April 2nd, 2021

 This week we read Module 17: Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy – Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth and listened to AERA Division G's Podcast: Culturally-Responsive & Sustaining Pedagogy on Apple Podcasts. These modules had very beneficial takeaways and lead me to think critically about current curricula we use in a way I had not before. During our Google Meet session, the students continued to discuss The Hate U Give. Angelina asked us to reflect on why this book might be relevant for the students in our classroom. To which I had the following response; I think the overarching themes from The Hate U Give will certainly resonate with the EL students at West. These students come from diverse backgrounds and from different countries; the unique experiences they have had thus far in life are sure to relate with some of Starr’s experiences in the book. Community, the power of language, and identity especially are themes I feel that are touched upon every day in the classroom from my observations alone. Of course these 3 themes are not outright addressed, but the importance of them are applied as the students connect with each other, build friendships, and learn more about themselves as individuals. Adolescence and time spent in high school is a time where we often explore our different identities and try to understand how our identities shape our experiences. As for police brutality, violence, and racism, unfortunately I’m sure the students can relate to instances in which they or someone they knew were impacted by one of these injustices. In our current political climate, these topics have been being discussed more and more, opening doors for these important conversations. You see it on the news and in your own communities; social justice is and should be on everyone’s mind, thinking about how we can actively be a part of the movement(s). 

Students’ cultures do not just need to be acknowledged, but taken a step further and incorporated into and reflected in the classroom as well. With instruction, it must be essential that the varying beliefs, morals, and perspectives shared by students in the classroom are not only accepted but further incorporated into the materials. In the assigned article, the author Gloria-Ladson Billings described how we need to … "invite students to critique cultural texts and practices, considering how they can promote inequity or be exclusionary.” I felt this quote was very important because it encompasses why these Culturally Responsive and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies are all so crucial in progressive education system. We need to backpedal and look at what materials we have been relying on and think about what meanings/messages are they conveying that we could be overlooking? Opening the floor up to students to share their interpretations and opinions and be aware of potentially “inequitable” or “exclusionary” materials allows for improvement. When students see their central beliefs reflected in instruction, they are then more likely to be engaged and understand the material, and you in turn can better understand your student.