Culturally Competent Classrooms AKD: Workshop on Teaching and Learning

Culturally Competent ClassroomsAKD:Workshop on Teaching and Learning ABS Conference 2014 Charlotte, NC Sharon Blackwell Jones Ph.D.Radford University

Questions??? Sharon Blackwell Jones, Ph.D. Radford University Radford,Virgina Dept. of Counseling and Human Development Services C126 Peters Hall sjones48@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 CulturallyCompetent 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 wehave 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

Culturally Competent Classrooms AKD: Workshop on Teaching and Learning