Part I

1. Identify and discuss one (or two) disposition(s) in which you believe you've made the most
personal growth this semester:
Sociocultural Consciousness
Affirming Attitude Toward Difference
Value and Affirming Student Background Knowledge
Constructivist Approach to Learning
Responsibility and Capacity to be Culturally Responsive

For this semester, I believe I have made the most progress and personal growth in the area of
valuing and affirming student background knowledge. Throughout the semester my classes have
constantly been connecting back to the idea of relating to our students background knowledge.
Connecting to student lives and experiences should be the number one priority for educators. If
students cannot relate to a lesson or if it disconnects with their background knowledge then they
will not learn from the lesson. Teachers need to be able to connect to prior knowledge in order to
move forward with lesson plans and content units. By building on prior knowledge teachers are
better prepared to make a connection with students and the easier it becomes for students to
become engaged and involved in the lesson.
I also believe I have grown in my pedagogy in my responsibility and capacity to be culturally
responsive. Culturally Responsive Teaching was a hot topic for the semester and through all the
articles I have read and analyzed I have learned more on creating lessons that build on
community and connecting to the lives of my students. I have learned how to better create
socially conscious lessons that can connect my students to the material and literature being
taught.
2. What will culturally responsive teaching look like in my classroom? How will I embody at
least one of the principles from CRT (Academic achievement, Cultural competence, Critical
consciousness)?
I think the first step in culturally responsive teaching is recognizing that all students are diverse
and come from different backgrounds and cultures. Culturally Responsive Teaching in my
classroom will include lessons that will connect to my students lives and experiences. As grown

adults we must connect with the culture of our teenagers and create units that engage them in
learning. I will do this by carefully choosing my novels and the overall themes I will teach my
students. I will create a critically conscious classroom that involves students in discussions on
social justice and the human experience. Students will be encouraged to think critically and
challenge ideas and social concepts in their lives. In Michelle Kinneys article Of Mice and
Marginalization she discusses the challenges she has faced in picking novels that connect to all
of her students and not just some of them. She states The characters in A Raisin in the Sun
confront many of the same obstacles as Crooks and Curleys wife in Of Mice and Men, but they
are drawn as complex people and they respond very differently to their circumstances(Kenney).
As teachers we are responsible to critically analyze our material and teach what will connect to
all our students the best.

3. How will I use professional competencies to drive the relationships that I have with students,
parents, and colleagues? (Please discuss all)
Professional competencies are important use when creating relationships with parents,
students, administration and other educators. I plan on building strong, positive relationships
with the people I interact with by using the professional competencies. I will use interpersonal
awareness when communicating with others and I will be aware of the impression I make to
others. Asset-based thinking is important to use when working with colleagues you might
disagree with. It is important to focus on the positives and the goals at hand. Suspending
judgement is important especially in regards to students or administration. Sometimes a person
may not agree with a decision made by administration but it is important to keep in mind that
there are other factors going into the decision. With students it important to keep in mind that
they may have circumstances in their life that make it difficult for them to complete school work
or pay attention in class. It is important to suspend judgement and to have empathy to anothers
situation. It is also important to recognize your own locus of control and understand that

somethings maybe out of your hands. I can change what is under my control but I must try and
not worry about things that are out of my control such as administration decisions and parental
decisions.
4. Identify two examples within your content where you can create
learning opportunities consistent with Culturally Responsive Teaching.
One example of creating learning opportunities with Culturally Responsive Teaching in my
content would be to teach students the importance of respectful and open discussion. I will teach
my students the proper way to have an open dialogue that allows them to questions and comment
on the literature of the course. Students will be encouraged to give their perspective and build off
the ideas of others in the class. I will build a strong community within my classroom to
encourage respectful responses and behavior. Much like in the article by Michelle Kinney, I will
also do my best to be culturally responsive by carefully selecting my text and not just follow the
usual cannon. It is important to analyze a text and its effectiveness for students. There is no point
in teaching a text that doesnt not connect to student lives or engage them in learning.

Kenney, M. (2013). Of Mice and Marginalization. 14-19