Culturally Responsive Classroom Management

Presentation on theme: "Culturally Responsive Classroom Management"— Presentation transcript:

1 Culturally Responsive Classroom Management
District Wide Professional Development To be presented to all Salt Lake City School District faculty during the Academic Year

2 Today’s Purpose To gain a broader and deeper understanding of Culturally Responsive classroom management as an important tool in meeting the needs of all students, thereby reducing and preventing disproportionality in student discipline. Presenter/Facilitator Notes: How are we truly responding to students’ cultural, emotional, and academic needs, not just our perception of their needs?

3 Quick Write, Pair and Share
How are behavior expectations culturally influenced? 1. Take 1 minute to write about the question above. 2. Share with an elbow partner. 3. Brief group share out Presenter/Facilitator Notes: When we come from different cultures we come from different ways of being socialized in terms of behavioral expectations. Often times student “misbehavior” reflects a mismatch between that students’ culture and the culture of those who create the expectations.

4 Classroom Management and Disproportionality
Interpreting behaviors through a singular cultural lens contributes to disproportionalities in special education and discipline. Culturally Responsive behavior management is an important tool in reducing and preventing disproportionality in student discipline. Presenter/Facilitator Notes: Ask the audience - Why is disproportionality not OK?

5 The Five Essential Elements of Culturally Responsive Behavior Management
Recognition of ones own cultural lens and biases Knowledge of students cultural backgrounds Awareness of broader social, economic and political context Ability and willingness to use culturally appropriate management strategies Commitment to building caring classroom communities Presenter/Facilitator Notes: We will always have students in need of Tier 2 and 3 interventions. Just as in academics, strong culturally responsive Tier 1 practices reduce the number of students who need more intensive interventions and addresses the ongoing problem of over representation of students of color in need of more intense interventions. Lack of support in culturally responsive approaches at the universal (Tier 1) level impacts the number of students who need behavioral interventions.

6 1. Recognition of One’s Own Cultural Lens and Biases
Culturally Responsive educators recognize their biases and values and reflect on how these influence their expectations for behavior, their interactions with students and what learning looks like. The goal of classroom management is not to achieve compliance or control but to provide all students with equitable opportunities to thrive and succeed. Presenter/Facilitator Notes: Show the Peanut Butter, Jelly and Racism Video. Start video at 00:14

7 Recognition of One’s Own Cultural Lens and Biases
WAYS TO DO THIS: explore and reflect upon where your assumptions, attitudes and biases come from understand that how you view the world can lead to misinterpretation of behaviors and inequitable treatment of culturally different students

8 2. Knowledge of Students’ Cultural Backgrounds
Gaining general knowledge about a cultural or ethnic group can give teachers multiple perspectives about behavior, rules of decorum and etiquette, communication and learning styles; however, you need to be careful not to form stereotypes. There is as much diversity within cultural groups as there is amongst them!

9 Knowledge of Students’ Cultural Backgrounds
WAYS TO DO THIS: Host or attend Cultural Conversations Family History Project Conduct home visits and consult with parents/families & community members to gain insight. Take time to get to know your students

10 3. Awareness of the Broader, Social, Economic and Political Context
We need to examine how current policies and practices in discipline might discriminate against certain children. For example, children of color sometimes are seen as “disrespectful” when they are not being disrespectful at all in their culture (Black, 2006).

11 Awareness of the Broader, Social, Economic and Political Context
WAYS TO DO THIS: Form a study circle to examine structures and policies and whether they are fair to everyone. Create a “critical/social justice classroom” grounded in the lives of children that involves dialogue, questioning/problem- posing, critiquing bias and attitudes and teaching activism for social justice. Engage your colleagues and your students in conversations about real issues that touch their lives. MG

12 Think, Pair and Share What is a current social, economic or political issue that may be effecting our students right now. 1. Share with an elbow partner. 2. Brief group share out Presenter/Facilitator Notes: Reiterate that recognizing and responding to students needs around these issues IS being Culturally Responsive

13 4.Ability and Willingness to Use Culturally Appropriate Management Strategies
Culturally responsive classroom managers filter their decision making about the environment through the lens of cultural diversity. They think about ways the environment can be used to communicate respect for diversity, to reaffirm connectedness and community, and to avoid marginalizing and disparaging students. Presenter/Facilitator Notes: Tell a personal story about a decision that you made that was culturally responsive.

14 4.1 It is important to establish clear expectations for behavior that students understand
To avoid the possibility of confusion or misunderstanding (that can lead to disciplinary interventions) teachers need to be explicit about their expectations. Engage students in discussions about the class norms. Model the behavior they expect Provide opportunities for students to practice. Be aware of inconsistency in application of consequences. Presenter/Facilitator Notes: This ties in directly with MTSS/PBIS. The clear structure and expectations provided by MTSS/PBIS is a solid foundation for Culturally Responsive Classroom Management.

15 4.2 Family-School Collaboration and Communication
Communicating and collaborating with families is an important part of classroom management. Building trusting relationships with families early in the year, lends itself to stronger partnerships when the need for difficult conversations arise. Schools and families may have different expectations about what it means to be involved in their child’s education and/or what constitutes appropriate school behavior. Presenter/Facilitator Notes: An example of this was a seemingly overbearing father who followed his daughter to her locker, directing her every move until she was seated in her seat in her classroom and then he could leave. THIS is how this parent was showing his involvement and commitment to his child’s education.

16 Family-School Collaboration and Communication
WAYS TO DO THIS: Assume that all parents care about their children and have something to offer. Encourage families to provide insight that will help teachers teach them. Include families in creating school wide expectations. Make home visits to learn more about students and their families and to develop positive trusting relationships. Presenter/Facilitator Notes: This video Why We’re Awkward addresses the sometimes uncomfortable interactions that can arise between people with different cultural norms.

17 5. Commitment to Building Caring Classroom Communities
“Students often make decisions about what they do in class [and school] based on their perception of whether or not their teacher [adult at school] cares about them.” Journal of Teacher Education, Towards a Conception of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management

18 Commitment to Building Caring Classroom Communities
Students are more likely to succeed if they feel connected to school and have a positive, respectful relationship with teachers helps create such an environment. Presenter/Facilitator Notes: Poor classroom management threatens school connectedness because a poorly managed classroom cannot provide a stable environment for respectful and meaningful student learning (Blum, 2005.) Marzano (2003) concluded that good teacher-student relationships are important to effective classroom management.

19 Commitment to Building Caring Classroom Communities
WAYS TO DO THIS: Remember that “virtually anything you do to show interest in students as individuals has a positive impact on their learning” (Marzano) Initiate and cultivate out of class conversations with students to get to know them personally Host classroom community building circles Comment and ask questions about important events in students’ lives such as important event in students lives. (their extra-curricular activities, holidays, families, celebrations, sports, dance etc.)

20 Commitment to Building Caring Classroom Communities
WAYS YOU DO THIS: ● Presenter/Facilitator Notes: Have the audience brainstorm in small groups, then share out and write responses on chart paper.

21 In Closing…. Think of one practice that was discussed today that you could adopt that would make you a more culturally responsive educator. Presenter/Facilitator Notes: Encourage the audience to start with small changes. Ask them to share one practice they will try in their classroom tomorrow.

22 The electronic version of this presentation and the notes that accompany it are accessible through the Salt Lake City School District document center. This professional development is based on the article: NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Strategies If you would like support in facilitating this PD with your faculty, or if you would like us to present this 90 minute module to your faculty, please feel free to contact us: Jennifer Newell, Positive School Culture and Attendance Specialist, Student Services Jennifer Mayer-Glenn, Director of Family-School Collaboration