https://padlet.com/slubb1/883ouvv39oydemcy How do you make sure you are an ethical and culturally responsive senior drama educator in the 21st cenutry? en-us 2021-10-05 12:54:07 UTC 2024-04-02 08:14:34 UTC hello@padlet.com sarahcarr864 https://padlet.com/slubb1/883ouvv39oydemcy/wish/1798430833 Doreen Massey (2006) states how by essentially being cocky and thinking we know more than we do about the world and those around us , it can limit our social and cultural growth. 
Despite ones dream to be an inclusive teacher, teachers often are thrust into the position of utmost power in which rules are employed, but what if these rules go against our beliefs and create biases against students. Therefore it is crucial that we as teachers create spaces for ALL students to speak and be not only heard, but listened to, as "until all voices are recognized equally, we must operate within a context of historicized ethics which consciously privileges insurrectionary and dissenting voices, sometimes at the minor cost of silencing those voices that have been permitted dominant status for the past century".
So to ensure we are being ethically and culturally responsive educators we must ensure we create
- culturally aware tasks for students 
-Safe spaces in which all students feel comfortable with the tasks set and the content being taught
- culturally aware conversations, ensuring minority students can speak up about their experiences 
-differentiate our tasks to adhere to multiple cultural ideas and allow all students the ability to complete tasks. 
- create tasks which focus on community building- finding common grounds between all students 
- create activities and yarn circles in which students can talk about their history, life experiences, culture, hopes, and fears, and know they are being listened to without judgement. 

It is important for us as educators to be open and non-judgmental of our students, by sharing our experiences- whether sad, happy or embarrassing, to ensure our students know we are open and willing to hear their stories with no judgement, no matter how happy, sad, or embarrassing they may be.]]> 2021-10-07 02:38:55 UTC https://padlet.com/slubb1/883ouvv39oydemcy/wish/1798430833 https://padlet.com/slubb1/883ouvv39oydemcy/wish/1798708703 Clarity. 

To create a culturally inclusive and culturally expressive classroom, clarity in: content, approach and assumptions (metaphysical and social) must be achieved. 

It is impossible to teach outside of one's own cultural/social worldview and to attempt to do so would be a miscarriage of education. Instead, clear, premeditated and process/protocol driven dialogue between cultural milieu must be devised/implemented. 

To engage in cultural dialogue develops a true sense of pluralism, a pluralism not devoid of one's pride/respect for their own culture but one that abandons tolerance for integration (where possible). A pluralism that focuses on understanding.

In this way, a culturally responsive classroom is one that highlights the logical and metaphysical differences between cultures and allows the individual a chance to formulate their own worldview given the plethora of assumptions. ]]> 2021-10-07 04:51:25 UTC https://padlet.com/slubb1/883ouvv39oydemcy/wish/1798708703 https://padlet.com/slubb1/883ouvv39oydemcy/wish/1798761698 Culturally responsive teaching should never merely be a 'tick the box' factor for educators. With the highly multi-cultural nature of present day Australia, it is essential that student diversity is integrated, represented and respected within the drama classroom. 

When envisioning a culturally responsive drama classroom, I consider the following elements integral to realising a quality and equitable education for all students:

- Comprehensive knowledge of students' individual backgrounds and lived experiences (can be achieved through initial ice-breakers, get-to-know me sheets, and through activities that enable students to reflect on and present their own values, beliefs, traditions and practices in dramatic forms). 

- Representation of diversity in classroom materials (choosing culturally diverse scripts, plays and productions, and ensuring that images/videos/photos embrace diversity). 

- Cultivating a culturally accepting space (building a safe and trusting space where student opinions and perspectives are valued as a result of mutual respect within the classroom). 

- Engaging in professional development and personal research that extends my understanding of the histories, values, beliefs and practices of a range of cultures (e.g. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, African, Latino, Indian, Japanese etc.).

- Regular reflection on personal areas of strength and areas for improvement in regards to culturally responsive pedagogy in my own teaching. ]]> 2021-10-07 05:22:11 UTC https://padlet.com/slubb1/883ouvv39oydemcy/wish/1798761698 danielle_georgey https://padlet.com/slubb1/883ouvv39oydemcy/wish/1798844132 Culturally Responsive Teaching

Geneva Gay's article, "Preparing for Culturally Responsive Teaching" highlighted that culturally responsive teaching encompasses more than simply being aware; it is about being aware and making use of the various elements of such diversity to facilitate student learning (2002). Furthermore, Gay argues that "There is a place for cultural diversity in every subject taught in schools" and that when students are encouraged to foster their cultural identity, they are more likely to make more meaningful connections to learning, thus resulting in better and more efficient learning outcomes (2002). In the drama classroom, this culturally responsive teaching could include strategies such as:

- encouraging personal reflections of lived experiences
- considering different ways of communication and reflection (yarning circles and storytelling for example).
- thoughtful planning for the texts that are presented to the class for study.
- consideration for cultural practices at home, and how they can be integrated into classroom teaching and learning (for example, group work and problem solving is highly regarded in some cultures, as Gay discusses) (2002).

Being an Ethical Practitioner

Being an ethical practitioner seems to encapsulate presenting the "whole picture" so that students can form their own opinions, build empathy, and start to build their own moral compass. Ethics and ethical dilemmas are not as clear-cut as right and wrong, good and bad, and students need to be able to make their judgements based on facts, without the influence of the teacher's personal beliefs and values. In the drama classroom, this could include strategies such as: 

- Asking students to debate a perspective chosen by the teacher.
- Building empathy through reading a range of plays and texts.
- Generating thought provoking discussion, which includes facts and figures. 
- Challenging student perspectives with ethical use of facts and figures/information and research.

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