Every day as teachers in the classroom we need to make sure that we are making sure that what we teach to our students is culturally responsive. For some teachers, this term means that they need to tie their lesson content to African American and Latino students' racial backgrounds. In reality, it means mimicking students' cultural learning styles and tools. It means that as teachers we need to know about our students outside the classroom. When they are always playing games to learn things then adapt the lessons to a game that they can play to be inclusive in the learning. Allowing all students to participate in a way that they understand and mimics the way that they live outside the schools. Many teachers have found the platform Blooket.com to be a way that students can learn through games with their peers in the classroom.
Christopher Edmin, in his TED Talk, about Reality Pedagogy, mentioned that a way to connect with students is through the community. Using names of the street to rename areas of the classroom is one way to make a connection to the students' cultures in the community. Instead of having the students pick up books from the bookshelf they could pick up the books from Main Street. They start to associate the classroom with their community.
I particularly like when Edmin said, “Belonging and equity are connected”. If a student does not feel like they belong in the classroom and are not getting the services and accommodations needed in order to be successful then there will always be a difficult connection between the student, teachers, and the community.
So, how far am I willing to go in order to do right for every child? Well, to start off I live in the community I work in. I have built a large base of relational trust with my students. They know that I am aware of the community that we live in and what is going on in many of their lives outside of the classroom. Even on a bad day for the students, they know that they can come into the classroom the next day with a clean slate and that I don’t hold past mistakes against them. Everyone gets a smile and a good morning to start their day. Making sure that students know that they are loved and cared about makes all the difference.
Hey Chavon! Awesome post! I love the way you explained everything, and I can tell from your writing how passionate you are about this and this profession. It is so important to know the background of your students and what goes on in their lives outside of the classroom. But with that, how do we know where the boundary line is? Every student is different and what’s a different connection with their teacher. some students might love having a close relationship with their teacher, but others might really value their privacy and don’t want to share their personal lives. As teachers, how do we navigate different student’s views on this? I love Christopher Edmin’s idea of naming different parts of the classroom after real streets in their community. Not only is this a very inclusive and culturally appropriate approach but it’s a great way to teach kids about the world around them! Again, great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah,
DeleteThank you so much for your comment. From experience working both elementary and middle school I have found that students tend to be very open about their lives outside of school. My own personal experience is that my neighbors are students. I live in the same district that I work in so I often run into students outside of the school setting. I have built up the relational trust with them and their parents by also being an active member of the community. I would never push to know about a students personal life outside of school to just know them. There are other ways to get to know our quiet more private students. Even just being that warm and welcoming teacher that makes them feel comfortable is a large step in the right direction.
Hey Chavon, I enjoyed reading your blog and loved the ideas you incorporated. In the first paragraph, I thought mentioning how you need to get to know your students outside the classroom was an important detail to add because I feel most teachers forget this. It is important to realize your students have more to their life than just school. By getting to know your students the benefits can be endless. The idea of the platform Booklet.com is a great way to build a relationship and connection with your students as well as them getting more comfortable with their peers. The booklet can also come in handy for new students as well so they can share without feeling singled out. I also liked how you mentioned the ted talk and I agree with Edmin when he states, “Belonging and equity are connected”. Great job on this post!
ReplyDeleteHi Maddy. I think being present outside the classroom makes a large difference in how you are perceived as a teacher within the school. I can't tell you how many times a day I am told by students throughout the school that they saw me at the store or the park or some festival going on around our small town. When I say I get to know my students this is how it is done. We are a small community and I need the students to know that I am a person as well as a mom to fellow students as well. I can relate and understand some things that they are facing.
DeleteHey Chavon! I always love reading your blog post each and every other week. I really appreciate your effort that you put into each post to make it understandable and informative. Thank you for starting off by providing ways for teachers to tie content lessons on African American and Latino culture in the classroom that you have read throughout each helpful and informative reading and videos we have been provided this week to read through. I also really enjoyed Christopher Edmin, in his TED Talk. It was very inspiring and I really enjoy his outlook in this topic as well as you did. To add to what you were saying Edmin said, “We can not say that the ideas that we present in classrooms of peace and justice look nice, if we don’t create a space where those issues outside of the classroom are brought into the classroom”. I thought that this statement was so powerful. We can not step in and have an equal and peaceful classroom without having these tough conversations with our students to allow that.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Megan. I have really enjoyed the readings this week especially. I work in a school district that is mostly African American and Latino and can not wait to really incorporate what I learn in this class in the classroom. I think that all students should be seen and heard in their own right. No things are not easy for all the students, but finding a level ground that all can come together and express themselves without making it feel as if one race is taking the lead makes for amazing classroom discussions.
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