Be Intentional: Culturally Relevant Teaching — My Teaching

Be Intentional: Culturally Relevant Teaching — My Teaching

Please note, this is the fourth installment in Dr. Tonia Durden's blog series Times Up!: Be Equitable. If you are new to this series, we recommend that you first read A Shield of Armor, Be Aware: Confronting My -isms, Be Intentional: Culturally Relevant Teaching — My Culture and Be Intentional: Culturally Relevant Teaching — My Beliefs.

Dear reader,
On any given carefree Saturday morning, who are you? My answer would be:

  • I am a wife.
  • I am a mother.
  • I am a loyal friend.
  • I am an avid mystery novel reader.
  • I am a dancer.

When you wake up on Monday morning and prepare for "work," who are you? My answer would be:

  • I am a wife.
  • I am a mother.
  • I am a loyal friend.
  • I am an avid mystery novel reader.
  • I am a dancer.
  • I am a culturally relevant teacher.

As educators, we are often encouraged to implement teaching that is developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, anti-bias, and so forth. However, are we ever asked to be? It is easier to say I teach in a culturally relevant way than to affirmatively say I AM a culturally relevant teacher. By saying you are something adds a different level of responsibility and expectation. When you take ownership of being something, like a friend, an infant teacher, a leader, this identity becomes the lens (both consciously and subconsciously) you use every day and in every interaction.

Therefore, I ask you reader, who are you? Are you a teacher who implements culturally relevant teaching or are you a culturally relevant teacher?

Are you . . .

  • Equitable?
  • Critically Reflective?
  • Striving towards excellence in teaching and learning?
  • Unapologetically culturally relevant and responsive?

Do you . . .

  • Start with children's culture and language(s)?
  • See all children as capable?
  • Intentionally address systemic racism and educational inequities?
  • Have high expectations for all children?
  • Learn from children and families?

If you are, or aspire to be, a culturally relevant teacher, I invite you on another journey with me as I introduce a new series titled Dear CRT.

The following are topic areas that will be addressed in the new series, Dear CRT:

Dear CRT:

  • Classroom Environment
  • Responsive Interactions
  • Child Guidance & Supports
  • Approaches to Learning
  • Curriculum
  • Assessment
  • Family & Community Connections
  • Advocacy

In the cliché Shakespearean spirit, To be or not to be, is truly the question.

About the Author

Tonia Durden, PhD, is a clinical associate professor of early childhood and elementary education and is a program coordinator at the Georgia State University College of Education and Human Development. She is also a co-author of the book Don't Look Away: Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms.

Explore This Series

A Shield of Armor
Be Aware: Confronting My -isms
Be Intentional: Culturally Relevant Teaching — My Culture
Be Intentional: Culturally Relevant Teaching — My Beliefs