Bridging the Gaps Toolkit by Jessica Farr

Curriculum Integration

jfarr15 — 2025-09-08 21:30:36 UTC

Culturally Responsive Teaching Methods

jfarr15 — 2025-09-08 21:32:25 UTC

Fostering a Multicultural Classroom Environment

jfarr15 — 2025-09-08 21:32:50 UTC

Engagement with Families and Community

jfarr15 — 2025-09-08 21:45:40 UTC

jfarr15 — 2025-09-08 21:47:55 UTC

jfarr15 — 2025-09-08 21:55:40 UTC

Word banks are a great way to have students read the sentences to find out what words fit best.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-10 23:56:02 UTC

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 16:07:01 UTC

Fostering a Multicultural classroom means learning students names and their pronunciation. This practice means everything to them because they feel that they are important, heard, and seen. Students know that you want to build that relationship with them and this is a great start.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 16:12:32 UTC

Engaging in student discussions is crucial to building a positive relationship with students. Making a habit of checking in with students lets them know that you care about them, their academics and how they are doing.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 16:16:14 UTC

Labeling items in the room teaches students and teachers to be inclusive of all cultures. English students are learning Spanish and Spanish speaking students are learning English. This creates a loving and inclusive environment.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 16:33:59 UTC

Incorporating Spanish artwork or boards in the classroom gives students the sense that you want to know about them and their culture. It creates a safe environment for them to be themselves.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 16:40:15 UTC

Integrating different cultures into your curriculum is a great way to inform students about other cultures. This example is one that my school uses for Hispanic Heritage Month that starts September 15th. Each day, students choose a few people to learn about. It fosters multicultural education and inclusion.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 16:53:32 UTC

Stories such as Don Quixote, that are implemented into the curriculum. help students to relate to events that happened in the past. It promotes inclusion and equity and allows students to get a better understanding of culture in the past.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 17:01:18 UTC

Feild trips such as visiting the National Museum of the American Indian, allow students to not only see but learn and hear about American Indian tribes around the United States. This eliminates stereotypes, biases, and creates a sense of understanding and community.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 17:08:05 UTC

Latin American countries celebrate Independence Day together, on September 15th. In honor of that, my school is participating by having everyone dress in blue and white to celebrate. For Latin American students, this shows a sense of community. For English speaking students, it creates a relationship with students of different cultures because it shows that we all care about their culture.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 17:18:55 UTC

Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month can be incorporated into the curriculum during morning meeting times, flex times and at the end of the day. Creating slides for students to see helps them to better understand different cultures and what their traditional beliefs are made of. It helps students who can relate to these traditions but let's students see and understand what other cultures participate in.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 17:21:16 UTC

Having resources such as bilingual dictionaries available for students allows them to look up meanings of words that they are not familiar with. Students feel a sense of relief when they can use resources such as these to better understand words.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 17:48:15 UTC

Communicating with parents and guardians by ensuring take home papers are translated in their native language again creates a positive relationship that helps students succeed. When they see the positive relationship you have with their parents, they will strive to have that same relationship with you as a teacher.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 17:52:54 UTC

Being open with parents by giving and showing the expectations of the school allows for students to respect the school community and foster relationships with students and teachers. Communicating with parents is essential to their students success academically, emotionally, and professionally.

jfarr15 — 2025-09-14 17:56:50 UTC

Communicating with parents is essential. Allowing parents into what goes on in the school where their students spend six or more hours a day, gives them a sense of belonging. It creates a partnership that holds strong. Being on the same page really helps both students and parents to understand the "why" behind every staff member in the building. Everyone wants what is best for the students.