Ladson-Billings Explains is from Ed Week.

You Don't Have to Be a Critical Race Scholar to Apply a Critical Race Lens to Your Practice appeared in EdPost.

Culturally Centered Education: A Primer is from Ed Reports.

5 Tips for Culturally Responsive Teaching in the Math Classroom is from Edutopia.

Learning About Students' Identities is from Reading To Belong.

From Learning Loss to a Liberatory Mindset is by Sonja Cherry-Paul.
NEW HELPFUL - & PRACTICAL - STUDY ON "ASSET-BASED PEDAGOGY"

Culturally and Historically Responsive Science @ScholasticTeach #cultivatingGenius https://t.co/2WiR0rHgau

- Gholdy Muhammad (@GholdyM) March 16, 2023

5 Ways to Make Your Science Classroom More Culturally Responsive is from Edutopia.

I, too, am a big fan, and you can find her brief here: https://t.co/TQAVTi8Apx https://t.co/7Bzzq2pCJs

- Larry Ferlazzo (@Larryferlazzo) June 1, 2023

How to Teach History in a Culturally Responsive Way is from Edutopia.

Again, this is just a beginning of a list, and I will be adding more. I look forward to your suggestions!

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The Best Resources About "Culturally Responsive Teaching" & "Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy" - Please Share More!

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Culturally Responsive Teaching in the ELL Classroom is an excerpt from our book. 'Culturally Responsive Teaching Is Not a Quick Fix' is a series in my Education Week Teacher column. Excerpt From Our New Book: "Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Teaching" Help Language Learners Lead Their Own Learning is another excerpt from our new book, the second edition of The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide.

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How many classes/teachers could an ESOL teacher feasibly work with/co-teach? I am 1 of 2 ESOL teachers working at 4 campuses.

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How many classes/teachers could an ESOL teacher feasibly work with/co-teach? I am 1 of 2 ESOL teachers working at 4 campuses.

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Do you have the lesson plans and unit plan templates available electronically to share ( like google docs)?

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How do you fit co-planning time in when you work with 10+ teachers, across 6 Grade levels?

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Beaverton Minutes Models and Outcomes Report