Welcome to Creating Culturally Responsive Classroom Communities

Welcome, Team! 

I am Ceci de Valdenebro, and I will be your instructor! 

I am glad you are here looking at this syllabus, and I am excited for you to take this class. We will create a community of learners as we reflect on and analyze best practices and teaching strategies for assisting bilingual learners in our K-12 schools. 

I encourage you to bookmark this site. If you are on your phone, add your link to your home screen for easy access.

I will see you soon!

Warm Regards,

Ceci 

In this course, you will explore key theories and research that support the development of a positive and inclusive classroom culture. Together, we’ll dive into strategies for creating encouraging and engaging learning environments, with a strong focus on building effective routines and systems that support all learners. You will also learn about culturally responsive approaches to meet the needs of diverse student populations, helping you foster a classroom where every student feels seen, supported, and ready to learn.

Course Goals: Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to:

• Explore theories and research that supports the creation of a positive classroom culture

• Create an encouraging and engaging learning environment that highlights routines and systems conducive to learning for all students

• Learn about culturally appropriate strategies to support diverse learners

For more information, please go to the Course Content and Outcome Guide for this course at: www.pcc.edu/ccog 

• Visit the D2L Brightspace Orientation Videos as this is the learning platform that we will be using 
• Create a learning space so that you can work and focus
• Set a time each day to access D2L so that you can check emails; read and watch the materials posted in each module;  read and participate in discussions; be aware of the weekly announcements, calendar, and deadlines

• Develop a detailed self-care plan that includes when you will take breaks, socialize and work if you are currently working

Details - Be ready to:

• Read: We’re excited to be using an Open Educational Resource (OER) for this course! That means all your materials are free and accessible, making it easier for everyone to dive into the content and engage fully. This is the link for the textbook - The Heart of Learning and Teaching: Compassion, Resiliency and Academic Success

• Discuss: In this class, we will create a community of learners as we share our values, backgrounds, experiences and believes. You are encouraged to speak up and participate in class. Please know that this class will be represented by diverse individuals, so I expect that every member shows respect. This means that we treat each other the way we want to be treated. This applies to every discussion that we have.

• Think Critically: We will define critical thinking as entering into a diversity of views. This skill will be sharpened by your commitment to learning the content as well as your engagement in discussions with your classmates. Remember that remote learning requires that you engage in learning from the textbook before class so that you can apply and connect your learning to your life experiences.

I have always thought of education as a tapestry in where the end result is a multifaceted and detailed artifact that creates not just a complex and well-framed piece, but also a sense of cultural history.  I see my students’ achievement as a loom in where my expectations, passion and expertise are intertwined defining a beautiful piece of art called culturally responsive teaching. As an instructor, I have come to understand that in order to educate my students I must encourage a more colorful, unprejudiced and culturally responsive educational system where “culturally responsive teaching is a means for unleashing the higher learning potentials of ethnically diverse students by simultaneously cultivating their academic and psychosocial abilities.” (Gay, 2010)

In my classes, I invite you to have your own voice, voice that speaks through the lenses of your unique culture and experiences. I invite you to weave your own tapestry, a tapestry in where your learning, your academic achievement and your dreams are at the center! 

I will make sure that your background is depicted as a colorful rainbow: a rainbow of dreams, a rainbow of accomplishments, an a rainbow of a more just society! 

Why do we talk about equity?
Because equity isn’t about the words you print on a sweater, a t-shirt, or a wall. It’s about the actions you take to bring those words to life. Once they are embedded in what we do, we can truly say we’re working toward a more just society.

So, what does equity in education mean to me?
I have to cite the words of Zaretta Hammond here—she defines equity as having high expectations for all of our students. I’ve taken this definition to heart and woven it into everything I do. Too often, I see teachers lowering expectations when working with students who come from different cultures or learning styles. Stereotypes are ingrained in us, and it’s time to change the narrative.

So let’s stop just printing the words—and start living them.

Thanks to Michelle Pacansky-Brock for ideas and materials I included in this liquid syllabus!

Creating Culturally Responsive Classroom Communities - Syllabus © 2025 by Ceci de Valdenebro is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0