Being Culturally Responsive
By Rosalind LaRocque, Ph.D.
First let us clear up the debate between Culturally Responsive Teaching and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. It should be the latter, but do not take my word for it. Let us hear from an expert.
In 1994, Bartolome decried the search for the right teaching strategies and argued for a “humanizing pedagogy that respects and uses the reality, history, and perspectives of students as an integral part of educational practice.”
This is not a strategy we can just pick up; rather educators need to think about what they must do to be culturally responsive to the students in their classroom at a given moment in time.
The research is clear. Educators need not know all cultures just the ones in their classroom.
Here are a few tips that touch the tip of the iceberg.
1. How does your culture influence the dynamics in your classroom?
2. Are you aware of your student’s strengths?
3. Are you aware of your own biases?
4. Are you aware of how generalizations influence your classroom?
5. Can you identify a part of your students’ culture that can be used to support learning in a particular content?
6. How would you gauge your expectation levels for your students?
7. Do your actions align with your expectation levels?
Share with us your ideas on what it takes to implement Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in your classroom?
Mrs. Rosalind LaRocque is an associate director who currently works at the American Federation of Teachers in the Educational Issues Department, designing professional development experiences for all educators. In 1975, she graduated with honors from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados and began her teaching career preparing students for the external General Certificate Exam set by Cambridge. She later served as an examiner for the Caribbean Examinations Council. In 1980 she obtained her MA in Education from the University of the Virgin Islands and by 2003 completed her Ph.D. with Madison University.
LaRocque taught in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, served as Language Arts Department Chair and later became a Master Teacher, under a union-district sponsored program. By 1987, she became the local site coordinator for the AFT research-based program that brought researchers and practitioners together to develop professional development experiences for educators.
She is the recipient of several certificates of appreciation; awards from her students, school and community groups. Mrs LaRocque has written several articles, and her first book Reform vs Dreams, Preventing Student Failure was released February, 2012.
