Culturally Responsive Teaching

The disposition I focused on this semester was knowing about students lives. Last
semester I struggled to remember students names. This semester I strived to learn everyones
name and as much as I could learn about them. This is important because teachers who are
knowledgeable about their students family lives are better prepared to understand the childrens
in-school behavior and knowing about their hobbies and favorite activities as well as what they
excel at outside school can systematically tie the childrens interests, concerns, and strengths
into their teaching. (Villegas & Lucas, 2002) Knowing about a students past performance and
experience with math can help me to bridge the gap between their prior knowledge and the new
material they are going to learn. I only interned once a week so I didnt know the students as
well as I would have liked to, but I knew that some students were in band, into art or drawing,
played sports, etc. . . .

Working full time I will be able to learn more about more students. I will spend time getting to
know students with conversations before and after class and whenever I can during the class
period. I will encourage students to share what they did over the weekend on Mondays. Once I
know about my students I will incorporate as much of their interests into the class. If there are
students that play football, I can use gaining or losing yards to help explain integers. Also, I
want to take advantage of their funds of knowledge, which is the historically accumulated and
culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual
functioning and well-being. (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992) To me, the idea of funds
of knowledge means that everyone has knowledge that the can share. In my class, I will invite
students parents, families and the students themselves to share their experience and knowledge
as it applies to math.

Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching:
Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice,31(2), 132-
141. doi:10.1080/00405849209543534
Villegas, A. M., & Lucas, T. (2002). Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers. Journal of
Teacher Education,53(1), 20-32. doi:10.1177/0022487102053001003