Culturally Competent
Classrooms
AKD:
Workshop on Teaching
and Learning
ABS Conference 2014
Charlotte, NC
Sharon Blackwell Jones Ph.D.
Radford University
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Questions???
Sharon Blackwell Jones, Ph.D.
Radford University
Radford, Virgina
Dept. of Counseling and Human Development Services
C126 Peters Hall
sjones48@radford.edu
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PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTAION:
This workshop will focus on strategies
for using self-awareness, knowledge of others,
and skills for multicultural understanding as
tools for working in educational settings.
Culturally Competent
Instruction
“Teaching in the United States is a cross-cultural encounter, involving
a multiplicity of ethnicities, worldviews, lifestyles, and learning styles.
“Cultural proficiency (competency) is an inside-out approach to the
issues arising from diversity. The process of change must begin and
end within each of us and within each of our institutions. Much of
what has been done in addressing multiculturalism or diversity issues
has focused on examining the others. “
Reasons for Cultural Competence in
Education
S By 2020, nearly 1/3 of the U.S. population
will be made up of ethnic minorities.
S Statistical projections indicate by the year
2050, racial and ethnic minorities will
account for one half of the population in
the U.S. (Sue, 1991).
S The Hispanic/Latino population is
growing faster than the majority
population.
Call to the profession
S With this in mind, I start off my training
by asking???
S HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD A
COURSE THAT FOCUSED ON
MULICULTURAL EDUCATION?
Mission of Culturally
Competent Classroom:
S To make the school a learning environment
that is welcoming to all students regardless of
their cultural background.
Multiculturalism Means
But Not Limited To
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Race
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Ethnicity
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Gender
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Socio-Economic Status
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Regional Affiliation (North/South)
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Ability/Disability
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Language
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Size
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Age
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LGTBQ
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Learning Styles
As Educators We Need to:
S Understand how both social implications and changing
demographics in the US have an impact on our community
and schools.
S Learn how to recognize, understand and appreciate cultural
differences and welcome people from different backgrounds
into all aspects of the school community!
Multicultural Education
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Education That Is Multicultural defines diversity as “differences based on,
but not limited to race, ethnicity, regional affiliation (north/south),
sexual orientation, religious affiliation, gender, language, socioeconomic status, age, and ability/disability.”
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This is not an all-inclusive list of the dimensions of culture, but it does
name the aspects of culture most frequently cited in the research and the
ones with the most implications for our school achievement gaps. . The
term “diversity” is defined in the dictionary as “difference” and
“variety.” It is used to describe a wide variety of people and
circumstances. Different should not have either a positive or a negative
connotation connected to the word
With the work that we are talking about
doing our goals would be to:
S Make sure the school a learning environment that is
welcoming to all students regardless of their cultural
background.
S Make sure a culturally competent teacher is in every
classroom
S Make sure everyone in the school has a place at the table
and is included in the discussion
Assess your cultural competence:
EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITY
Questions to ask ourselves
S I like to travel to different countries?
S I accept opinions different from my own?
S I invite people from different backgrounds to my home?
S People who speak other languages and are different from
me interest me?
S I have a close friend from a diverse background?
Classroom Activities
Culturally proficient instruction demonstrates the
following behaviors:
S Values the learner as thinker and doer
S Honors and respects cultural identities of all learners
S Designs experiences that build on prior knowledge
and experiences of the learner
S Understands assessment bias
S Holds high expectations for each learner
What can we do to help others
embrace diversity?
S What can we as a group do to help teachers embrace the
diversity in our school?
S What can we do to help students and faculty/new and old
embrace diversity in our school?
S What can we do to help parents embrace the diversity in our
schools and classrooms?
Confronting the misinformation we have learned
about other groups moves us forward together
S We are born innocent, we LEARN from our
misinformation from a combination of predjudice, myths
and misconceptions
S Just like we teach ourselves to misjudge others, we can
teach ourselves to confront our inner voices of predjudice
and reach honest understanding
What gets in your way when
reaching out to others?
S Is it hard for you to listen to the stories of others and
share their experiences of struggle and triumph.
S We must work as allies in building a community of
tolerance and respect
S The story telling and listening process HONORS our
desire to reach out to each other and claim their
experience as truth. Believe the person (the race card, I
just Know).
Implications for Educators
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Attend trainings/workshops like this one 
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Do advocacy work in schools/community
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Identify Links/resources to multicultural websites to help you in your work
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Pay attention to transforming changes in your community
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Expose yourself to life/relationships skills that need to be developed
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Be a school and community resource
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See advocacy as an opportunity for school/community/home collaboration
as a bridge for to cultures
Integrating Multiculturalism
into your lifestyle
At School/ Work:
In your Personal Life:
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Have a voice for all children
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Exposure, Exposure Exposure….
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Use interventions that are culturally sensitive to
cultures you may be less familiar with
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Use bilingual counselors for rapport building
Embrace and appreciate cultural
differences through experiences
(restaurants, festivals, etc.)
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Recruit and retain more ethnically similar faculty
and staff in your work/school environment
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Go outside of yourself to develop
culturally different social circles to expand
your horizons to appreciate diversity
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Encourage events that reach ALL parents, as
parental involvement continues to predict future
success.
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Believe the experience of the culturally
different client as they tell it without
judgment.
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Embrace cultural competency as a way of
lifestyle not just a job function as a
counselor.
Resources
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Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
404-262-3470
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Anti-Prejudice Consortium
404-255-0696
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www.Tolerance.org
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American School Counselor Association
www.schoolcounselor.org
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GSCA
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Culturally Proficient Instruction – A Guide for People who teach
Resources cont….
S Fair Isn’t Always Equal-Assessing and Grading in a
Differentiated Classroom
S Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the
Cafeteria
S Teach Me I Dare You