Being culturally responsive while teaching can be difficult. It can be seen as being racially discriminatory. As a teacher you are supposed to have the mindset that all students are capable of learning the information that you are presenting, but realizing that culturally background can effect the way that students learn can help you tap into what you can do to help your students learn more effectively. It seems that if you were in a classroom that was really diverse that it would be difficult to be sensitive to all the different ethnicity. I think that since I have been in school, many of my classes teach you to be culturally sensitive. I think that in most schools it is rare that you would have a wide range of ethnicity. I know most of the schools that I have visited have been mostly homogeneous when it comes race with a few exceptions. I think it is very important not to ignore the fact that students with different heritage and backgrounds are in your classroom because I think there is a lot to be learned from that student by the others in your classroom and you as a teacher. I also think that it is difficult to recognize these culturally differences without make those students who are different feel singled out. Some kids can be very sensitive about feeling different then other students and there is always that want to feel excepted and belonging.
With students that are said to have "deficits" due to there heritage, I think that as a teacher it is your responsibility to find those students who need more motivation or have health problems and do that you can to help them succeed in the classroom. Giving students confidence in themselves and showing them that you think that they have the potential to complete the tasks that you have given them will go a long way. I really like this quote by J. Banks, 1975, pp.165-166, "minority students should not be taught contempt for their cultures. Teachers should use elements of their cultures to help them attain the skills which they need to live alternative lifestyles." I think it is important for students to embrace their culture and figure out how they can incorporate it into their school.

Critical Pedagogy: A Look at Major Concepts by Peter McLaren

Critical Pedagogy: A Look at the Major Concepts
Written by Peter McLaren

Response by Julie Tompkins, Kayla Kitchell (Hibner), and Lisa Nestor

This article was definitely something I had to really think about as I read it. The article was at times a difficult read, due to the vast amount of new vocabulary it contained. Although, the author did do a fantastic job of explaining what the vocabulary meant throughout the article. I noticed that McLaren started the article by explaining his purpose for writing the article and the basic theory the reader needed to understand the author’s viewpoints. I noticed that one of McLaren’s main points was that, “The purpose of dialectical educational theory, then, is to provide students with a model that permits them to examine the underlying political, social, and economic foundations of the larger society” (72). When I read that quote, I was able to make a connection to my pedagogy, as I believe that my main purpose for educating my students is to inspire them to become active and responsible citizens in our democratic society.

McLaren discusses the “power relations” between members in our society and how through hegemony, the dominant culture continues to dominant the subordinate class through “the church, the state, the school, the mass media, the political system, and the family" (76). I think it is an interesting theory that teachers help continue the cycle of oppression by what they teach. If teachers teach their students to think critically and to question what they learn, students can rise above anything. Likewise, if students are never taught to questions anything or want more for themselves, they may continue to oppressed. I never thought about the fact that I would not have started second guessing the government and some of its policies if my high school government teacher had not asked me to think critically about my government. I can see where the author is coming from and it is definitely something to think about. The whole idea of hegemony is very thought provoking; I’m just not sure if I am convinced that it is true. I can’t help but wonder if there will ever be a culture where all citizens are on an equal playing field? Does a city or country on earth exist like that? I do know that I will continue to educate my students about thinking for themselves because they are the future of this country. They are the people who will have to make decisions for the greater good of the United States.

Following his discussion of hegemony, McLaren focuses on ideology and describes it as "natural and common sense" (79). He connects ideology with hegemony with the "customs, rituals, beliefs, and values often produce(d) within individuals distorted conceptions of their place in the sociocultural order and thereby serve to reconcile them to that place and to disguise the inequitable relations of power and knowledge" (79). To me, this says that we live our lives with values bestowed from our families and thus continue the social structure phenomenon. If you are from the culture of power, you live with values and beliefs that sustain that culture. The same is true for cultures of minority groups. McLaren goes on to say that without these structures, we couldn't make sense of the world! This is interesting for me because I don't see a way out of the current social structure if this is true.

In describing ideology as a negative function, he gives some examples that are thought provoking - especially for a white, middle-class teacher. He describes schools as helping upper-class students the most, that academic tracking is really the dominant culture sorting kids by class, and that by studying great books minority cultures are ignored. He does not list what the "great books" are, but looking at it from a literacy point of view, I think that "great books" are studied for literary merit - that these books are not considered great because they are written by a white male or convey the dominant culture's values. I would like to think that these books have more to them and then I think that maybe I am playing right into McLaren's view of someone from the culture of power. I do think that books written by minorities and about minority cultures should be studied in school, but I don't see that studying great books of literature as a conspiracy to keep minorities out of the culture of power. McLaren doesn't attend to the idea that minority students need to find their way through the culture of power in order to create change. I think this is important for teachers to help students navigate their way.

McLaren went on to describe dominant ideology of which I was surprised to read and hope is not true for most people - though the label "dominant" would lead to that conclusion. One aspect of dominant ideology is that men are more capable to climb corporate ladders and women are more suited to the home. I can only hope that most people do not think this. His point here is that teachers need to be "aware of the ideologies that inform their...teaching" (82). He poses a question for teachers, "To what extent do such pedagogical practices serve to empower the student, and to what extent do they work as forms of social control that support, stabilize, and legitimate the role of the teacher as a moral gatekeeper of the state?" (82).

His ideas thus far are connected to teaching in that teachers need to be aware of power and knowledge relationships. "Teachers need to recognize that power relations correspond to forms of school knowledge that distort understanding and produce what is commonly accepted as 'truth'"(85). In this way, teachers do serve as gatekeepers of knowledge and need to decide the background for the "truths" they relate to students. Knowledge students gain in school should not serve the corporate world, keep the dominant culture in control and minorities outside the culture of power.

McLaren compares the curriculum to "an introduction to a particular form of life; it serves in part to prepare students for dominant or subordinate positions in the existing societies" (86). Basically he is trying to say that the curriculum favors certain students based on a particular set of criterion and that the "hidden curriculum," as he calls it, refers to outcomes that we do not intend as teachers to promote.This reminds me of Catherine Au and her book, Multicultural Issues and Literacy Achievement that discusses the Literacy Achievement Gap and why it exists.

McLaren focuses on two key issues that he feels makes our students the way they are. The first is Social Reproduction and the second is Cultural Capital. Social Reproduction is the theory that students tend to remain in the same social class into which they are born. This theory can have many effects (both positive and negative) for students depending upon which socio-econmoic class they were born into. McLaren feels that Social Reproduction deals with not only socio-economics, but also social, cultural and linguistic factors as well (90).

Cultural Capital is the theory that a students cultural background, knowledge, disposition and skills are passed on from one generation to another and effects a student's education(93). Obviously, views of these vary and the fact that they are not intended outcomes for students is a problem. McLaren offers a variety of reasons and offers suggestions for educators to end this cycle. Some of his suggestions are as follows:
-Make schooling a process of examination
-Teachers should make learning a process of inquiry and constructing
-Make sure lessons allow students to draw upon their background knowledge to make connections
-Try to understand what makes students' resistant to learning

Basically, no matter what, students are the way they are for whatever reason. It is our job as educators to determine how we can best help them in the classroom and beyond and to choose what form of pedagogy is best suited for all concerned.

Expert on Pedagogy Blog: Engaged Pedagogy

In the article "Engaged Pedagogy," bell hooks argues that "...education could be the practice of freedom..." (14). In order to truly practice that "freedom," hooks believes in an "engaged pedagogy" that focuses on the wholeness, or well-being, of students and teacher alike. She further argues that rather than being passive consumers of education, students should become active participants. Students need to feel "...that the knowledge received in these settings [school] will enrich and enhance them" (19). The age of the dictatorial teacher at the front of the room is over. The classroom should become a place where student expression and feelings are validated, a place where they can "...live fully and deeply" (22).

"...there is an aspect of our vocation that is sacred..." (13)

I felt a deep connection with several different points that Hooks made in her article Engaged Pedagogy. As a teacher, I take the responsibility to provide a way for every student to learn and grow to the best of their ability. In order to do this, I have learned through my experience as a professional that I am constantly changing my instructional methods and am always faced with new challenges each school year. Although there are times when I feel like I have tried everything in my power to overcome a challenge, figure out the answers to questions I have been pondering, or finding ways to just “get through” to my students, I have realized that this process becomes much easier when there is a comfortable and positive relationship established between teacher and student. The overall theme in Hooks article revolves around teachers really knowing their students and building positive relationships with them through not only being there to share and transfer knowledge but to share in their intellectual and spiritual growth as well.

I agree. I became a teacher in order to connect with students, impact their lives, and create an atmosphere in which they pursued learning in order to better their lives. Honestly, how many of us have had teachers who were absolutely brilliant in the subject-matter, but could not possibly have cared less whether or not we learned it too? Hooks touches on this idea when she claims that students are "...striving not just for knowledge in books, but knowledge about how to live in the world" (15). If we are unable to show our students a connection between the subject-matter and their lives, it becomes far less likely that our students will care enough to learn the material. By understanding that our "...students want us to see them as whole human beings with complex lives and experiences..." (15) we will be able to connect with them as individuals -- meeting them where they are in their life-journey in order to help them grow into the decent and honorable human beings that we want them to become. Isn't that why we became teachers in the first place?

To me, Hooks' article makes a powerful statement about how impacting and inspirational education can be for students. As teachers, Hooks' believes we have to strive for classroom environments that allow "unique beings" to think critically and be engaged, not classroom environments that are only designed for a "rote, assembly line approach for learning." (13) Our students come into our classroom with "complex lives and experiences" (15) and an engaged pedagogy encourages teachers to acknowledge the connection between "life ideas learned in university settings and those learned in life practices." (15) To me, this is the purpose of education- striving for enriched classrooms where students are able to freely learn, participate, and be engaged by learning about life and experiences.

“To teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin.” (13).

Throughout Hooks’ article, she discusses how several of her teachers including Paulo Freire and Thich Nhat Hanh, have inspired her the most because they all insisted that education should be the practice of “freedom”, meaning that it is crucial to encourage students, acknowledge their connections between themselves and the world they are living in, and allow them to be active participants. In the school I currently teach in, part of the philosophy is to teach to the whole child, which parallels with Hanh’s way of thinking about pedagogy “which emphasized wholeness, a union of mind, body, and spirit” (14). One piece of information I think teachers can gain from this article is that in order for their students to be truly engaged learners, become successful citizens, and ultimately live life to the fullest, they must create pedagogical practices that empower students.

After spending 12 years in public schools, and then 4 years at the university level, there were literally hundreds of "rules" that I could have chosen by which to run my classroom. I even remember one particular 8th grade class of mine that operated under "The 20 laws of Lawton." Twenty rules for one class? I couldn't make that up. It may just be my own personal belief, but that hardly empowers students to "live life to the fullest." In relationship with that idea of living life, hooks stresses the idea that students need to be "active participants" (14) in the classroom. What better way to practice being a successful citizen than practicing being active rather than passive? I must say that in that aforementioned classroom, no one participated out of the fear of breaking one of the "laws." Therefore, when it came time to design my classroom community, I decided that my classroom would operate under two principles: 1. Be respectful, and 2. Always try your best in everything that you do. What more do you need?

Another piece of information I felt was relevant for teachers to know is that “when education is the practice of freedom, students are not the only ones who are asked to share” (21). Hooks discusses that it is important for teachers to “ride the wave” with their students, “that empowerment cannot happen if we refuse to be vulnerable while encouraging students to take risks” (21). In other words, don’t expect your students to share information or take risks if you are not willing to do so yourself. Teachers who allow themselves to be vulnerable with their students in the classroom allows the students to be more comfortable and ultimately be more engaged and take their learning to deeper levels.

As a teacher of young children, I think Hooks' ideas about taking risks are very important. Young students are not going to be willing or even know how to take risks without being shown how to. Everyday I try to model this "vulnerability" and provide opportunities where my students and I are able to practice risk-taking in order to promote a critical way of learning. Hopefully this engaged pedagogical practice in my classroom will "provide students with ways of knowing that enhance their capacity to live fully and deeply." (22)

This is something that I have practiced since the first day in my classroom. It all goes back to the reason that I became a teacher in the first place: I want to connect with students. By knowing me as a person, my students will not only feel safer in the environment, but they will (hopefully) want to learn more from me. Furthermore, Jim Fay, of the Love and Logic method of teaching, argued that the best way to get a student to behave for you (and learn from you) is to get him/her to fall in love with you. No one can really fall in love without first knowing the other person. And one may call it selfish, but I see benefits for the teacher as well as the students in such a classroom. It is my personal belief that a classroom community in which students and teacher are connected on a deeper level is simply a more enjoyable place for everyone involved. No matter the goings-on of the day, I love going to work for the simple matter that it is where my students are. Plus, in Hooks' own words, "any classroom that employs a holistic model of learning will also be a place where teachers grow, and are empowered by the process" (21). We are dead when we stop growing, and I am just not ready to be dead.

In my eyes, the whole idea of "engaged pedagogy" is the utopia of teaching. My teaching philosophy is centered around the fact that while I am teaching a subject, when all is said and done, I am teaching it to students: students who are real, living, human beings with independent thoughts, emotions, and lives outside of my classroom. I found very early on, however, that this, at times, sent me into an emotional tornado. The deep passion and concern that I have for my students led me to feel personally attacked and hurt when they didn't return the respect. It is something that I have struggled with for the whole year. However, I found great comfort in Hooks' words: "This demand on the students' part [the desire for a healing, meaningful education that is connected to their own life experiences] does not mean that they will always accept our guidance....for it allows students to assume the responsibility for their choices" (19). I realize now that this is actually another facet of the education that I strive to provide for my students --this idea of responsibility, accountability, and natural consequences. If I were to expect my students to simply follow my direction without question and without failure, I would be doing a dis-service to them in the years to come. What a profound, yet amazingly simple concept...

Like Kristyn, I feel that Hooks' statement about acceptance, guidance, responsibility, and choices is a very important aspect of education. Education is much more than sharing information, it is about students' opportunity for self actualization, expressing ideas, and growing. If we take them time to recognize the significance of "engaged pedagogy" and try to incorporate these ideas into our classrooms, we will help our students grow not only intellectually, but as "whole human beings."

hooks, b. (1994). Engaged pedagogy. In Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom (pp. 13-22). New York, NY: Routledge.

Lindsay Alt

Kristyn Dehne

Kristy Tomford

Expert on Pegagogy Blog: Analysis of "Power and Pedagogy" by: Gay, G.

By: Jennifer Nosakowski

I found this article about incorporating multicultural concepts into daily coursework very informative. At first, I found it hard to see how this approach applied to me since my experiences in the classroom as a substitute was limited and my clinical instruction is composed of predominantly middle-class Caucasion students. However, I now see that including cultural content, even when small differences arise amongst students will help to make their learning experience more meaningful by giving them a sense of importance and recognition. Implementing this approach will not be easy or immediate, but small changes can be made daily to develop to a larger sense of community and cultural awareness that will positively impact all students despite their origins. In my article review, I take a broad look at how to apply this pedagogy and why its challenges should and can be overcome.

Culturally Responsive Teaching pedagogy is defined in “Power Pedagogy Through Cultural Responsiveness”, by Gay, as filtering curriculum content and teaching strategies through cultural frames of reference in order to make the content more personally meaningful and easier to master by students of varied ethnic groups. This approach challenges educators to incorporate diversity into the classroom using a new perspective. As a result, teaching and learning experiences will become contextualized and students’ achievement potential will become maximized (Gay, p23). Amongst further analysis of Culturally Responsive Teaching pedagogy, many questions arise about its feasibility and application. For instance, how can one move from the traditional classroom etiquette that simply acknowledges cultural differences to a learning experience that teaches students to become knowledgeable about each difference? Also, how can teachers prepare themselves with information on various cultural backgrounds and include this knowledge into all aspects of their curriculum? Despite these questions, the practical application of Culturally Responsive Teaching pedagogy is achievable and the incorporation of multicultural context into all subject areas is necessary to afford all students a meaningful and world-wide academic experience.


There is much need for instructional reform in regards to creating a positive learning experience for students of various ethnic groups. Unfortunately, many classrooms still operate under Eurocentric frameworks that fail to incorporate other culturally meaningful content into their lessons. This practice makes it difficult for students of non-European American descent to feel validated and find relevance in their school experience in relation to their lives. In order to enhance the academic experience for all students, new pedagogies such as Culturally Responsive Teaching should be employed in order to improve interest, motivation, and establish authentic learning experiences that link school to students' homes, local and global communities (Gay, p28). Making this change will provide a necessary shift from basic recognition of student differences to in depth acquisition of knowledge about those differences in terms of heritage, values, and the social and political aspects of each culture. To implement this change, teachers must begin to deliberately create cultural continuity in educating ethnically diverse students by altering curriculum to incorporate a variety of cultural frames of reference (Gay, p24). This will create individual learning experiences that set positive examples of multicultural contributions in society are more meaningful to students because they can relate them to their own lives. It will instill confidence by building off what students are already able to achieve in the use of terms or skills that are familiar to their cultures. Including ethnic diversity into lessons will also allow students to become more knowledgeable and accepting of each others’ differences, helping to create community and eliminate stereotypes and discrimination amongst peers. In addition, a newfound appreciation and understanding of various cultures will cause students to become increasingly proud of their ethnic identities, increase attitudes of success, and help them to meet and exceed their potential, both academically and socially, in and out of the classroom.

Culturally Responsive Teaching pedagogy is an innovative approach to solving the problems that arise from unintentionally neglecting to engage ethnically diverse students. Often the effort to treat everyone equally causes educators to ignore students' defining characteristics. This can lead into a vicious trend of decontextualization of lesson material and resulting lack of student interest, self-esteem, and the ability to succeed (Gay, p24). This new pedagogical theory has the potential to reverse these trends, but is not void of its own questions and potential problems. First, what type of preparation will be required for educators to become knowledgeable about the many cultures their students will bring into the classroom? To begin, educators must first assess their own cultural attitudes, assumptions, and established classroom rules and regulations that may hinder the ability to effectively teach in a culturally diverse way (Gay, p26). This will give educators a better idea of areas in need of improvement both structurally and intellectually in their classrooms. For instance, teachable moments will arise in various subject areas, such as mathematics to share multicultural languages or in writings that show examples of various cultural norms. Deliberately adding ethnic content such as that found in music, dress, food, religion, dance, and education will help create teachable moments within existing lesson plans. (McLaren, p76). Within the Culturally Responsive Teaching pedagogy, educators help to foster intelligent discussion amongst their students via the attainment of educational information on current socially and politically relevant issues that concern various ethnicities. Thoughtful discussions that inspire students to think of subjects based on cultural similarities and differences and encourage student inquiry, analysis, and critique are also major educational resources for teachers. The observation of cross-cultural interactions in terms of language, mannerisms, and thought processes will help educators to uncover distinct and unique cultural traits that can guide their own instruction (Sheets, p9). For example, becoming aware of how students assert themselves in conversations can provide insight into how to communicate more effectively with individual and possibly other members of the same ethnicity. What some may think are behavioral norms may not be in other societies, American teachers interpret direct eye contact as being attentive, but for some Native Americans it is interpreted as staring which is taboo in their culture (Gay, p22). In effect, an environment that is meaningful and most beneficial to students of all ethnicities will be created.


Secondly, how can a teacher develop lesson plans that cover all cultures present in the classroom? The incorporation of culture must be intentional, but can flow naturally within class discussions. In order for educators to integrate cultural topics with ease, they must change their attitudes and begin to perceive diversity as the norm (Sheets, p1). Becoming conscious of culturally relevant issues pertaining to diverse students will help teachers to incorporate ethnically important elements to lessons and inspire students to make a connection between academic material and what is familiar to them. This type of thinking will automatically cause instructors to relate academic subject matter to different ethnic groups. Teachers will facilitate this process as they become more knowledgeable about how to provide assistance and build upon certain cultural practices and experiences observed in the classroom. For example, when discussing a particular topic, the teacher will ask the group questions that promote students to share their ideas on how it affects their communities, thus creating a dialogue that flows as varied cultural views are compared, contrasted, and reflected upon.


Lastly, is it feasible to include various cultural perspectives in addition to an already extensive curriculum centered towards meeting government or district testing standards? Culturally Responsive Teaching pedagogy should help to strengthen academic performance by creating more meaningful educational experiences. Students who are often alienated will begin to participate and understand material within the standard curriculum. Additional cultural aspects will act to provide the important connection that authenticates student learning experiences, sparks interest, and increases understanding of government and district requirements in relation to a culturally dynamic world. Educators may need to invest additional planning time to reorganize their classrooms, but efforts to include additional information is feasible, especially with cooperation from other faculty and a newfound awareness of the value of cultural inclusion and its benefits. Acknowledging and including cultural ideas into daily practices will help to create the most productive and enriching learning environment and is vital to all students’ academic achievement.


Culturally Responsive Teaching pedagogy provides a method for teachers to create authentic learning experiences for all students. In order to implement this pedagogy, educators must revise the mindset that treating all students the same will create an equal learning environment. They must become aware that this does not create equality and often negates cultural differences in the classroom. Instead, educators must change their view and strive to treat all students fairly which will validate ethnically diverse individuals (Sheets, p8). This is done by building off strengths and using individual and culturally appropriate scaffolding to address weaknesses. With conscious effort to acquire thorough knowledge of cultural values, learning styles, historical legacy, contributions, and achievements of different ethnic groups, educators will be able to begin to maximize student achievement potential (Gay, p44). This knowledge, when shared in lessons, in the form of ethnic content and cultural forms will translate into acceptance and facilitate deeper relationships between teachers and multicultural students. Through this cultural affirmation, student self-worth will increase followed by an increase in motivation, desire to learn, and academic accomplishments. Encouraging student participation in open discussions that incorporate cultural aspects into existing curriculum will help to make traditional lesson plans become more meaningful and better understood through each students’ cultural perspective and personal connection (Gay, p43). Critical analyses, questions, and reflective classroom dialogue will lead to the acceptance of various cross-cultural groups and translate into greater success and less discrimination in all settings. Incorporating the culture and communication styles of different ethnic groups into the classroom affords additional knowledge which cultivates cooperation and collaboration between students and transforms a predominantly Eurocentric learning environment into a multicultural experience where the opportunity for academic success is available for all.



References:
Gay, G. 2000. Power and Pedagogy. In Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice. Teachers College Press: NY.
McLaren, P. 2003. Critical Pedagogy. In The Critical Pedagogy Reader. NY: Routeledge-Falmer.
Sheets, R.H. 2006. What Is Diversity Pedagogy Theory? Texas Tech University.

"What Is Diversity Pedagogy Theory?"

What is Diversity Pedagogy Theory?

Rosa Hernandez Sheets

Rachel Haller & Marisa McCormick

Upon reading this article, the initial reaction was to make connections to our own classrooms. However, after discussion, we both found that we have minimal cultural diversity interactions in our classrooms, but we have experienced many other forms of diversity. These are the primary aspects our blog response will cover.

As humans, we are diverse in our very nature. We bring this diversity (and our beliefs) into our classrooms whether it is fully realized and understood, or not. What is Diversity Pedagogy Theory?” by Rosa Hernandez Sheets, challenges educators to analyze and react to their culturally-based teaching practices and analyze how these practices affect students ability to connect culture and cognition.”

Marisa teaches in a district that has a population of primarily white, affluent, business families. However, because she teaches in Okemos’ first and only public Montessori school, she has found that it attracts families from surrounding districts. She is able to connect the ideas of Diversity Pedagogy Theory (DPT) to her classroom environment in terms of: a) socio-economic status, b) citizenship, c)family make-ups, d)world views and the obvious, e)race, ethnicity,
gender, age, ability, and national origin.

Rachel teaches in a district that exhibits almost zero diversity. The district is a suburb of Flint, is about 99% white, and the socioeconomic status is low. While cultural diversity is virtually nonexistent in her school, Rachel has had a great deal of experience with special education students.

In his article, Sheets states that teachers often overlook culture in the classroom. Both Marisa and Rachel feel that they are guilty of this. For example, Rachel has witnessed one of her special needs students discussing an assignment with another student. She responded by directing the two to end the conversation and reminding them that they needed to work on their own assignments. (Aren’t we all guilty of this at one time or another, for the sake of keeping our classrooms quiet, orderly and disciplined?)

Until reading Sheets’ article, Rachel never realized the impact that her above choice had on that special needs student. She feels that Sheets did a great job of communicating the need to be aware of cultural diversity in the classroom. The author also provided the reader with explicit examples of how to become culturally aware, and culturally competent.

Since DPT encourages teachers to develop teaching beliefs and pedagogical skills in the eight dimensions this blog will continue by listing these pedagogy dimensions. It needs to be understood that teacher pedagogical behaviors directly influence student cultural displays.”

1) Diversityà consciousness of difference

2) Identityà ethnic identity development
3) Social interactionà interpersonal relationships
4) Culturally safe classroom contextà self-regulated learning
5) Languageà language learning
6) Culturally inclusive contentà knowledge acquisition
7) Instructionà reasoning skills’
8) Assessmentà self-evaluation

If a teacher’s practices are culturally knowledgeable and sensitive (the 8 items on the left side of the arrows), students will have the ability to positively engage in the items on the right hand side of the arrows.

Marisa can speak to the first dimension of diversity in terms of socio-economic differences in her classroom environment. Many of her students are from Okemos and fit the generalized category of coming from white, affluent, two-parent households. However, due to the large number of school-of-choice applicants, many of her students come from homes that have less monetary means, parents who work two to three jobs and do not have a lot of extra time to support their child’s school work at home. Nor are they able to buy their children the new toys and clothes that they see their classmates having. This diversity can go one of two ways in the classroom: a strong divide among the two different socio-economic classes can occur, or we might see a community that is conscious of the differences, yet they have a strong sense of sameness while responding to each other with sensitivity and empathy.

While Marisa was reading aloud the novel to her class, How to Steal a Dog, by Barbara O’Connor, she was amazed with the lower socio-economic students’ verbalized connection with the main character and the interest of the higher socio-economic status students regarding how one might deal with such difficult situations. Due to Marisa’s (perceived) safe and risk-taking environment, her fourth and fifth graders were able and encouraged to discuss the complex issue of whether or not it was right to steal a dog in order to raise money for a family to move out of their car and into an apartment. The ability her 8-11 year old students displayed as they put themselves into the perspective of the mother (whom the daughter hated for their circumstance), the daughter (whom wanted to steal a dog to get them out of the situation) and the brother (whom was clueless) was an amazing and wonderful learning opportunity for all of her students regardless of who they were or where they came from.

Rachel can also speak to the first dimension of diversity. Although the primary focus of Sheets article was on cultural diversity, it is felt and understood that diversity has multiple meanings, and that some type of diversity is existent in every school. As previously mentioned, both Rachel and Marisa do not come from culturally diverse communities, but both have experienced diversity mainly in terms of special needs and socio-economic status.

After reading about teacher pedagogical behaviors and the student cultural displays of behavior, Rachel feels that these behaviors, on both the teacher and student behalf, are applicable to other forms of diversity. She often wonders how many times she’s exhibited the teacher pedagogical behaviors, both effectively and ineffectively, and how her choices have impacted her students.

Both Marisa and Rachel hope to become more culturally aware of their students and how their teaching practices and beliefs affect student socialization and learning. As Sheets states, observation is a critical role in beginning this awareness.

With choice and independence being a primary belief of the Montessori Philosophy, Marisa believes this is a great place to start in her journey to being a culturally aware educator.”

In conclusion, educators need develop and utilize strong observational skills, cultural sensitivity and responsive teaching practices in order to meet the cultural needs of their diverse student populations-in order for culture and cognition to take place. We can all start (or continue!) to do this by listening (versus talking) and offering our students real choices in their learning.

Freire Article Response

From Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Paulo Freire
Suzanne - Laura - Colleen - Cate

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

William Butler Yeats

Paulo Freire communicates that the current educational process is flawed and ineffective. Teachers who simply deposit information into their students as though they were banking creates a culture of oppression, where students are frustrated and passive learners, void of independent thinking and problem solving strategies, and absent of creativity. When teachers teach by simply depositing material into the students’ ‘empty vessels,’ they create an affective culture of memorization and recitation, where knowledge isn’t internalized and applied. Freire professes, in "Pedagogy of the Oppressed," that teachers can prevent this banking system of learning by understanding that:

*Learning is social
* Learning should be authentic and meaningful
* As teachers, we should harness individuality of our students and use that to our advantage
* Students and teachers should have a working relationship where students are encouraged to problem solve and discover on their own where the teacher provides guidance
* Education should not be used to control and create conformity
* Both the teacher and students should be reflective

"Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I may remember. But involve me and I'll understand."
-Chinese Proverb

Learning should be authentic and meaningful
-Laura-

As educators, we are obligated to teach our students in an authentic and meaningful way. It is imperative to teach to the individual needs of the students in our classroom. Students must be involved in their own learning and be provided with practical experiences that can be connected to their lives. When students can relate to the concepts being taught, learning has a greater purpose for them. In contrast, if students are asked to memorize and retain information given by their teacher then they are being treated as empty "containers" only to be "filled" with ideas that are irrelevant to them. This "banking" concept that Freire opposes, suggests that "education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor" (p.57). When students are taught in such a way, they are unable to see the value of what they are supposed to gain knowledge of. In order for learning to be of importance to students, it needs to be authentic and meaningful.

Education should not be used to control and create conformity
As teachers, we should harness individuality of our students and use that to our advantage
-Colleen-

"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence + character- that is the true goal of education."
Martin Luther King Jr.

One of the key points made throughout Freire’s article From Pedagogy of the Opressed is that education should not be used to control and create conformity. The article begins by explaining the ‘banking’ concept of education where the teacher leads students to, "…memorize mechanically narrated content. Worse yet, to turn them into ‘containers’, into ‘receptacles’ to be ‘filled’ by the teacher." He continues by writing that education has simply become ‘an act of depositing.’ If we are to be successful educators who inspire our students to learn, then we too must reject this idea of ‘banking’ education and in its place, promote both inquiry and discovery in the classroom. I think we can all remember the teachers we have encountered along our journey who simply lectured and told us to memorize. We are not robots who benefit from committing this useless information into our long-term memory and regurgitating it at any given moment. Instead, we should promote the idea of independent thinking and push students to take ownership of their learning. I can remember back to college when I was taking NSC301 which was the science class for elementary teachers. I wanted nothing more than the professor to just tell me what I needed to know so that I could study and get the course over with. She refused to cave in to the ‘banking’ style of education and instead pushed me to build my own conceptual understandings. As a result, the course turned out to be one of the most beneficial I had taken because it taught me how to think critically. I was so proud of the work I had done because I’d had to put so much ‘brain power’ into the thinking behind what I wrote. Friere is calling us to "reject the banking concept in its entirety" and capitalize on ‘Liberating Education’ which bases itself on authentic thinking, creativity and an understanding that reality is always transforming. As the age old saying goes, "Give a man fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." Instead of ‘giving’ our students what they need to know to pass the standardized tests, we must instead teach them skills that will help them throughout their lifetime.

Learning is social
-Suzanne-

Freire’s chapter from The Pedagogy of the Oppressed illuminated many critical themes and perspectives about education. The overarching theme of this chapter espoused on analyzing education’s potential to oppress members of society. Freire expounds on the concept of "problem-posing" education as a format by which to eliminate oppression in education. Problem-posing involves inquiry, learning and teaching of curriculum by students as well as teachers. Moreover, in "problem-posing" education, teachers and students trade roles and responsibilities through the process of learning. Social learning is a key and central concept for "problem-posing education."
An essential component to success in problem-posing education relates to dialogue between teachers and students. Dialogue should shape the pace and flow of curriculum. "[P]roblem-posing education regards dialogue as indispensable tot he act of cognition which unveils reality." (Freire, 64) The teacher does not fill the students with bankable knowledge. Instead the communication and exchange of knowledge between the teacher and students empowers and transcends society to new, liberated, dimensions. The importance of communication in an oppression-free, progressive educational climate is particularly illuminated from this quote from the chapter: "Yet only through communication can human life hold meaning. The teacher’s thinking is authenticated only by the authenticity of the students’ thinking... Authentic thinking, thinking that is concerned about reality, does not take place in ivory tower isolation, but only in communication." (Freire, 61)
Although this article is heavily philosophical, I find it to be extremely applicable to present day education. As mandated by local, state and (as of 2000) the federal government, part of our job is to fill students with "bankable" knowledge in the form of GLCE’s and success on standardized tests in order to deem ourselves, our schools and our communities as achieving adequate yearly progress or not. Freire would undoubtedly characterize this form of education as a means of oppression. Who determines this bankable knowledge? How is this bankable knowledge oppressing our students, schools and communities? When and how did we reach a point in our society where bankable knowledge weighs so heavily on our schools? These are all questions that entered my mind in responses to Freire’s chapter.
This article also made me question the merits of a new trend in education. Many successful charter schools (such as KIPP and Green Dot) that I read about lately have made waves in national media for the past 5 years. These schools have found ways to reach disadvantaged, inner-city youth and ready them for success in college. Many critics of these charter schools note the "paternailistic" nature of these schools. Critics of these schools state that these school indoctrinate students to a middle-class culture and mentality which may or may not deviate from the backgrounds, values and traditions they find in their own homes, families and communities. For the most part, these students are succeeding and achieving in these charter schools and are also moving on towards earning college degrees. At a quick glance, this is what we want for our students - success in school and in life - right? However, after reading Freire’s chapter, I now question whether conformity towards a cultural value system may actually resemble oppression and submission by members of society.....

Students and teachers should have a working relationship where students are encouraged to problem solve and discover on their own where the teacher provides guidance
Both the teacher and students should be reflective
-Cate-

Education should be collaborative and innovative. Students and teachers need to be willing to examine themselves critically and as an active participant in the learning process. Freire asserts that, "[K]nowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry men pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other." (58) The teacher must be an authentic participant in the learning with the students. True education is not that of making deposits of knowledge, but rather creating an authentic and real-world learning environment where students are not merely passive listeners, but actively engaged and excited about their educational goals and applications.
Freire explains that to achieve this collaborative learning environment, the teacher "must be a partner of the students in his relations with them." (60) The teacher must form a relationship with the student and create a bond of community within the classroom. The teacher and the students must actively participate in a dialogue of their collaborative learning where, "they become jointly responsible for a process in which all grow." (Freire 63) Students examine the direction and purpose of their education with the teacher and their discourse guides the presentation of the content. I feel that although teachers face potential obstacles (GLECs, district and state assessments, common curriculum) for this collaborative learning environment, teachers still have the capability to "present[s] material to the students for their consideration, and reconsider [s] his earlier considerations as the students express their own." (Freire 64) Giving students choice in delivery, assessment, and pace, even if the content is set, will create a collaborative and reflective learning environment and liberate the students to think as individuals and to be engaged and in control of their learning. Providing a learning community where the teacher and the students think critically about their learning, communicate authentically, and are engaged in real-world learning opportunities leads to free-standing, independent, and compassionate citizens and life-long learners.

Haberman Article Response

Sarah Rohlfs, Carrie Baas, Cindy Rogers, and Deborah Bonner

Thoughts, Reactions, and Reflections: Haberman’s “The Pedagogy of Poverty Versus Good Teaching"

As a group, we decided to individually read Haberman's article and share our reactions with one another. The following analysis is a compilation of our conversations organized by topics we found most relevant to our teaching and the the U.S. education system. We encourage you to respond to our blog as a whole or to any subtopics of interest to you. Thank you!

INITIAL REACTIONS

Sarah: As I read this article, I made a lot of connections to my field placements during my undergrad years at various Lansing public schools. I had flashbacks to my student teaching year in particular, when I taught at a Lansing high school and witnessed firsthand many examples of the pedagogy of poverty that he outlines. I think that Haberman does a good job at explaining the complexities surrounding what urban teachers do in the classroom and what outsiders perceive about urban teaching. I was also saddened to think about how pervasive some ineffective educational practices are and how certain contexts can transform teachers into falling prey to such practices.

Carrie: As I read Haberman’s article, I too made many connections to my year-long teaching internship at East Kentwood High School. I would consider East Kentwood an urban school, although it may not be as “urban” as other schools located in inner-cities, etc. However, it was an extremely diverse school both racially and socioeconomically. As I started reading the article, though, I started to feel offended. In my experience at East Kentwood (and even at a brief placement in Lansing Public Schools) I did not see many of the “Core Functions of Urban Teaching” that Haberman outlines. I felt that Haberman was generalizing urban schools and saying that all teachers in these settings practice these core functions. At East Kentwood, I worked with numerous teachers that did not teach as authoritarians, but who functioned in a classroom community of critical learners. I felt pacified when, later in his work, Haberman acknowledges that there ARE urban schools that have broken this mold. That’s not to say that “Core Function” teachers did not exist, however. I fully acknowledge that numerous schools and teachers do teach with the “Core Functions” and that this is a major problem in our educational system.

Cindy: My initial response to Haberman’s Pedagogy of Poverty was – yeah, that is the way I teach and have taught for many years. As I continued to read through the article I also found myself in many of the categories that he describes as “good teaching”. Coming from my position where my goal is to impart knowledge that prepares one for college I know that I give information, ask questions, give directions, give assignments, monitor seatwork, review assignments and give tests. Yes, I review those tests, mark a lot of papers and give grades. I don’t even teach in what I would consider an urban school.

Deborah: My first reaction to Haberman’s Pedagogy of Poverty was doesn’t everything he talks about relate to non-urban communities as well? I do not have a lot of experience in an urban setting (I grew up in a wealthy suburban school district, and my only experience in an urban setting was at Dwight Rich Middle School about 2 hours a week for one semester, my junior year at MSU). At Dwight Rich I was placed in a eighth grade math class, where students were learning algebra. I spent most of my time observing the student teacher, who I believe tried to engage students and did not simply give assignments and move from one to the next without discussing them.

When I observed the lead teacher, I noticed she was often short with students and one day she did no teaching at all, just let them do whatever they wanted in the room. I have not let my one experience of inadequate teaching make me assume that ALL urban classrooms are like that. I have a hard time analyzing the Haberman article because of my lack of exposure to urban classrooms. I do think the list of core functions of urban teaching occur non-urban settings (I saw this first hand during my student teaching) and I think the article serves as a good reminder that teachers need to think beyond a set pattern on giving an assignment, giving another assignment, reviewing for a test, giving a test, and then starting a new topic.

Haberman mentions that in an urban setting, teachers “give information” often by reading out loud to their students, assuming they cannot read for themselves (Haberman 1). I believe that reading out loud to students is okay in some instances, for example “Romeo and Juliet”, text that is difficult for many students to understand the meaning of if read alone, but it should not be the only way we get text across to students. I saw this “technique” done regularly at Ovid-Elise HS ( a rural community), where I spent the first half of my student teaching, and I found that students got very bored and felt like they were being talked down to if the teacher read to them. Some people may think students won’t read it on their own, but I believe sometimes we need to give them the benefit of the doubt. They are going to have to read on their own if they go to college.

APPLYING TO OUR CONTEXT

Sarah: Though Haberman’s focus is on urban teaching, I think many of his points in the article relate to all school environments. In my particular context, I teach in a community with little racial diversity but with vast diversity in students’ socioeconomic status. I found myself asking whether or not my behaviors as a teacher of poor students ever reflect some of the potentially ineffective or effective teaching practices outlined in this article.

Carrie: I also found myself thinking about my current teaching environment. As Sarah says, Charlotte is not an urban school with racial diversity, but it IS a school with vast socioeconomic diversity. Because this is the case, I was able to apply many of Haberman’s concepts and arguments to my own teaching environment. I started seeing some commonalities between Haberman’s descriptions between how students respond in an urban setting and how some of my students respond.

Cindy: My students are diversified as far as their socioeconomic status. Teaching in a parochial school gives me students from very affluent families to those who really struggle but want their children there. We have students from different cultures from around the world yet I try and make my classroom one that is comfortable for all of them. This does take many of the “good teaching” methods described in the later part of Haberman’s article.

Sarah: Haberman describes that teachers in these contexts spend a lot of time providing students with information as well as giving students assignments. This was one of my main observations as a pre-service teacher in an urban setting—we seemed to always ask students to perform, while at the same time, expected that they would fail. The problem with relying on students constantly performing for assessment is that assigning students is not equivalent to teaching them skills. For example, asking kids to write multiple essays does not guarantee that students will learn how to write. Truly teaching students how to engage in the kinds of skills we expect them to perform is much more challenging work than assigning them.

Cindy: Where as Sarah mentioned giving tasks that we sometimes expect our students to fail at, I find that I most always think my students will do well. Much to my disappointment they often don’t do as well as I had anticipated. I do agree with what Haberman said about students often controlling the teacher instead of the teacher controlling the class. If my students don’t do as well as I had anticipated I often back off and expect less the next time. Pushing our student to achieve their best is a difficult thing. How hard is too hard? Teenagers have so many responsibilities these days that demand their time. I find it frustrating to accomplish what I want to accomplish and not what the students want to accomplish

Carrie: I too have observed teachers who hand out assignments without doing any real teaching. Even though I did not experience this during my internship, I do know and see this kind of teaching in my present environment. As a result, actually teaching processes that students can later do independently is extremely important to me. As Sarah mentions above, students will not gain anything from constant assignments in which they are asked to perform for merely a letter grade. Students who do an assignment for a grade and then forget about it and do not connect it to anything else in their schooling or their life will not gain knowledge OR skills needed for independent learning.

ANALYSIS OF “PEDAGOGY OF POVERTY” CRITERIA

Sarah: Haberman’s criteria to whom the pedagogy of poverty appeal are hard to digest. These criteria run completely counter to what I imagine most new teachers believe are the purposes of education. I think the logic of this pedagogy reflect a lot of “old school” thinking about education that is still quite insidious in our schools— that students are empty vessels and that as teachers it’s our job to fill them with knowledge. The belief that not all students will be successful is another challenging aspect of this kind of thinking that we need to overcome.

Carrie: When Haberman discusses the characteristics of those teachers that are attracted to the pedagogy of poverty, it was hard for me to imagine that actual classroom teachers in this day and age actually think and/or feel this way about teaching and about students. As Sarah says, it WAS very hard to swallow many of these criteria. A criterion that especially stuck out to me was: “It appeals to those who fear minorities and the poor. Bigots typically become obsessed with the need for control” (Haberman 2). I found it frightening that there are teachers who can be considered bigots. Also, I found it hard to imagine that teachers would maintain low expectations for their students because having high expectations is such a crucial part of teaching. If students feel that they cannot succeed (or are told this by an authority figure) they can suffer from the self-fulfilling prophecy that makes them also believe this lie. As a teacher, having high expectations is one of my top priorities, and I know many teachers would agree. In addition, I was surprised with the first criterion: “It appeals to those who themselves did not do well in school” (Haberman 2). While I can see Haberman’s point here, I also believe that sometimes teachers who did not do well or who had bad experiences when they were in school, are actually inspired to teach using progressive methods because they do not want to re-do the wrongs they, themselves, experienced.

Cindy: Ok, I just said that I taught much like Haberman’s description of The Pedagogy of Poverty but must say I don’t feel I am a bigot or did I do poorly in school. Because I have a classroom very different from what many think of as an intercity type situation, I guess my circumstances are considerably different. My students are all high achievers or they would not be taking high school chemistry. Setting my expectations high for them does cause them to work hard but it also gives them stress that I sometimes feel in unnecessary in a teenagers life. That is where I struggle with how hard to push them.

ANALYSIS OF THE STUDENTS’ ROLE IN “THE PEDOGOGY OF POVERTY”

Sarah: What is hardest for me to accept, but what I found most powerful in his words, was the explanation of how students accept and support the pedagogy of poverty. In my experience in a variety of teaching contexts, I find that many times when I ask students to go beyond more traditional assignments that they can be resistant. It makes it that much harder for teachers to break the cycle of ineffective teaching, as our students’ resistance can so vastly determine our approaches.

Carrie: Some students definitely do accept the pedagogy of poverty. I was able to relate to this part of Haberman’s argument because sometimes, as Sarah mentions, I have felt that when I try to encourage critical thinking or introduce a fun, critical assignments, students groan because they would rather do straight-forward seat work or rote learning that simply forces them to fill in blanks or answer questions on a piece of paper. I am reminded of one student, in particular, who gripes that English is “not about” the critical activities and conversations we have in our English 10 class. I fear that to this student, English is about filling in study guides, reading books and taking quizzes on them, being told to write papers with absolutely no direction, and other forms of teaching that embody the pedagogy of poverty. This student just wants to “play the game” and as a result he is disillusioned by our innovative class. However, I refuse to agree that all teachers become controlled by students who have accepted the pedagogy of poverty. Even though this individual makes me think about my teaching at times, I still value real and critical learning too much to let it change my pedagogy. Also, certainly not all students have accepted this form of teaching. The students that DO want to learn about life and think critically are the ones that inspire good teaching.

Cindy: Good insight Carrie. We need the assignments that cause our students to think outside the box (kind of like this course we are presently involved in). We can’t allow the moans and groans of our students to keep us from using innovative teaching styles. Like us, our students want a clear cut assignment that they know exactly what them must do and know that they can achieve the correct answer for. Thinking assignments don’t always allow for them to come up with a “correct answer”.

Deborah:I’ve noticed that students do not like change. Moving seats is a perfect example. I’ve noticed when I have tried to do something new they are sometimes hesitant, but when we do the same thing every day they complain about that. I think helping my students adjust to change and to embrace it is important.

RECOGNIZING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD TEACHING

Sarah: I was thankful when the article transitioned into analysis of reforming the pedagogy of poverty as well as his classifications for good teaching. I felt validated when I read his words about effective teachers for whom, “discipline and control are a consequence of their teaching and not a prerequisite of learning.” I have always thought that “classroom management” is largely about good teaching—that students behave appropriately when they are in a classroom that provides them with a supportive and engaging educational environment. This relates also to where I think Haberman’s argument might fall short. Hand in hand with the good teaching strategies that he outlines, Haberman neglects to analyze how important teacher-student and student-student relationships are in the classroom. In my mind, they are prerequisites for good teaching strategies to work. Thus, if we are to break the cycle of ineffective teaching, we need take steps to create and maintain a classroom community where students have “buy in” and where our efforts to create effective instruction can flourish.

Carrie: As I previously mentioned, I as also relieved when Haberman starts discussing the fact that not all urban schools embody the pedagogy of poverty and also when he outlined the characteristics of good teaching. There are still many areas I need to work on as a teacher, but as I read Haberman’s list of the 12 characteristics of good teaching, I also felt validated when I could think of multiple activities and other things I have done in my classes that speak to each of his outlines characteristics. I especially spend time on the “big picture” and relevance of what I teach, exploring human differences, choices, and active involvement. It was good to see Haberman acknowledging the importance of these practices. As Sarah mentions above, I was also surprised that Haberman does not mention teacher-student relationships in his list. I, too, believe that a good, safe classroom community and good teacher-student relationships set the stage for a productive, critical class with few disciplinary issues. I have seen this work firsthand in my classroom – students that pose disciplinary issues to other teachers are usually not a problem in my classes. I agree with Sarah in the fact that a feeling of community is a prerequisite for good teaching strategies to work without many other issues taking away from good learning.

Cindy: I too found comfort in reading the list of good teaching habits. Although I feel I teach very much in the style of “The Pedagogy of Poverty” I realized, as I read on that I also incorporate many of the good teaching styles described later in the article. Our classroom is very much a community as mentioned in Carrie’s statement. I feel that a good understanding of my students and them of me is essential in my ability to communicate my subject matter to them. Knowing that my student comes from a broken home or that they are one of 9 children or perhaps an only child helps in knowing how they function. It helps to understand their personality and how they fit into the community of the classroom.

APPLYING HABERMAN TO OUR PRACTICE

Sarah: Based on Haberman’s analysis of good teaching, I decided to create a list of questions that I need to pose to my own practice to help ensure that I do not fall prey to ineffective methods.

5 Questions for reflections on practice:

1. How am I building in relevancy into this lesson? Can students see how this will relate to their lives beyond high school?
2. Am I creating connections between current and past content? Will students be able to recognize relationships between concepts?
3. Am I giving students the opportunity to be leaders and make choices for themselves?
4. How am I providing students with access to new and diverse ideas? Will this activity push their conventional thinking?
5. Am I engaging students in technological applications of the content that will better equip them for leaving high school?

Carrie: I really like the 5 questions that Sarah created. I believe they are a good way to analyze if good teaching is taking place. All in all, I think Haberman’s arguments were valid and this article gives me good food for thought as I continue to improve my pedagogy.

Cindy: Definitely good food for thought. It helps me to critically look at what I do and see where I could be a bit more creative in the sciences beyond just the assignment, testing and grading.

Deborah:Sarah, I like your list of questions. I think putting a list of questions like this on my desk and looking at it occasionally would be a helpful tool to remind myself to think beyond the patterns that many teachers seems to fall into.