1.

A disposition of culturally responsive teaching I feel I have grown the

most in is sociocultural consciousness. I have really made an effort to be
aware of the different cultures that I have in my classroom and I have
reflected on any biases I may have. I grew up in a small town where there
wasnt a lot of diversity, so as I have reflected I have realized that I need to
be more open-minded to the different perspectives my students may have
based on their race or socioeconomic status. Becoming aware of different
perspectives and backgrounds is the first step to becoming a more culturally
responsive teacher.

2. This class has made me more aware of culturally responsive teaching and
the responsibility I have as a teacher to be aware of my students and their
different cultures. The school I am teaching at isnt very diverse but I have
learned different strategies and ideas that I could use to better meet the
needs of my students. I have done a lot of self-reflection on how I will
manage and discipline students in my classroom to make sure I dont treat
anyone differently. In my physical education classroom, I will do my best to
embody the idea of academic achievement by always encouraging and
pushing my students to do their best. It is not acceptable for a student to
not try in my class and I will not let them accept failure. I want to teach my
students to always be the best they can be, and they can be successful.
Noguera (2009) says, we need to realize that the children of the poor are no
less deserving than the children of the affluent (p. 130). My expectations

will not be lower for diverse students and I will make any modifications
necessary so they can be successful.

3. Interpersonal awareness- I can strengthen relationships with my students

and parents by being aware of any biases I may have, and doing my best to
not let my biases influence how I teach students. Becoming aware of my
personal feelings is important because I may not even realize that I have a
bias and it may be affecting the way I am doing things in my classroom.
Students will notice if I am treating them differently so if I am not aware it
can impact them negatively and they could lose respect for me. I can
become more aware by constantly reflecting on my lessons and also by
always continuing to educate myself.

Suspending judgment- every student in my class has a right to an equal

education no matter what. Their race, their socioeconomic status, gender, or
behavior should not influence what kind of education they receive. This is a
principle I will use in my classroom. I want to make sure everyone has an
opportunity to learn. If a student is struggling it may be the way that I am
teaching them or they may just need some extra attention or responsibilities
from me. Instead of dismissing a student I will take the time to figure out
what the issue is and some solutions so they can be successful and learn in
my class.

Asset based thinking- each student is special and has strengths and
weaknesses. As a teacher I will try to figure out what their strengths are and
focus on those rather than their weaknesses. I will use positive praise often
in my classroom. When I have to discipline a student I will watch them and
praise them for doing something well. Focusing on their assets may mean
that I will have to modify some lessons so that everyone can find something
they are good at and have success. For example, I have a student that is not
an athlete at all, but she is amazing at four square. She has struggled with
motivation all semester, but I was finally able to find something she is
excited about and is really good at. She now sprints to and from the locker
room and constantly has a smile on her face. Focusing on her assets and
recognizing them publicly has made an impact on this student because she
has totally changed in her participation and motivation levels.

Locus of control- it is important to focus on what I am able to control and

doing my best to help students succeed. I wont be able to force students to
do assignments, but I can give them all the tools and encouragement I can
so they know that I care about their success. I can plan quality lessons and
always be prepared so I can provide them with the best learning
opportunities. I will control the learning environment by managing my
classroom well and fairly. These things will improve my relationships with
students because they will know that I am giving my best, and this will
hopefully help motivate them. They can tell when a teacher is lazy and not

prepared, and this causes them to lose respect for that teacher. I will do my
best as their teacher and expect them to do their best as well.

4. Something I will do in my teaching practice that is a principle of culturally

responsive teaching is I will plan my lessons based on students prior
knowledge. For example, I recently taught a football unit and my 8th grade
girls had very little knowledge about this sport. I quickly realized that I
needed to start from the very basic skills and rules of the game so that
everyone would have a chance to understand and enjoy the sport. I
modified the games so the field was smaller and the rules were simple. I had
multiple students tell me this was their favorite unit we did this semester and
I had so much fun teaching it and watching them learn.

Another principle I will apply to my teaching is to constantly try to learn

about my students. Getting to know them and where they come from will
only help me be a better teacher. One example that is simple, but
meaningful is I noticed one student liked a particular band. I play music
almost every day in class but I had never played this band before. I added a
song from them to my playlist one day and this student was so excited! This
was something that wasnt hard to do and took little time, but it made an
impact on this student. I also try to take an interest in what activities, clubs,
or sports my students participate in and I go to as many events as I can. I
recently went to a school event where a student had a project displayed so I

made sure I talked to her about it the next day. I also went to a basketball
game where I was able to watch several students play and meet some
parents. I think it is fun to see my students outside of the classroom and it
provides more opportunities to connect and interact with them.

References
Noguera, P. A. (2009). The Trouble With Black Boys. And Other Reflections
on Race, Equity, and the Future of Public Education. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.