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Culturally responsive teaching incorporates and validates the diversity of students’ cultures, perspectives, and identities. As our students become more diverse, the need to create culturally responsive classrooms increases. As an educator and author, I have witnessed the need for classrooms that embrace inclusive history, provide representation, and support the learning and identity of students. Ensuring that educators know what culturally responsive pedagogy looks like, and how to implement it, is important, if we want all classrooms and learning spaces to be equity and student centered.
Some of the lessons I have learned from my students, fellow colleagues, and mentors resonate deeply when I think about applicable ways to work towards culturally responsive and community responsive learning spaces. My recent research that involved gathering the oral histories of Black female educators in Mississippi who taught between 1954-1971, offered additional guidance and lessons that can help us navigate today’s classrooms.We certainly have much to learn from the past, and below, I compile a few of the lessons I have gained that may help shape classrooms that both honor and celebrate perspectives, histories, communities, and stories:
8 Tips to Build Culturally Responsive Classrooms
1. Listen to the lessons of the past.
Our ancestors, elders, and former educators navigated through difficult times. Embedded in their stories are lessons that we should consider as we shape learning spaces and pedagogy. Some of the ways we can listen to the lessons of the past are through oral histories, previous efforts of groups such as the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), read and learn about people such as Ellie Dahmer, Joyce Ladner, and the many others who helped to shape the foundation of education and activism.2. Teaching inclusive history matters.
Allowing students to learn about multicultural history is paramount. Understanding and respecting our differences is grounded in also looking at our histories in an honest and accurate manner. Understanding Black History, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history, and others offer valuable knowledge and information for students. Explore places such as Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the University of Illinois TEAACH (Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History) program online learning modules:https://teaach.education.illinois.edu/resources, the work of Dr. Derrick Alridge with Teacher’s in the Movement, the work of Historian Dr. Christopher Span, etc. These resources about various histories, can expand our own knowledge, ultimately making us better informed.3. Listen to students.
Centering the voices and experiences of students helps to create spaces where students feel valued and seen. Some of the ways you can create student centered classrooms include Socratic seminar, time for reflection and discussion, etc.4. Mentorship can shift the trajectory of a student or mentor’s life.
Building relationships, considering a whole child approach (attending to a student’s academic, social, emotional, and whole person). Additionally, mentorship connects us to families and the community, and sets a precedent for how we expect students to treat one another in the classroom.5. Culturally responsive curricula need to be consistently implemented.
Offering students the opportunity to analyze and inquire, share in perspective taking, and bearing witness to others’ experiences and lives helps to create a culture of empathy, acceptance, and appreciation. Inclusive curricula illuminate marginalized voices and histories, a world perspective, and a multicultural lens–offering students the opportunity to see themselves and to appreciate others. This involves using varied texts, considering various learning modalities, and creating space for inquiry-based learning.6. Culturally responsive classrooms are a great step but moving it to the next level involves creating community immersive classrooms.
Being IN community with colleagues, families, students, and so forth helps to expand our own thinking. Gwendolyn Brook's said: "we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond," this quote inspiring the title, and reminding us of our responsibility to one another. Some of the ways we can foster community immersion involves collaboration, conversations, and the willingness to listen and immerse ourselves in spaces different than our own. An example of a way to begin collaboration or conversation might include: "would you be interested in working on ___________together" or "tell me about your experiences."
7. Unlearning and relearning are vital pieces to culturally responsive pedagogy.
How can we as educators consistently challenge our own thinking, check our bias, identify misinformation and/or learning gaps, and reflect? Unlearning can occur through journaling, professional development, etc.
8. Stories are bridges to connections.
Oral histories, literature, lived experiences, discussions, and so forth all help utilize the power of stories. When we share stories, we recognize our differences and our shared experiences. Stories allow us to better understand ourselves and others, moving us from a place of tolerance to a place of respect and advocacy. Stories allow us to better understand, collaborate, and build genuine connections. Some of the ways that you can help foster stories are through writing, reading, poetry, art, discussion, etc.
Through intentional and consistent practices, we can create classrooms that help all student reach their highest potential. For more information or tools, please feel free to reference The Magnitude of Us: An Educator’s Guide to Creating Culturally Responsive Classroom, Teacher’s College Press, 2024.
-> Looking for more book recommendations? Check out the best books for teaching high school writing.
About Dr. Marlee Bunch
