Culturally Responsive Teach Out Reflection

Culturally Responsive Teach Out Reflection 

    For this Teach Out Project we decided to look into the culturally responsive teaching pedagogy. We currently work in the Central Falls School District. Our student population is composed of 52% Hispanic, 18% Black or African American, 17% white, and 10% American Indian students*. Our educator population is composed of 15% Hispanic, 4% Black or African American, and 81% white teachers*. We feel that the disparity between our student population and educator population can, and does, create a lack of true engagement and success academically and socially within our schools. For this reason we feel it is important to create a presentation for our faculty and staff that addresses Culturally Responsive Teaching and how to implement it within all classrooms/curriculums. As a district we are looking at doing diversity training and we feel this would be a good way to teach how to put these PDs into action.

    Through this course we have been exposed to some really important readings that deal with various issues like Special Education, MLLs, LGTBQ+, and colorblindness.  What really spoke to us, beyond all the issues being important, is the culturally responsive teaching.  Culturally responsive teaching would benefit all students in these various groups, and would really help our students at Calcutt Middle School be more engaged in learning.  After reading Delpit, it seemed like a great idea to create a PD to help teachers tackle culturally responsive teaching in their classrooms, a lesson at a time.  Not only did I feel like it was important, but based on the RI Survey Works results for SY22 students stated that they felt unsafe and unconnected to our school and in the classroom.  Kate and I realized that it would be beneficial to other educators to have support in creating lessons that will be culturally responsive and inclusive.  

In 2020 and later 2021, during the pandemic, our district decided to respond to the police brutality and racial divide of our country by introducing PD sessions called “Diversity Talks”.  Kate and I have both discussed how uncomfortable these conversations were, especially since they were all virtual and people can get very comfortable with being faceless voices.  A few interactions left me wondering why the message was not clear enough, and also why were people so defensive?  I know self reflection can be difficult, admitting that we have biases and prejudices can be difficult, but it felt like I was in the middle of a Facebook or Twitter fight that I really did not want to participate in.

During this class we were introduced to Lisa Delpit.  In the article, The Silenced Dialogue by Lisa Delpit, five aspects of power are outlined and discussed in terms of privilege within the United States. Delpit argues that students must be explicitly taught "formal conventions,” as well as when it is appropriate to use this language, AND should be able to practice their own linguistics. She argues that in order to both celebrate our students' diverse backgrounds and cultures, and to prepare our students for success in a white-dominant America, we should directly instruct our students about when and where it is best to use the two different linguistic styles. She also mentions that this change must be initiated by the people in power in order to support real change in our society. This article connects to culturally responsive teaching practices because it calls for educators to celebrate our student’s diversities while also teaching them how to succeed in the current social scheme. Delpit also directly addresses how cultural differences, such as what dictates authority, can create misunderstandings and frustrations for teachers and students alike. While many teachers of middle-class cultures may assume they have authority because they hold the title of teacher, students from different cultural backgrounds may expect the authority to be earned. These varying beliefs can cause tension within the classroom and typically lead to over disciplining students of color. Delpit’s voice really helped us figure out what would be a great teach out lesson for our faculty.

Another classmate posted an article by Enid Lee.  In the article, Taking Multicultural, Anti-Racist Education Seriously by Enid Lee, the topic of multicultural education is defined and explored. The article states that multicultural education, “equips students, parents, and teachers with the tools needed to combat racism and ethnic discrimination, and to find ways to build a society that includes all people on an equal footing” (Lee). Lee shares that multicultural education and curriculum must directly address discrimination and cultures in order to promote change towards equity. The article explores different stages to move towards a true anti-racist education. The first is to make surface changes, such as signs in multiple languages. The second stage is to create units of study that explore discrimination and different cultures. Although this state only incorporates cultural diversity in small pockets, it is a stepping stone to the next stage. The third stage is to make structural changes that allow for multiculturalism to be discussed in all of the current curricular units. This is meant to be intertwined with the units throughout the school year and not just one week or month of instruction. The final stage is coined the social stage. This final stage is where changes can start occurring outside of the classroom. The hope is that students, and educators, will use their knowledge of the inequities that have occurred, and still do occur, in our country and go enact change within their communities. This could look like a letter-writing campaign to media companies for example. Overall, Enid Lee explains that multicultural education is the pathway towards acknowledging the systems of oppression that are held within the United States and in turn changing these systems.

Based on these two articles we really wanted to see if we could create a PD that would help our faculty become more comfortable and familiar with responsive teaching in daily lessons. We want to support teacher growth, and feel that as teachers in the same school we can help support through our knowledge of the various curriculum.  As Deborah A. Harmon pointed out in Culturally Responsive Teaching Through a Historical Lens: Will History Repeat Itself? “In 1989, Irvine wrote about the lack of cultural synchronization between teachers and African American students and the negative impact on academic achievement Eleven years later, she described culturally responsive teaching as student-centered, having the power to transform the curriculum, fostering critical problem solving, and focusing on building relationships with students, families, and communities (Irvine & Armento, 2001). Irvine (2002) further explained that the curriculum is transformed with culturally responsive teaching because the subject matter is viewed from multiple perspectives, including the lens of oppressed and disenfranchised groups.”  We want our teachers to realize that this isn’t about creating new lessons or having to fit culturally responsive teaching in every minute of every lesson.  We want to encourage teachers to start small and work their way up as they learn more, much like we did during this class.

Blog B4: Theory Into Practice

Teaching at the Intersections by Monita Bell

5 Tips for Being an Ally by @chescaleigh on YouTube 

    Monita Bell beings the conversation of being an advocate for our students.  She describes the intersectional lens as "Intersectionality refers to the social, economic and political ways in which identity-based systems of oppression and privilege connect, overlap and influence one another" (Bell).  She uses qualitative data and insight from law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw to demonstrate the need to look at the whole child in order to better understand them and to eventually educate them.  I really like this because it reminds me of the theorist Carl Rogers, who saw the whole person beyond just their physical and cognitive abilities. The only way to reach that is through self discovery and being in tune with your individuality.  As educators we must foster this in our students, and give them a safe environment to exist beyond test scores and academic achievements.  

    Bell points out that we must bring these ideas of intersectionality into our curriculum, specifically by showing the relationship between power and privilege, "In the classroom, educators can use an intersectional lens to better relate to and affirm all students—like Nicole—and to help young people understand the relationship between power and privilege through the curriculum" (Bell).  Being a student after 9/11 I noticed a more conscientious effort on my teachers to bring up current issues during lectures in high school.  It didn't seem like it was very intentional but more of everyone trying to navigate the new U.S.  Now, 20+ years later I see a greater shift in this that is more conscious and geared at bringing systems of oppressions down through education. In my own experience, I have been certified to teach English Language Arts; however, 3 years ago our curriculum changed in which I now teach 2 units of humanities.  One of the units in humanities is about Civics.  I teach this unit last, and right after doing Modern American Historical Fiction unit using Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith.  In Unit 3, we use Ida Mae's character to explore being black and a women in 1940's WW2 United States.  As a class we talk about marginalized groups and how the antagonist in the story are "white men in power", specifically the government and their prejudice legislation at the time coupled with the expectations of society.  This leads beautifully into Civics and Our Rights, where students have to pick the most important right/responsibility an American can have.  These 2 units makes adding intersectionality into my curriculum natural and safe, where everyone can learn, have opinions, and accept others' perspectives.

    "5 Tips for Being an Ally" is a great video that directly connects Monita Bell's idea of intersectionality in the classroom and how to put this theory into practice.  The first tip is to understand your privilege.  For both units I continually mention my privilege and power of being born in the U.S., educated up to post-secondary, being white, and speak fluent English, but I also emphasis things like my age, marital status, daughter of an immigrant,  and gender and how sometimes these things can lower my power status.  This connects Allan G. Johnson and the diversity wheel above.  Another tip is to research what is important to the community you teach to and your students live in.  It is okay to not be aware, but it is not helpful to your practice, relationships, and growth if your are not willing to investigate.  I think my classmate Brendon Tran said it best in his last post, "We may not be experts, but it is the time we take to get to know them, allow them to get to know us, and create an environment/space that truly uplifts all differences" (Tran).

Blog B3: Rodriguez, Collier, & "Teaching Multilingual Children" Videos

 Blog B3: Rodriguez, Collier, & "Teaching Multilingual Children" Videos

Being a multilanguage learner has its benefits and set backs in this society.  On one hand it is very marketable to know more than one language, but on the other hand if your first language is other than English you might deal with some unpleasant experiences.  Something Rodriguez says at the end really resonated with me; he states: "So they do not realize that while one suffers a diminished sense of private individuality by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality" (Rodriguez, p. 39). For me to fit into the American culture and society I have had to lose some aspects of my Latinx culture.  I wouldn't be able to move so freely if my public persona was less American.  I see it from colleagues and even friends and family; so often they will otherize anyone that keeps ahold of their ethnicity, even when they are born and raised in America.  I see the discrimination when it comes to my mother because she was never really able to lose her accent, and people treat her as outside of the general public society.  This also reminds me of Delpit.  At some point our private individuality shuts up to allow for the public individuality.

On the other hand Collier approaches the topic of multilingual learners in a more inclusive way.  Where Rodriguez was drilled to perfect his English and drop his heritage/culture, Collier talks about leveraging multilinguals' assets to give them a better educational experience.  Collier also points out the many misconceptions people have about English language learners.  The idea that once  a student knows basic English they will do well in school is a falsehood,  "People untrained in linguistics, particularly politicians, tend to believe that if limited English proficient students can converse with their monolingual English-speaking peers, then these English-language learners can compete with them on an equal footing" (Collier, p. 225).  So instead of thinking this way, or taking the approach that Rodriguez's teachers took, Collier argues that we need to incorporate as much of the 1st language as possible, as this will help maximize the students' achievements academically.

The Teaching Bilinguals Even if You're Not series does a great job taking Collier and expanding it in away that is user friendly and with the voice of educators in the field.  In the first episode they talk about the importance of teaching bilinguals and how bilingual education came about in the United States, "In the 1960s and 70s activists from Puerto Rican civil rights groups and others banded together and pushed back.  They earned the right to educate the students in their communities bilingually.  And they were right.  Research shows that you have to leverage students' linguistic backgrounds in order to educate them." (0:26, Episode 1).  The series is very earnest and well thought out series in which educators reflect on their practices and give quick advice to other educators of bilingual students.  I also like how real it is, like in episode 2, "I think sometimes it might be a little intimidating feeling like I'm in my classroom opening up this door to something that I don't have control over.  I'm not bilingual so it's a little scary.  It's a little uncomfortable, but it's so important" (0:02, Episode 2).  It can be very intimidating trying something that you don't understand, but the same goes for our students.  Learning a new language can be scary for our students, if they see you also trying to learn something new and putting yourself in a vulnerable state, they will feel better about trying it out as well.  Multilingual learners have their own set of strengths and we must tease it out using both L1 and L2, "Tip 2: When it comes to academics Ms. Chapman-Santiago provides opportunities for students to show what they know using home language practices.  That way she can see their strengths and their challenges" (2:10, Episode 4).  The point is that education should not take away the student's L1 or heritage in order to be successful academically.

This video does a great job showing you A Day in the Life of an English Language Learner. 

Proposal for Teach Out Project: 2 Articles

* This will be presented to other teachers in the middle school. Most hold Masters, Graduate Certificates, or are in school for one.

The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People's Children

By Lisa D. Delpit

In the article, The Silenced Dialogue by Lisa Delpit, five aspects of power are outlined and discussed in terms of privilege within the United States. Delpit argues that students must be explicitly taught "formal conventions,” as well as when it is appropriate to use this language, AND should be able to practice their own linguistics. She argues that in order to both celebrate our students' diverse backgrounds and cultures, and to prepare our students for success in a white-dominant America, we should directly instruct our students about when and where it is best to use the two differing linguistic styles. She also mentions that this change must be initiated by the people in power in order to support real change in our society. This article connects to culturally responsive teaching practices because it calls for educators to celebrate our student’s diversities while also teaching them how to succeed in the current social scheme. Delpit also directly addresses how cultural differences, such as what dictates authority, can create misunderstandings and frustrations for teachers and students alike. While many teachers of middle-class cultures may assume they have authority because they hold the title of teacher, students from different cultural backgrounds may expect the authority to be earned. These varying beliefs can cause tension within the classroom and typically lead to over disciplining students of color. 

Taking Multicultural, Anti-Racist Education Seriously 

By Enid Lee, interviewed by Barbara Miner

In the article, Taking Multicultural, Anti-Racist Education Seriously by Enid Lee, the topic of multicultural education is defined and explored. The article states that multicultural education, “equips students, parents, and teachers with the tools needed to combat racism and ethnic discrimination, and to find ways to build a society that includes all people on an equal footing” (Lee). Lee shares that multicultural education and curriculum must directly address discrimination and cultures in order to promote change towards equity. The article explores different stages to move towards a true anti-racist education. The first is to make surface changes, such as signs in multiple languages. The second stage is to create units of study that explore discrimination and different cultures. Although this state only incorporates cultural diversity in small pockets, it is a stepping stone to the next stage. The third stage is to make structural changes that allow for multiculturalism to be discussed in all of the current curricular units. This is meant to be intertwined with the units throughout the school year and not just one week or month of instruction. The final stage is coined the social stage. This final stage is where changes can start occurring outside of the classroom. The hope is that students, and educators, will use their knowledge of the inequities that have occurred, and still do occur, in our country and go enact change within their communities. This could look like a letter-writing campaign to media companies for example. Overall, Enid Lee explains that multicultural education is the pathway towards acknowledging the systems of oppression that are held within the United States and in turn changing these systems.

Blog A5: Going to School Documentary

 Going to School Documentary

0:28- "Before Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975, millions of children received inadequate special education services and at least one million children were prevented from attending schools altogether.

&

21:00-  "The Los Angeles Unified School District was accused of systematically violating the civil rights of its 65,000 special education students in a class action lawsuit filed in 1993.  Individualized Education Programs were not being followed or even created.  Special education services were not being provided in a timely manner, nor were children being identified for these services. Student files were lost.  Parents found themselves ignored by the schools, their concerns dismissed."

This stood out to me because it reminds me of most laws put into place to protect ALL students.  For instance my 8th grade class learns about Brown vs the Board of Education in conjunction with Ruby Bridges' story.  We talk about how Brown vs the Board of Education led to the desegregation of schools, and Ruby Bridges' story shows how some states were denying that law/change and how this went against students' of color civil liberties.  The same goes with students with disabilities.  I do feel like students with IEPs are treated according to the law, and special education is taken seriously at our school because "it's a federal law"; however, I do come from a time that students were only really in our general population if they could navigate the school.  I went to school with 1 student in a wheelchair and 1 blind student, they were in the general population and we saw them in the hallway.  I didn't even realize we had severe and profound, or that we had special educators in my high school until I noticed them in my yearbook a year ago.

6:43- "Sally Sewell moved from special education day classes to all regular classes four years ago.  The transition was not easy.  School after school in the family's neighborhood found small reasons to refuse enrollment for this girl...  'Cowan was the one that opened their doors to us. She got to Cowan in the middle of 3rd grade year.  They accepted her so openly and wholeheartedly. The first day she was in there, they had to put a new table in, they had to switch her whole class around.'"

This makes me so upset because I know schools do this, but HOW?!  What reasoning could be legal?  Shouldn't schools, by law, mitigate and fix any "small issues" so that these students can also be part of that school?  Clearly Sally's family was able to find this in Cowan School.  They moved things around, got furniture that suited her wheelchair, and were able to have her learn the social norms of school by the next year.  Watching Sally's mom talk about it showed how important this acceptance really was for not only Sally but her parents.

36:22- "I think we've talked a lot in most districts, not just this district, about all children. But it's been more rhetoric than practice."- Dr. Ramon Cortines (Superintendent) 

&

56:23- "There are never going to be the meeting of the instructional goals that you have with a fully able child.  When you have someone that's that severely handicapped, the point is including a person that is part of our society in that society.  And it should happen here.  It should happen in a country like ours.  What more do we have to offer the world than our receptivity and our openness to deal with everything?"

&

1:00- "A complaint filed with the consent decree administrators resulted in changes at El Sereno, including plans for a new main entrance with a ramp."  

It is clear that we have adults in special education that feel like we need more.  We need to see all children as important, not just those that give the schools high test scores.  ALL students need to be educated and included in our society.  Many students with disabilities can find their place in our society, and like most things education is what gives people the key to a place in society.  Our severely handicapped students need programs that can help them feel like part of our society, and not like the dirty little secret that many parents used to keep locked up in doors our in facilities for the disabled.  Why do complaints need to be filed or lawsuits for public school LEAs to follow the federal LAWs?  The parents of students with disabilities have so much on their plate, without the expectation that they must know all the laws and keep institutions accountable all the time.  That should not be the expectation in our educational system or society.

An argument presented by Richard Cohen is that all students deserve an education that is inclusive, meets their needs legally, and fosters a sense of belonging in our society, but that many districts find themselves in negative situations for not complying with the basic needs of the IDEA and continuing to find ways to segregate students with disabilities.

Blog A4: Seeing Queerly- RI Laws and Policies & Woke Read Aloud

 

Seeing Queerly- RI Laws and Policies & Woke Read Aloud: They, She, He

Woke Read Aloud on YouTube by Woke Kindergarten

Pg 2: "Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program that receives federal funding within the Civil Rights Act."

& 

"Treat students consistent with their gender identity even if their school records or identification documents indicate a different sex..."

As I spend more time in the educational field, more and more students are exploring their options in gender identity.  What I mean by this is, that people seem more open to the options they have, which include dressing in the gender they really are and using names that match their gender.  When I was growing up you couldn't even convince your teachers to use your middle name instead. I feel like it is such an important thing, not only because it is their right, but because ALL students need to feel seen. (RI Laws and Policies).

Pg 10: "In order to further a safe and supportive school environment for all students, schools should incorporate education and training about transgender and gender non-conforming students into their anti-bullying curriculum, health education curriculum, student leadership trainings, and staff professional development."

I wish this actually happens in schools.  FYI, it doesn't in Providence (as of at least 2016) and it doesn't happen in Central Falls.  All we ever learn in the beginning of each school year is "Blood Pathogens"- don't touch blood- and "Restraint Training" -don't restrain a child without training.  All these things are necessary, but so is this training.  I am 35 years old and I know that schools were not open to LGBTQ students when I was a student, let alone the use of pronouns.  It's important to train the educators in this subject matter, because times are changing and we need to keep up with the new generations.  (RI Laws and Policies).

Min 10:35- "You might be used to hearing people call people that look like Kelly she or her or refer to them as girls.  Now, I'm going to let you in on a big secret, just because people dress or look a certain way on the outside, that doesn't necessarily mean that they feel that way on the inside."

The video was not only informative, but it was presented in a manner that is easily accessible to almost all viewers.  It's very important for cisgender people cannot fathom the idea of changing genders or identifying with other genders or not having a gender at all.  It doesn't make sense to some of us, because we don't feel that way about our gender.  It reminds me of how people of color struggle to tell their stories without facing non people of color's judgement.  You don't have to live it, to give empathy and compassion and to treat everyone with dignity.

Teach Out Proposal - Culturally Responsive Teaching

 Teach Out Proposal - Culturally Responsive Teaching

Who	This will be created and shared with our faculty and staff for the SY 24.  We are going to propose this for a PGG to the district for that school year.
What	Responsive Teaching: The “Why” and “How” to reach ALL students
Where	School PDs, but also have this available in the School Google Drive that all faculty and staff can access throughout the year.
When	During the SY 24, afterschool and PD days that have been approved by the district.
Why	We currently work in the Central Falls School District. Our student population is composed of 52% Hispanic, 18% Black or African American, 17% white, and 10% American Indian students*. Our educator population is composed of 15% Hispanic, 4% Black or African American, and 81% white teachers*. We feel that the disparity between our student population and educator population can, and does, create a lack of true engagement and success academically and socially within our schools. For this reason we feel it is important to create a presentation for our faculty and staff that addresses Culturally Responsive Teaching and how to implement it within all classrooms/curriculums. As a district we are looking at doing diversity trainings and we feel this would be a good way to teach how to put these PDs into action. *Student and Educator data is from SY 21-22 per the RIDE Report Card

This project will be a PGG on culturally responsive teaching.  This PGG will include a PD session for faculty and staff that want to select this PGG.  The PD gives the historical background on culturally responsive teaching and the why, including videos, articles, and exemplars.  If the PGG is approved by the district, the goal is to have a cohort of teachers to work through this PGG together throughout the school year, where we can workshop culturally responsive teaching into their content curricula.  Culturally responsive teaching will help our school move towards inclusion and meeting some of our School Improvement Plans; ultimately creating engaging learning for our students that celebrate their knowledge capital.