DIFFERENTIATE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE: THE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

Current pedagogies around the globe are calling for a more culturally relevant as well as responsive classrooms to the needs of students from diverse backgrounds. Educators are becoming increasingly aware that students may come from linguistic and cultural backgrounds with conflicting values and understandings of the dominant culture norms. Culturally responsive teaching involves acknowledging and promoting positive identification with students' home cultures, matching teaching styles to students' learning styles and attempting to bridge the gap between home and school culture. But the question then arises as to how teachers are prepared to work in this culturally responsive environment? Recent studies indicate that although this may be a goal the implementation and preparation of educators across disciplines and internationally is lacking this factor. This presentation will explore this dynamic regarding the various ways teachers are being prepared to meet this praxis. This presentation will discuss the current models of culturally responsive pedagogy that are currently being used in teacher preparation and professional development and how a more differentiated approach may be a useful strategy for educators to create a culturally responsive classroom.