Culturally relevant pedagogy is an important thing, especially as classrooms become more diverse. In my future classroom, culturally relevant pedagogy will have a strong place. I will find ways to have my students discover and learn about cultures that are different from their own and I will have them relate it back to their own culture by asking themselves questions like “how are they similar?” and “how are they different?” I will make it a priority to teach students about the experiences that people from racial groups different from their own. I will decorate my classroom with things that represent my students. I will allow them to discover things about their own culture and put them up for others to see if they wish to. Language is a large part of culture so I will do my best to incorporate languages from other communities in my teaching and I will expose my students to languages different from the ones they use. If I have students who speak another language, I will have things in my classroom that are in their other language to allow other students to learn more about it. I will adjust what I teach to make sure students learn about more than simply what they are comfortable with. If I have a classroom that is mostly white students, I will help them learn and understand more about other places and people of the world.
In order to contribute to the sense of place for my future students, I want to help students develop a sense of place through engagement in the lessons I teach and the relationships they create. I want them to learn through experiences which will help them create a deeper understanding. I will help contribute to the sense of place for students by giving them many opportunities to work and interact with each other in supportive ways. I will allow students input in as many lessons as I can and I will find ways to create learning opportunities from their own ideas. I will do my best to connect the lessons I teach in the classroom to their lives and community outside of school. I would make sure to respect the beliefs of the students and their families while also creating connections between their beliefs and the lessons in order to engage students. I will never force students to participate. If they are uncomfortable, I will try my best to never make them feel like they are required to participate. I will incorporate teachings from different cultures to help broaden students’ knowledge and experience. I will do everything I can to create a place for students that celebrates diversity and give a voice to diverse ideas.
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