We must be the change that we wish to see in the world~

Mahatma Gandhi


There is no recipe for how to respond to students from different
cultural groups-differences within groups can be as great as
differences among groups.
Must think about and incorporate cultural knowledge into lesson
planning.
Educators are often at a disadvantage of not having lived near or
in the community in which their students live.
We can learn about the perspectives of others from reading
literature and articles from various cultures.
Teaching multiculturally requires the incorporation of diversity
throughout the learning process.
The most important thing to demonstrate and to have in a
multicultural classroom is democracy, equity and social justice.
Students should always be at the center of teaching and
learning.

Our children are the foundation of our future!
Children are among the most powerless group in the
country, especially is they were born into low-income
families.
Next to parents, educators should be the major advocates
for children, especially for their right to an education that
helps them reach their potential.
The major purpose of education is to help students learn the
concepts and skills that we are teaching.
It is important to remember that teaching is SO much more
than knowing the content that we are teaching. We have to
know and understand our students.
Culturally responsive teaching encourages student
participation, critical analysis, and action.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) declared the equality of all
humans by guaranteeing the right to self-determination and freedom from
tyranny, oppression, and exploitation.
Called for the right to an education; social security; equitable wages, an
adequate standard of living allowing one to be able to afford housing, food,
clothing, and medical care; and participation in the cultural life of the community.
The UDHR was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
The UDHR expected schools to teach about human rights with the goal of
eliminating poverty, discrimination, and exploitation-conditions that often have led
to conflicts that threaten world peace. These world leaders called to model
human rights and provide social justice for the most economically disadvantaged
members of society.
Effective teachers are clear about their expectations, know the subject they are
teaching, admit when they are wrong, dont show bias in their classroom and
have high expectations for ALL of their students.
Education that is multicultural requires teachers and other school professionals
to possess dispositions that support learning by students of diverse populations.
Dispositions are made up of the values, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors,
commitments, and professional ethics of educators.
There needs to be a focus on learning where there are joint productive activities,
language development, and contextualization.
Believe in all students, no matter their cultural background. Cultural group
membership cannot become an excuse for students lack of academic
achievement.
Heterogeneous grouping is more helpful in improving academic achievement for
students from low-income and oppressed groups.
One of the complaints of students is that their teachers dont know them and
dont care about them. It is our job as educators to prove this complaint wrong.
Caring teachers are patient, persistent, and supportive of their students. They
listen to students and validate their culture.
Culturally responsive teaching is an essential
component of education that is multicultural.
This pedagogy affirms the cultures of students, views the cultures and
experiences of students as strengths, and reflects the students
cultures in the teaching process.
Students should be taught to be proud of their ethnic identities and
cultural backgrounds instead of being apologetic or ashamed of them.
A multicultural curriculum supports and celebrates our diversity in the
broadest sense; it includes the histories, experiences, traditions, and
cultures of students in the classroom.
Students in settings with limited diversity may have few opportunities to
interact with persons from other cultural groups, but they can still learn
to value diversity. They should know that others have different
perspectives on the world and events that are based on different
beliefs.







Although teachers cannot possibly address each of the hundreds
of ethnic and religious groups in this country, they should attempt
to include the groups represented in the school community,
whether or not all of them are represented in the school.
Multicultural education is much more than food, festivals, and fun,
or heroes and holidays. Even celebrating African American
history only during February or womens history during the month
of March is not multicultural education. It is much more complex
and pervasive than setting aside an hour, a unit, or a month.
Knowledge about students cultures is important in teaching
subject matter in a way that students can learn it.
Culturally responsive teaching increases academic achievement
because the subject matter is taught within the cultural context
and experiences of the students and the communities served.

Its important for students to learn that
individuals from other ethnic, religious, and
socioeconomic groups may have perspectives
on issues and events that are different from
their own.
Movies, books, and music provide different
perspectives on local, national, and world
issues that expand our knowledge about the
way others live and how events are
experienced by them.
Culturally responsive teaching requires
examining sensitive issues and topics.
Social justice is a philosophy, an approach, and actions that embody treating
all people with fairness, respect, dignity, and generosity.
Teachers who practice social justice confront untruths and stereotypes that
contribute to inequality and discrimination against groups.
Social justice requires the provision of resources to all students equitably to
promote their learning. It means believing in students, having high expectations
for them, and providing rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction to
assist them in developing the social and cultural capital to meet their potential.
It requires teachers to build on students languages, cultures, and experiences
to nurture their talents and strengths.
Socially just teachers provide a learning environment that encourages critical
thinking and prepares students to be active citizens in a democracy.
Socially just classrooms are democratic, engaging students and teachers in
learning together.
A socially just curriculum helps students recognize the biases and
discrimination that prevent some students and families from taking advantage
of societys benefits.
One of the first steps to becoming multicultural is knowing your
own cultural identity.
In addition to knowing yourself, you need to learn about groups
other than your own. You can read about them, attend ethnic
movies or plays, participate in ethnic celebrations, visit different
churches and ethnic community gatherings, and interact with
members of different groups in a variety of settings.
You should make an effort to interact with people who are culturally
different from you. Long-term cultural experiences are probably
the most effective means of overcoming fear and misconceptions
within a group.
You must remember that there is much diversity within a group.
You cannot generalize about an entire group on the basis of the
characteristics of a few persons.
If you can learn to understand, empathize with, and participate in a
second culture, you will have a valuable experience. If you can
learn to live multiculturally, you are indeed fortunate.