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Culturally Competent ClassroomsAKD:

Workshop on Teaching and Learning

ABS Conference 2014Charlotte, NC

Sharon Blackwell Jones Ph.D.Radford University

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Questions???Sharon Blackwell Jones, Ph.D.

Radford UniversityRadford, Virgina

Dept. of Counseling and Human Development Services

C126 Peters Hallsjones48@radford.edu

PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTAION:

This workshop will focus on strategies for using self-awareness, knowledge of others, and skills for multicultural understanding as tools for working in educational settings.

Culturally Competent Instruction

“Teaching in the United States is a cross-cultural encounter, involving a multiplicity of ethnicities, worldviews, lifestyles, and learning styles.

“Cultural proficiency (competency) is an inside-out approach to the issues arising from diversity. The process of change must begin and end within each of us and within each of our institutions. Much of what has been done in addressing multiculturalism or diversity issues has focused on examining the others. “

Reasons for Cultural Competence in Education

By 2020, nearly 1/3 of the U.S. population will be made up of ethnic minorities.

Statistical projections indicate by the year 2050, racial and ethnic minorities will account for one half of the population in the U.S. (Sue, 1991).

The Hispanic/Latino population is growing faster than the majority population.

Call to the profession

With this in mind, I start off my training by asking???

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD A COURSE THAT FOCUSED ON MULICULTURAL EDUCATION?

Mission of Culturally Competent Classroom:

To make the school a learning environment that is welcoming to all students regardless of their cultural background.

Multiculturalism Means But Not Limited To

Race

Ethnicity

Gender

Socio-Economic Status

Ability/Disability

Size

Regional Affiliation (North/South)

Language

Age

LGTBQ

Learning Styles

As Educators We Need to:

Understand how both social implications and changing demographics in the US have an impact on our community and schools.

Learn how to recognize, understand and appreciate cultural differences and welcome people from different backgrounds into all aspects of the school community!

Multicultural Education

Education That Is Multicultural defines diversity as “differences based on, but not limited to race, ethnicity, regional affiliation (north/south), sexual orientation, religious affiliation, gender, language, socio-economic status, age, and ability/disability.”

This is not an all-inclusive list of the dimensions of culture, but it does name the aspects of culture most frequently cited in the research and the ones with the most implications for our school achievement gaps. . The term “diversity” is defined in the dictionary as “difference” and “variety.” It is used to describe a wide variety of people and circumstances. Different should not have either a positive or a negative connotation connected to the word

With the work that we are talking about doing our goals would be to:

Make sure the school a learning environment that is welcoming to all students regardless of their cultural background.

Make sure a culturally competent teacher is in every classroom

Make sure everyone in the school has a place at the table and is included in the discussion

Assess your cultural competence: EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITYQuestions to ask ourselves

I like to travel to different countries?

I accept opinions different from my own?

I invite people from different backgrounds to my home?

People who speak other languages and are different from me interest me?

I have a close friend from a diverse background?

Classroom Activities

Culturally proficient instruction demonstrates the following behaviors:

Values the learner as thinker and doer

Honors and respects cultural identities of all learners

Designs experiences that build on prior knowledge and experiences of the learner

Understands assessment bias

Holds high expectations for each learner

What can we do to help others embrace diversity?

What can we as a group do to help teachers embrace the diversity in our school?

What can we do to help students and faculty/new and old embrace diversity in our school?

What can we do to help parents embrace the diversity in our schools and classrooms?

Confronting the misinformation we have learned about other groups moves us forward together

We are born innocent, we LEARN from our misinformation from a combination of predjudice, myths and misconceptions

Just like we teach ourselves to misjudge others, we can teach ourselves to confront our inner voices of predjudice and reach honest understanding

What gets in your way when reaching out to others?

Is it hard for you to listen to the stories of others and share their experiences of struggle and triumph.

We must work as allies in building a community of tolerance and respect

The story telling and listening process HONORS our desire to reach out to each other and claim their experience as truth. Believe the person (the race card, I just Know).

Implications for Educators

Attend trainings/workshops like this one

Do advocacy work in schools/community

Identify Links/resources to multicultural websites to help you in your work

Pay attention to transforming changes in your community

Expose yourself to life/relationships skills that need to be developed

Be a school and community resource

See advocacy as an opportunity for school/community/home collaboration as a bridge for to cultures

Integrating Multiculturalism into your lifestyle

At School/ Work:

Have a voice for all children

Use interventions that are culturally sensitive to cultures you may be less familiar with

Use bilingual counselors for rapport building

Recruit and retain more ethnically similar faculty and staff in your work/school environment

Encourage events that reach ALL parents, as parental involvement continues to predict future success.

In your Personal Life:

Exposure, Exposure Exposure….

Embrace and appreciate cultural differences through experiences (restaurants, festivals, etc.)

Go outside of yourself to develop culturally different social circles to expand your horizons to appreciate diversity

Believe the experience of the culturally different client as they tell it without judgment.

Embrace cultural competency as a way of lifestyle not just a job function as a counselor.

Resources

Anti-Defamation League (ADL)

404-262-3470

Anti-Prejudice Consortium

404-255-0696

www.Tolerance.org

American School Counselor Association

www.schoolcounselor.org

GSCA

Culturally Proficient Instruction – A Guide for People who teach

Resources cont….

Fair Isn’t Always Equal-Assessing and Grading in a Differentiated Classroom

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria

Teach Me I Dare You