ELA Lens: Culturally Responsive Teaching

Culturally responsive teaching is a framework that guides ELA teachers in connecting with who their learners are and where they come from in order to support students’ academic learning, cultural competence, and understanding of how their communities operate.

These efforts support language/literacy learning and empower learners to move confidently in a diverse world.

When making curricular or instructional decisions, ask the following questions:

• Do the student and teacher resources include authors, images, and ideas from more than one perspective and/or culture? 

• Do cultural representations and varied perspectives seem to be fair and accurate? Are stereotypes avoided?

• Does the curriculum promote civil discourse to share different points of view, supporting claims with evidence?

• Do activities draw on or connect with students’ linguistic, cultural, experiential, and interpersonal assets?

• Are students invited to connect content to their own lives and to what they already know?

Tools and Resources

• ELA Proficiency Guide
• Culturally Responsive and Sustaining ELA Teaching: An Instructional Game Changer
• Quick Check Guide to Designing Culturally Responsive ELA Units in ABE 
• Culturally Responsive Look-fors: Observable Teacher and Student Actions (the link will open a Word doc.) This resource highlights "several important culturally responsive teaching practices". While designed for K-12 classrooms, many aspects are applicable to adult education. It is located within the DESE page for Culturally Responsive Teaching & Leading.
• Black History Month resources
• Culturally Responsive Teaching in ELA tools and resources
• Culturally Relevant Reflection Tool 
• Diversity Toolkit 

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