Culturally Responsive Teaching In The 21st Century

Statement of the Problem
Teaching in the 21st century requires teachers to constantly adapt to change. Schools today are filled with students that have varying needs. Many school populations include numerous students from diverse backgrounds. To ensure student success, it is important that teachers are equipped with the necessary tools. One valuable tool is culturally responsive pedagogy. Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is the process of shaping the education a student receives with influence from their culture, community, experiences, and differences (Cramer, Pellegrini-Lafont, & Gonzalez, 2014). Research shows that African-American and Hispanic students score well below their counterparts in math and other subjects (Cramer, Pellegrini-Lafont, & Gonzalez, 2014). African-American and Hispanic students that display significant academic gaps often attend high poverty schools where their culture is not carefully studied (Cramer, Pellegrini-Lafont, & Gonzalez, 2014). …show more content…
Teachers are not always equipped with the skills needed to transform student learning. There needs to be a shift in education where teachers focus on educating the whole child which includes imparting knowledge, meeting social and emotional needs, and embracing students' cultures (Garcia & Garcia, 2016). There is a lack of awareness and schools do not provide enough professional development in this area. Addressing the concern for the academic, behavioral, and social well-being of students continues to be a key aspect of growing