Culturally-responsive teaching by design: From principles to practice

What are the principles of culturally-responsive teaching?

The principles of culturally-responsive teaching that have been empirically affirmed by the science of learning  and development are 1) the importance of identity-safe and nurturing learning environments, 2) the importance of positive relationships, 3) the importance of recognizing bias, micro-aggression, and stereotype threat, 4) the importance of developing skills, habits, and a growth mindset, 5) the importance of rich, learner-centered experiences, 6) and the importance of integrated support systems to help learners succeed (Darling-Hammond, Cantor, Hernandez, Theokas, Schachner, Tijerina & Plasencia, 2021). These principles are developmentally needed for all learners, but they are even more crucial for the most vulnerable learners in the education systems. As such, CRT scholars frequently emphasize the science of learning and development (Darling-Hammond, et.al., 2021) as core to supporting marginalized learners.

What are the practices of culturally-responsive teaching?

Culturally-responsive practices include 1) getting to know who your students are as cultural beings, 2) reimagining the student-teacher relationship as a partnership, 3) involving family and community by connecting academic subjects to local contexts, 4) drawing on family and community funds of knowledge, 5) engaging learning objectives with diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes to foster inclusive environments 6) building and maintaining classroom community, 7) expanding the representation of identities in the curriculum so that learners see themselves reflected, and 8)  designing authentic learning experiences that make learning real world – and learner relevant (Hammond, 2014).

What are the implications for education?

CRT principles and practices not only apply to marginalized populations. They benefit all students in that they provide a learning environment 1) in which students are well-known and valued; 2) that supports relational trust and respect for diversity between and among students and teachers; 3) that sustains and validates the cultures of learners in the classroom; 4) that routinely expands the representation of identities in course content and learning materials; 5) that employs productive instructional strategies that foster a sense of purpose through meaningful work that builds on students’ prior knowledge and lived experience; 6) that employs inquiry as a major learning strategy, thoughtfully interwoven with explicit instruction and well scaffolded opportunities to practice and apply learning; 7) that provides well-designed collaborative learning opportunities that encourage students to question, reflect, and articulate their thoughts and developing understanding; 8) that provides opportunities for learners to develop metacognitive skills through the planning and management of complex tasks; and 9) that provides a variety of assessment strategies including the demonstration of learning through performance assessments that provide choice and personalization (Darling-Hammond, Flook, Schachner, & Wojcikiewicz, 2022).

reDesignED applies this important research to the fullest extent possible.

reDesignED also offers teacher professional learning opportunities on Culturally-responsive teaching by design.