15 Culturally-Relevant Teaching Strategies and Examples- Entry #3

 

1. What is something new that I learned? 

I really found the second strategy, Interview Your Students, very interesting. I have always heard of educators conferencing with students and asking questions about them, but this idea of interviewing students is new and interesting to me. 

2. How can I apply this in the classroom? 

I would love to apply the strategy of Interviewing Students in my own classroom at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. I would use the first interview in the beginning of the school to really get to know the students and discover their backgrounds on a personal, connected level. I would re-interview the students in the middle of the year, after Christmas break, to see the level of growth the students have achieved and compare their answers to the first interview. I would also use this to formatively shape my instruction and the characteristics of my class. Lastly, I would conduct a final interview of the students at the end of the school year. I would use the same questions from the previous two interviews, but would include more specific ones about the upcoming school year as well. I would use these interviews to shape my connections with the students, format my instruction, and include the students' schemas into the classroom as a whole. 

3. What are my top 3 take-aways? 

1) Include different cultures and languages in your curriculum by presenting relevant material, such as movies, about them

 2) Embrace student vocabulary and communal practices by allowing them to teach each other through exercises such as jigsaw activities

3) Present relatable real-world problems for your students to solve, explicitly referencing cultures and communities when applicable

4. How can I connect this information with something I have learned in the classroom?

In the classroom, specifically in the Children's Literature course, I learned of many resources and teaching strategies to use to connect with students and create a culturally responsive classroom. This course focused heavily on including literature that showcases all of your learners backgrounds. Additionally, it presented many strategies for instruction, such as graffiti walls, Turn and Talks, and Jig-saws, that teachers can use to further student connections and create a culturally-responsive classroom. 

5. How can I connect this information with something I learned in practicum/internship?

I have observed many examples of instructing students on Social Sciences related to the students' backgrounds in my practicum placements. Many teachers use Theme Units to cover social studies standards by tying the fundamentals of the standard to related topics that the students are familiar with. I could take this observed information a step further by allowing students to present information from their background that ties to the Theme Units. The class as a whole could then conduct studies and projects to connect these standards to their personal lives, creating a more culturally-responsive classroom.