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Culturally responsive teaching isn’t just inserting a few “culturally relevant” activities into a lesson plan. It is a mindset that requires educators to view students as unique individuals with gifts they can bring to the classroom. Education researcher Gloria Ladson-Billings outlines the core components of this approach, which includes a focus on rigorous academic instruction, the recognition of students’ cultural identities, and the development of critical thinking skills to analyze societal inequities.
Teachers can begin by having students create an identity self-portrait. This visual display allows students to share their most important aspects of self-identity and post them on classroom walls, giving the room a reflection of its occupants. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s concept of books acting as “windows, mirrors, and sliding doors” also guides this work. Classrooms should feature diverse guest speakers and libraries that allow students to see their own lives reflected in literature while also stepping into the experiences of others.
The strategy involves using a shared journal process where students regularly write about their lives and share those entries with classmates. One example of this in action involved Hmong students who created hand-drawn versions of traditional “story cloths” to help non-Hmong students understand their culture. These artifacts served as springboards for learning English vocabulary and writing skills, showing how home culture can directly support academic goals.
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Teachers should avoid treating cultural commemorations like Black History Month or Hispanic Heritage Month as one-off events. Instead, they need to integrate these traditions into the curriculum throughout the year to avoid superficiality. It is also important for educators to research specific cultural practices, such as social interaction norms or religious beliefs, which can help prevent misunderstandings in the classroom.
Examining one’s own biases is a necessary part of this work, though traditional district training often fails to engage educators effectively. A more productive method involves sitting down with school data to look at who is or isn’t taking advanced classes and who teachers have challenging relationships with. By asking “how do we explain it?” rather than accepting stereotypes, educators can begin to address the root causes of student disengagement.
Teachers often worry that focusing on culture means lowering expectations for certain groups, but the goal is actually the opposite. Using a student’s cultural background as a tool for learning can actually increase academic rigor and engagement for everyone in the room. The most effective approach honors the student’s heritage to build a foundation for higher achievement, rather than treating culture as a topic for study itself.
