Embedded Files
One of the things I value in my teaching philosophy is adopting a culturally responsive pedagogy. Culturally responsive teaching allows students to bring their languages, cultures, and life experiences into the classroom. Connecting students' funds of knowledge to a rigorous curriculum makes it easier for students to digest complex and abstract concepts because they are building off their prior knowledge. Teachers should be aware of students’ whole ecology and understand they have lived experiences and identities that result from their cultural context. I encouraged students to reflect on their identities and incorporate their funds of knowledge by selecting literature from diverse authors. Bringing in various voices can validate students’ experiences and expose them to new perspectives.
Example of a Student's Imagined World
Example of a Student's Imagined World
An example of culturally responsive teaching in my classroom surrounded an analysis of indigenous writer Joy Harjo’s poem “Once the World Was Perfect.” The poem explores the loss and recovery of the state of the world. Once the world was perfect was a way to get students to think about and discuss various relevant social and political issues. Before giving students a copy of the poem, I asked them to create a quick list of ten things they would change about society if they could change anything. Students thought about big problems they could solve, like hunger, war, and climate change. Students questioned the current state of the world, asking if a perfect society could or should exist. Following this quick brainstorm, I asked students to choose one of the items they listed and write about/imagine how that would reshape the entire world and how that new world would look.
When students finished writing their reflections, we moved on to a poetry exchange about the actual poem. Students read over the poem individually and annotated, listened to Harjo perform her poem, and then wrote “I notice” and “I wonder” statements. These notes prepared them well for a student-led discussion about the poem.
Example of a Student's Annotations
Example of a Student's Annotations
This is an artifact of instruction because it shows my commitment to culturally responsive teaching. It also shows my ability to integrate students' funds of knowledge when approaching complex academic topics and tasks (such as poetry exchanges). Harjo’s poem set a foundation for bringing in students lived experiences and unique perspectives.
Page updated
Report abuse