Baxter Blog 2

 Do you think we all have a bias and if so what can we do to recognize it and overcome it?  What are some ways you can become a more culturally responsive teacher?

    I do believe that we all have a bias weather it be a conscious one or not. In order to work on the biases that we carry we can learn more about topics that are not familiar to us. We can read, research and ask people we trust to discover more about the topic in which we may have a bias. Once the bias is confronted and learned about it is important to put it into practice. We can use the information learned to create environments where appropriate conversations and learning can occur. I can become a more culturally responsive teacher by listening to my students. It is stated in the video that teachers have the responsibility to reach out to students in order to understand the student's culture. I can integrate different cultures into my lesson so all my students feel valued and understood. I can ensure that I have books that are representative of all my students. I can also use holidays or celebrations that are important to students to encourage growth and understanding between all of my students in the classroom. When I begin to integrate various cultures into my lessons and ask for parental involvement the bridge between school and home builds a strong connection. When this begins true learning can begin. 

What is the Kamehameha School doing to embrace students' culture? What can we learn from the Kamehameha School?

The Kamehameha School embraces their students' cultures by meeting them where they are in their cultural understanding. The principal of the school discussed how students come from a community outside of school where culture is important and part of their everyday lives. He wants to ensure the culture carries over into school as it provides the students with a strong sense of acceptance and community. The school uses the students' culture as a focus in their studies. Teachers who teach the English classes have learned English themselves and use their knowledge to bridge student understanding. I believe we can learn a lot from the Kamehameha School. We can learn that when students feel valued and understood they will typically perform better in school. We can also learn that by integrating culture and education students can thrive in an environment that is safe and respectful. I think it is also important to note that the class sizes are small so the teacher and students can build a strong relationship. This helps the students trust their teacher has their best interest at heart and will show respect to them as well as allow the teacher to understand each of their students beyond just an academic level. The data is supportive of culture based education in Hawaii, so I am interested to know if the culture based education model would be as effective in places where there are various cultures within one community.