Hey, present self!

Hey--whoa, who's there?

All right...Honestly, this is weird, but I've kind of always been waiting for one of these mysterious, spiritual scenarios to happen to me.

Oh, it's me, you--I'm Lisa of and from the Future.

Perfect! Let's do this thang. I want to start with how you're feeling about everything... you know, all that stuff you just read and watched and listened to.

It will be a little bit of both. I do have an initial question, though. Can you lay out for me a summary of what you've learned?

Yeah, OK, sure. That was a lot. Should I just start talking, or were you planning to ask me questions?

You mean, like, a mental composition? A THINK-ALOUD?

Yes! Exactly like that.

Well, first I learned about how there is a significantly increased number of English Learners matriculating into the American School system. They're rich in diverse culture and language, and teachers need to be aware of how to best reach them--in both academic and genuinely personal ways. Teachers have to expand their own knowledge--and they have to do it every day.

Every day?

Every day! If I don't assess my teaching style and my own attitudes every day, then I won't be aware of unintentional biases I bring into the classroom. I may shut a child down without knowing that I've slighted her or him.

Wow, teachers have to check themselves all the time. There's so much to be aware of in terms of bias and culture.

Culture is SO nuanced. There are things we can see, from the outside, about our students who are not from mainstream American culture. But there's all that invisible stuff, too. All their values and beliefs, and how those things structure their whole lives. I have to cultivate that as a teacher.

I have to give my students tools and relevant materials to provide a robust and equitable learning experience. As an ELA teacher, I've got to ask myself, "Am I incorporating enough diverse text and media into my classroom? Can I show my students, for instance, the beauty and rhythm of language through rap music? (Who cares if they want to make fun of me for liking Kendrick Lamar, apparently an "old rapper.")

Can I use code-switching to show them how (although we learn standardized English in school, and it's the dominant language in this mainstream American culture) vivid and dynamic language can be?

How we use different modes of speaking to communicate with different audiences?

Pause. How else do you think the term Culturally Relevant Pedagogy affects you so far? Do you think you're currently equipped with the resources and knowledge to respond to the culturally diverse students that you encounter every day at your own school?

Well, I think I'm beginning to see how many resources are available to me, but I have to be willing to seek them out and integrate them into my classroom.

OK, continue with your mental composition. What's next?

Providing relevant, intellectually accessible material is only part of the framework. I also have to understand each child as a whole. Just as I exist within and beyond my role of teacher, my students exist within and beyond their school selves.

It's important for me to understand their families, their histories, their ways of engaging with the world. Important for me to connect their prior knowledge to my class content.

What's one way you can achieve this understanding?

Well, for starters, I can familiarize myself with reading material (and cultural material) that goes beyond my personal experiences. This will help foster true understanding on my end so that I can create an authentic and open learning environment. It goes back to checking my own biases.

What's more is that I can show students there is more than one way to learn and grow within one content area. My ELA class doesn't have to be all reading and writing, for example.