Implementing Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices
Welcome!
Kumusta!
E Komo Mai!
About the Project
In this project, we will be implementing and analyzing the effectiveness of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices or CRTP (Gay, 2000) in an Early Childhood Education setting. This project is designed specifically for students living in Hawaiʻi who are exposed to the diversity of the community and its culture.
Project Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the impacts of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices or CRTP for short. By integrating CRTP, this will help build a sense of belonging in the classroom which will help me reinforce my teaching philosophy in the years to come. I also want my students to be able to strengthen their relationships with their family members when diving into their family culture and connect with members of their community to gain an understanding of those around them. Additionally, I have hopes that this project will help with their skills in English Language Arts specifically speaking, listening, and writing. This research will assist in answering the question:
"Does Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices support students in understanding, appreciating, and honoring their culture and the culture of others in an early school setting?"
I aim to encourage my students to explore their culture and learn about the culture of others. I will do this by incorporating Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices in a unit plan that requires students and their families to converse about their customs and traditions.
Project Background
During the last year of my undergraduate program in Elementary Education at the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu, I wasn't completely sure if I wanted to continue in this career pathway due to factors such as low teacher wages, discouraging mentors, and difficult work experiences in a preschool setting. However, in my student teaching semester, I was placed in a Kindergarten class at August Ahrens Elementary School and my passion for teaching was reignited. I remembered how fun and exciting teaching can be through the relationships I built with the students, and even more importantly, the intellectual growth I witness in just one semester. Coincidentally, August Ahrens is my alma mater so I had a personal connection to the people of the community. After graduating, I was hired by the school and have been teaching Kindergarten there for the past seven years now.
As a Kindergarten teacher, I was exposed to a wide range of students; those who have not been exposed to an academic setting, those who have had a preschool experience, those in which English is their second language, those of diverse cultural backgrounds, and so on. Because Kindergarten is the first initial schooling year in Elementary, I never knew what type of students I would receive; each year would be different and come with its own challenges. Additionally, August Ahrens Elementary School is a Title I school and a big population of our students are English Language Learners (EL). When designing this project, I wanted to implement focused pedagogy that would emphasize and integrate the home languages of my EL students as a method to improve their literacy skills. However, after learning about various EL strategies and theory, I realized that these methods would benefit my entire class because they are all actively learning English Language Arts in an academic setting for the first time (for most.)
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In pursuing my Masters degree, I enrolled in the STEMS2 graduate program at the University of Hawaiʻi - Manoa College of Education. In the course of first summer session, we participated in learning journeys throughout the island that helped me develop a deeper appreciation of the uniqueness and cultural value of Hawaiʻi. This helped me extend from my original idea and explore a Culturally Relevant Pedagogy to provide opportunities for all my students to showcase their funds of knowledge. Students starting Kindergarten have the preconceived notion that they are coming in with a new slate because it is their first initial school setting. Allowing them to share their knowledge will further their capability to relate to one another and push their curiosity in learning more about their own culture and the culture of others. It is significant to set the foundation for students at an early age to help them build confidence and create a positive attitude towards education and by allowing them to share their own knowledge and experiences.
Hawai'i is a place of rich diversity which can offer many learning opportunities for those who are willing to explore and respect its teachings. This is what I hope to mirror in my classroom with my students. My desire is to expose my students to the significance of “culture” in hopes that they will gain an understanding and appreciation of their customs and traditions as well as the customs and traditions of those around them. I also hope that through this engaging project, my students will get additional experiences in a variety of activities and strategies that will benefit their literacy skills as well as skills to improve their role in society.