Strengthening Teacher-Student
Relationships
Through Cultural Proficiency
A Presentation for the FCPS Leadership
Conference
August 7, 2013
Nicole Conners, Darryle Craig, Tu Phillips
TIMED PAIR SHARE
What brought you here today?
Topic: What brought you here?
Think time
Person A shares, Person B listens
Person B responds
Partners switch roles
Agenda
A. Terminology/definitions
B. Cultural competence video
C. Cultural proficiency and Teacher-Student
Relationships
D. FCPS’s Division Wide Focus for SY 2013-14
E. Reflection: Next Steps
Session Objectives
1. Consider how issues of race and culture affect our
lives every day
2. Develop a clear understanding of cultural
competence and cultural proficiency
3. Learn how to access the cultural competence video
4. Link cultural proficiency to positive teacher-student
relationships
5. Reflect on personal/professional next steps
Definition of Cultural Competence
• Culture: Integrated patterns of human behavior that includes
thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values and
institutions of [a] racial, ethnic, religious or social group.
From: Cross, T. L. et al. “Towards a Culturally Competent System of Care: A
Monograph on Effective Services for Minority Children”. National Center for
Cultural Competence, Georgetown University, 1989.
• Competence: Having the capacity to function effectively as an
individual or organization.
Cross, T. L. et al. “Towards a Culturally Competent System of Care: A Monograph on Effective Services for
Minority Children”. National Center for Cultural Competence, Georgetown University, 1989.
• Cultural Competence: The ability to interact effectively with
people of different cultures.
Wikipedia
Stages of Cultural Competence
(Personal)
1. Awareness
2. Curiosity
3. Learning
4. Participation
Cultural Competence Video
Cultural Proficiency and Teacher-Student
Relationships
Responsive Instruction:
“Knowing the children we teach-- individually,
culturally, and developmentally— is as important as knowing the
content we teach…Knowing the families of the children we teach
and working with them as partners is essential to children’s
education…How the adults at school work together
is as important as their individual competence…”
http://fcpsnet.fcps.edu/ssse/pba/responsive-classrooms/foundational-ideas.htm
Instructional Teaching Cycle
Connection to
2013-14 Instructional Focus
Teachers will be able to:
Build relationships with students that support
effort and self-efficacy in reaching higher
standards
Cultural Proficiency:
A definition
“A way of being that allows individuals and
organizations to interact effectively with
people who differ from them” (Robins,
Lindsey, Lindsey & Terrell, 2006, p. 2)
A Journey, a Mindset, a Lens
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Two Tools of Cultural Proficiency
The Continuum
– Language for describing both healthy and nonproductive policies, practices and individual
behaviors
The Essential Elements
– Behavioral standards for measuring, and planning
for, growth toward cultural proficiency
Cultural Proficiency by Randall B. Lindsey, Kikanza Nuri-Robins, and Raymond
D. Terrell (Corwin Press, 1999, 2003),
14
Cultural Proficiency Continuum
Incapacity
Destructiveness
Pre-Competence
Blindness
Proficiency
Competence
Explore the
Continuum
Possible Responses
Cultural
Cultural
Destructive- Incapacity
ness
B
F, J
Cultural
Blindness
C, G
Cultural
PreCompetence
Cultural
Competence
Cultural
Proficiency
D, H
A, I, K
A, E,
Considering our Practices
CP
Where Are We Now?
Instructional Teaching Cycle
Moving Forward
Five Overlapping Phases of Development
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Building trust
Engaging personal culture
Confronting issues of social justice
Transforming instructional practices
Engaging the entire school community
Gary Howard, As Diversity Grow, So Must We, 2007
Leading the Way
There are many persons ready to do what is
right because in their hearts they know it is
right. But they hesitate, waiting for the
other [one] to make the first move – and
[the other], in turn, waits for you.
Marian Anderson, 1956
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