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In a classroom, the libraries that the teachers create are a very important component. The book collection helps the students with their identities, culture, and gives access to texts from all over the world, and encourages them to keep expanding their knowledge. Having a culturally diverse library in a classroom is critical for literacy achievement. The books act like mirrors to the children and reflect the world around them. Henderson did a detailed study of how many diverse classroom libraries are. The results found that there will be a lack of diversity on the shelves unless the teacher purchases the books, a lack of black boys represented, and students having a difficult time accessing the books in the library. The benefit of physically changing the organization of a teacher’s library allows students to see books that they normally would not read. It expands their interests by displaying the covers to the students can make their own decision. Another strategy is focusing more on mirrors in books. The mirror help reflect on a student's life and will be able to read in a different language if need be. The last strategy presented is purchasing more books that black protagonists are in. The book can range from art to cartoons, it increases identity focus and sense of self as learners.
Having a culturally diverse library is something that I intend to implement in my classroom as a teacher. I want to make sure that every one of my students feels comfortable and represented during times of discussion. By adopting this strategy I will make sure to purchase a wide range of books that are readable at my students’ levels and have easy access. In classrooms, the library will be organized to show books that many students would not normally read. When they are shown different books, it will pique their interest if they do not know much about that culture. Each student will have to do an assignment on the book they read and a paper to follow. The paper will allow me to see if the students fully understand what that culture is and how they fit in our society. After each book is read, the class will have a discussion about the cultures and show appreciation. If anyone wants to bring something in or present more about their culture that is highly encouraged. The classroom is supposed to be a safe space for students to feel comfortable, and being represented is a critical part of that goal.
Whether through popular novels, news, or the narratives highlighted in the school curriculum, the underlying message about language production that is pushed is that the Dominant form of American English (DAE,) often spoken by white middle and upper-class members of society, is the correct form of communication. Aspects of culturally responsive teaching, specifically the culturally responsive practice of code-meshing, can work to combat the diglossia that there is a standard, higher level of language. Code-meshing is the intentional use of dialect and/or other registers in harmony with DAE to bridge the gap between the students’ primary language and DAE and thus validate different forms of language. The framework of code-meshing allows educators to support students’ development through the integration and acceptance, not separation, of multiple written and verbal forms of language such as African American Language (AAL,) Spanish, and more. Code-meshing targets to honor and utilize the different linguistic capital students bring to the table by allowing the incorporation of multiple languages into the curriculum and thus fighting deficit assumptions about non-DAE languages. The importance of code-meshing is to promote the idea that there is not just one way for kids to communicate or show that they are learning material, thus combating the sociopolitical power dynamics of the classroom.
A key aspect to creating a welcoming classroom is to create and enforce a compassionate, accepting, and uplifting classroom culture that softens the linguistic barrier crossing for bilingual and bidialectal students. The strategy of code-meshing can be broadly applied to any content area through mindful steps, an example of such being avoiding verbal microaggressions that single students out due to differences in speech production- verbal or written- from DAE. Specific to humanity-based classes, writing assignments can become “remix” projects that spark creativity and allow the space for students to express their identity in whatever combination of written forms they wish. In English classes, assignments can focus on books that utilize code-meshing, and the students would have to analyze the cultural wealth that introducing the author’s native language adds to the text. A follow-up assignment could be to take a story written in DAE and change it in whatever way they please that they feel reflects who they are. Furthermore, history can be taught through primary documents that give value to that country’s language and culture by providing side by side translations of the text from the original language to English.
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In 2010, the Council of Chief State School Officers released the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) to promote deeper critical thinking and reading skills in American schools. Nonetheless, the flaw in the CCSS lies in the open-ended nature of literature used in the subjects, resulting in a historical narrative focused on the Black & White narrative. Nonetheless, the USA is a multicultural hub, and many other ethnicities are often excluded, such as Asian-Americans. Using New Historicism, a method of literary criticism, the curriculum creates greater discussion and appreciation for diverse cultural narratives while also maintaining the standards of Common Core State standards. One example given in this article is through the addition of History Alive! in Fremont Union High School District’s (FUHSD) curriculum. FUHSD boasts the one of the densest Asian American student bodies in the USA. The textbook The Americans is currently in the curriculum, which gives students a summary glance at a wide range of history. History Alive! It offers a more comprehensive look at the labor movement on the Central Pacific Railroad, thus giving readers a more in-depth understanding of Chinese immigration and their involvement in the Central Pacific Railroad. New Historicism suggests having both readings in the curriculum and promoting critical discussion in the classroom regarding the purposes of each reading. This will ensure that students will realize that the perspectives and motives of writers play a significant role in even historical, literary works. It may seem odd having these works in an English classroom setting, but the endeavor is not solely to teach history but also to understand the fluidity of narratives. Another strategy is to critique all literary reading students encounter through a historical, philosophical, and cultural lens. This again promotes the idea of the understanding perspective of different cultures and how the reader’s own experiences influence their interpretation of the reading. Of course, the instructor should do so when there are chances to add literary readings that depict other cultures and their mindsets, such as the novel Shooting an Elephant.
Nonetheless, it is evident that understanding perspective should be emphasized through all subjects and not focused on history/social studies classes. In a multicultural society like the USA, students must visualize the importance and perspective of all members of society. This is done through critical, historical, philosophical, and cultural analysis of current literature in the classroom and more specific literature to include different minorities. During my practicum hours, I have the time to live and experience all the others' feelings, how school works, and the hidden agenda of the school sometimes. The fact is that some minority groups are underrepresented and do not have a voice in the administrative ideas and decisions that will ultimately affect them rather than the teachers. Allowing children to express themselves and be free with their ideas will make them more confident to be part of the “ real world” after they graduate and not be afraid to express their opinions, views, and thoughts.
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One of the great, founding sins of our nation was the expungement of American Indians (AI) from their native land and their treatment thereafter. The promotion of ethnic cleansing through laws, such as the Indian Removal Act, and other approaches, such as boarding schools for AI guided by the principle “Kill the Indian, Save the Man,” caused not only the loss of personal identity and connection to their culture but the forced loss of language and traditions over generations. This genocide of culture has lead to the devalidation of Native customs in the school setting, which causes doubt of ability and worth to take root within a student, putting them at risk for “difficulty in language and literacy learning” and a possible decreased level of learning and engagement. In an effort to open a space for equity in the classroom, teachers should integrate authentic and culturally based American Indian and Alaskan Native stories into their curriculum to focus on the importance of preserving and revitalizing Native American identity of cultural teachings, language, storytelling, and in general, way of life. This article is important because it reminds teachers to bring light to the struggles of indigenous people, which are oftentimes overlooked and completely left out of the curriculum. While this article was specifically about Native American culture, the same strategy for cultural renewal can be applied to other groups that have been marginalized throughout American History in order to give them a voice that has long been silenced. The cycle of marginalization of different groups in American history makes this practice of culturally sustaining pedagogy a worthwhile approach to teaching, and reminds teachers about how important it is to have students bring their identities and cultures to the classroom to combat the dominant discourse.
A key part of having a diverse classroom is making sure your students are aware of different cultures and backgrounds. Native American history is often glanced over in history classrooms and the harsh realities of how the United States was founded are never talked about. Different ways to make sure their history is incorporated into a curriculum are by introducing stories. There are numerous books that can help students visualize the history of Native Americans. Another way is incorporating more movies. Movies are a great way to get students engaged because they are able to see the text they are reading come alive. While this also pertains to Alaskan Native, making sure students' roots are not disregarded creates a welcoming environment for them to express themselves. Students then might have some family stories or old artifacts they want to share about their family history. Assignments can also be added to ensure the knowledge of this history is not being forgotten. No matter what culture, the strategy of being aware of what you are teaching your kids is a starting point. Including more sources and assignments for students to learn on their own sparks more interest and will continue the history.
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Regardless of the age, a student’s family background plays a role in their educational experience. After reading this article, I’ve realized it’s much more than just a role. When we think about resources for students to use at home, a family’s income will play a part in that. These hypothetical resources can include everything from tutors to computers and school supplies. It costs some money to be a great student, whether it’s just paying for a notebook or a computer. Better yet, a handful of families cannot afford more than one computer, and most times, it’s the parents that need the computer for work. What if they have more than just one child? This all plays a factor in a student’s success in the classroom. Moving further, a parent’s involvement in a student’s academic career could potentially play a big part in their grades. After all, most students get their academic motivation from their parents. I also learned in this article that some students may fear the academic stereotypes that come with their race, an example the author gave was Asian Americans having the stereotype of being gifted in academics. This can put even more pressure on them. As a future educator, I’d have to be aware of all of what was mentioned in the article so that I could understand students better, and keep them academically focused.
Going forward with this newly acquired knowledge, I think teachers should go out of their way to make students feel as comfortable as possible right from the start of the school year and make sure it carries on the months after. Most teachers( if not all) will be super friendly come day 1. As stress piles on students and teachers, I think it’s still important to win the students' trust each day. You never know what a student is going through at home, what their household income is like, what they do after school(or before). Students can be just as stressed as adults, and it’s important for teachers to understand that, and go out of their way to make the students feel as if they could go to their teacher with personal issues and academic issues. Furthermore, it’d be smart to experiment with seating arrangements from day 1 to determine where students thrive not only academically, but socially as well. The key to making students comfortable is creating an environment that they could be comfortable in, whether that’s decorating the walls, or doing “daily check-ins”, which could be a “do now” but focused on how they are feeling or how their day is going. As each parent has different standards for their child or children in the classroom, if any standards at all, it’s important to motivate the kids, and there is nothing better to motivate them than to make them want to hit the teacher’s standards in your classroom, in which they will be comfortable in their abilities to do so, as long as the teacher lets them feel that way.
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