Building Equitable Classrooms

1. Building Equitable Classrooms Bridging the Gap through Cultural Competency & Equitable School Cultures

2. Created and Presented by • Laurie Brown-Abdelmageed, PhD Vice Principal, Charles County • Michelle Foxx, M Ed. Instructional Specialist, Charles County

3. Objectives • Define the impact of cultural competency. • Explain how cultural competency, economics and social class play a critical role in student achievement. • Examine ways to address individual teacher needs to bridge the gaps toward student achievement

4. Key Terms • Cultural Competence • Hidden Rules • Generational versus Situational Poverty • Equitable Education (Not Equal)

5. Cultural Competence • Refers to an ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures. • Cultural competence comprises four components: (a) Awareness of one's own cultural worldview, (b) Attitude towards cultural differences, (c) Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews (d) Cross-cultural skills. • Developing cultural competence results in an ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures.[1] n(Wikipedia)

6. Collegial Conversation • Are you aware of your own cultural worldviews? What are your students’ cultural worldview? • What are your attitudes toward cultural differences? • What is your knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews? • What cross-cultural skills do you have?

7. Components of Cultural Competency

8. Objective • Explain how cultural competency, economics and social class play a critical role in student achievement.

9. Hidden Rules • Hidden rules are defined as the unspoken habits and clues that individuals use to indicate membership in a group. • All hidden rules influence behavior. One of the strongest influences is that of economic class. • Three levels of economic class: Poverty Middle class Wealth

10. Hidden Rules

11. Hidden Rules

12. “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” Dr. James P. Comer

13. “Few understand the courage it takes for a child to return to a place where he failed yesterday, the day before and in all probability will fail again the next.” Author unknown

14. So What? • The greater challenge is to address the needs of all students. Equity, though it may not be equal, it always fair. It provides equal access to students at their point of need.

15. Objective • Examine ways to address individual teacher needs to bridge the gaps toward student achievement

16. How Do We Make It All Work CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD TEACHING Students are: • Involved with issues they regard as vital concerns • Students understand and accept human differences • Students are being helped to see major concepts, big ideas, and general principals

17. Characteristics of Good Teaching (Cont.) • Students are involved with planning what they will be doing • Students are involved with applying ideals such as fairness, equity, or justice • Students are actively involved • Students are directly involved in real-life experience • Students are asked to think (Yes, they can)

18. Characteristics of Good Teaching (Cont.) • Students are involved in redoing, polishing, or perfecting their work • Students have access with the technology of information • Students are involved in reflecting on their own lives and how they have come to believe and feel • (Adapted from Haberman, 1991)

19. Questions & Answers This is a time for us to reflect on what we have discussed and continue our collegial conversations. Questions?????

20. IT ONLY TAKES ONE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! • The movie, Freedom Writers, gives us a look at what just one teacher can do to make a difference. Are you ready???

21. Contact Information • Dr. Laurie Brown-Abdelmageed, Ph. D. labdelmageed@ccboe.com • Michelle Foxx, M. Ed. mfoxx@ccboe.com