by Christopher Grabau, Program Director, Reinert Center
Modeling culturally responsive techniques when advising graduate instructors may benefit not just the skill development of first-time graduate instructors but can also support the learning experience of their students.
Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) is a student-centered approach to teaching that incorporates students’ customs, characteristics, experiences, and perspectives into the overall educational experience. Richard, Brown, & Forde (2007) offer three dimensions to help identify aspects of a course that can be supported by CRT: institutional, personal, and instructional.
When advising new graduate instructors, consider how each of the three dimensions of CRP can be addressed in their teaching. Below are a few effective pedagogical practices that may suggest how these dimensions may incorporated into your support of graduate instructors:
Institutional: Administrative policy and values supporting CRP
- Make explicit a commitment to culturally responsive pedagogy. Incorporate a CRP lens in program materials, documents, and communication.
- Develop a curriculum that reflects diverse perspectives and experiences. Identify ways to beyond ethnocentric and Western-based focus.
- Identify and incorporate different instructional materials as a means to support multiple ways of learning. Audio and visual learning materials may help second language learners.
- Align CRP with course and program goals. Communicate with graduate students how culturally responsive teaching supports course/program goals.
Personal: Cognitive and emotional processes to become more culturally responsive.
- Set up a regular meeting schedule to debrief on their teaching experience. However, keep in mind that not all discussions need to be evaluative or formal. Simply providing a space to be an advocate and colleague can go a long way in developing graduate instructors’ skills.
- Practice effective communication skills. Strive to model effective practices when responding to emails. Consider addressing how instructors can establish a presence in their online courses.
- Encourage graduate instructors to take copious notes of their experience teaching. For example, take voice memos on their phone after each class. Review their lecture notes after class and write one comment about what could be improved. Both of these immediate practices make it easier to recall areas of improvement for the following semester.
- Encourage graduate instructors to remain themselves. Mistakes will be made, and some classes will not go as planned. Acknowledging that classroom instruction and learning are human experiences can go a long way in helping graduate instructors approach teaching with a culturally responsive lens.
Instructional: CRP-informed materials, strategies, and activities that form the basis of instruction.
- Consider offering strategies for effective course management and organization that invite participation. Provide examples of effective class structure that include a coherent class outline, an alignment of goals, and an effective communication plan. Consider how instructional materials are accessed by students.
- Teach how to conduct office hours. Defining office hours is an effective component of culturally responsive teaching. One suggestion is to consider offering different formats for student office hours. The formats can range from a quick informal check-in to small group activities (example). Also, offer advice on effective communication strategies that inform students when instructors will be available (in-person and online).
- Help graduate instructors learn how to get to know their students. Encourage graduate instructors to learn students’ names and pronounce them correctly. Provide additional examples of how to get to know students through icebreakers, notecards, and other learning activities.
- Incorporate instructional materials that respect diversity of thought and experience. Recognize and utilize students’ cultural experiences and respect students’ personal and community identities throughout the course.
- Offer examples of open-ended questions and active learning strategies. Learning how to ask questions during class is an essential skill to support learning. Consider different learning activities that invite all students to participate and ask questions.
- Encourage graduate instructors to survey their classes often. Consistently provide active classroom techniques like the “muddiest point,” “exit surveys,” or offer quick one-minute papers on feedback for the class.
- Offer good examples of reflection and feedback. Offering and receiving critical and constructive feedback is an invaluable tool for all members of the academy.
References
Gay, G. (2002). “Preparing for Culturally Responsive Teaching,” Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 53, No. 2 (2002).
Felten, P., & Lambert, L. M. (2020). Relationship-rich education: How human connections drive success in college. Jhu Press.
Hammond, Z. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin Press.
Maingi, N. (2017). Culturally responsive graduate teaching instructors: Lessons on facilitating classroom dialogues on racial, ethnic, and cultural injustices. Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research, 16(1), 3.
Richards, H.V., Brown, A.F., & Forde, T.B. (2007). Addressing diversity in schools: Culturally responsive pedagogy. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39(3), 64-69.
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