Cultural Competencies for Teachers

1. Cultural Competenciesfor Teachers Maggie Rivas January 25, 2007

2. Getting Started Intended outcome for this session: Participants will increase their awareness about competencies needed by teachers to work effectively with English Language Learners (ELLs).

3. Reviewing Cultural CompetenciesPart II • Developing cultural awareness • Providing high-level, challenging, culturally relevant curriculum and instruction • Collaborating with parents and families 4. Making classroom assessment equitable and valid for all students

4. Reviewing Cultural CompetenciesPart III • Building on and expanding language proficiency and literacy skills of native English speakers • Addressing oral language needs of English language learners • Building the literacy skills of English language learners

5. Defining Cultural Competence Culture competence entails recognizing the differences among students and families from various cultural groups, responding to those differences positively, and being able to interact effectively in a range of cultural environments. (Lindsey, Robins, & Terrell, 2003)

6. Cultural Competencies Ladson-Billings (2001) states that cultural competence is present in classrooms where • there is an understanding of culture and its role in education, • there is a responsibility for learning about students’ culture and community, • students’ culture is used as basis for learning, and • flexibleuse of students’ local and global culture is promoted.

7. Thinking and Reflecting The “good teacher” is able to look at diverse learners and see their areas of need, but the teacher who is “culturally responsive” also sees their areas of strength. — Jane Yedlin (Vialpando & Yedlin., 2005, p. 21)

8. Walk-Around Survey Individual work: • Read the four researchers’ cards describing cultural competencies for teachers. • Select 3 researchers and fill in the left-hand column with a word or phrase that reflects your own understanding of the cultural competency (for each researcher). • Next walk around and collect words/phrases from others to complete columns 2 and 3.

9. Walk-Around Survey Group work: • After 5 minutes return to your group and share the information you collected. Discuss what actions you will be able to take.

10. Walk-Around Survey Gay Garcia Villegas& Lucas

11. Conclusion To successfully move the field of teacher educationof diversitythat currently prevails, teacher educators must articulate avision of teaching and learning in a diverse society and usethat vision to systematically guide the infusion of multiculturalissues throughout the preservice curriculum. A vision is offeredof culturally responsive teachers that can serve as the startingpoints for conversations among teacher educators in this process.

12. Conclusion In this vision, culturally responsive teachers • are socioculturallyconscious, • have affirming views of students from diversebackgrounds, • see themselves as responsible for and capableof bringing about change to make schools more equitable, • understand how learners construct knowledge and are capableof promoting knowledge construction, (e) know about the livesof their students, and • design instruction that builds onwhat their students already know while stretching them beyondthe familiar. Villegas, A.M. & Lucas, T.

13. Just for Fun—Acronyms Bingo • These acronyms are familiar to ELL or science staff. • Pair with your opposite: an ELL or science participant. • Write your answers for the acronyms in the boxes. • The first pair to get three correct responses in a row, in any direction and calls out “Bingo” is the winner.

14. Acronyms Bingo Pair with your opposite (an ELL or science participant) to fill out the following boxes. These acronyms are familiar to ELL or science staff. The first pair to get three correct responses in a row, in any direction is the winner.

15. References Garcia, E. (2002). Student cultural diversity: Understanding and meeting the challenge (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Gay, G. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Ladson-Billings, G. (2001). Crossing over to Canaan: The journey of new teachers in diverse classrooms. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Lindsey, R. B., Robins, K.N., & Terrell, R.D. (2003). Cultural proficiency: A manual for school leaders (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Vialpando, J. & Yedlin, J. (2005). Educating English language learners: Implementing instructional practices. Washington, DC: National Council of La Raza. Villegas, A.M. & Lucas, T. (2002). Educating culturally responsive teachers: A coherent approach. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.