Awareness Into Action

Culturally Responsive Classroom Management: Awareness Into Action This article expands discussions of culturally responsive pedagogy by focusing specifically on the tasks and challenges of classroom organization and management. First, we examine three prerequisite understandings that underlie teachers’ ability to manage diverse classrooms in culturally competent ways. We then consider specific approaches and strategies for enacting culturally responsive classroom management (CRCM) and reflect on the ways that management practices promote or obstruct equal access to learning. We stress the fact that developing CRCM is an ongoing, long-term, and often discomfiting process, in which cultural diversity becomes a lens through which teachers view the tasks of classroom management. M ARIA EMIGRATED FROM M EXICO to the United States when she was 5. Now in a thirdgrade, monolingual English class, she sits quietly at her desk and speaks only when her White, middleclass teacher calls on her. She does, however, raise her hand frequently to ask if she’s doing her assignments correctly. Her teacher believes that Maria is insecure and overly dependent on her. In class, she Carol Weinstein is a professor, Mary Curran is an assistant professor, and Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke is an associate professor, all at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education. often chides her to be more outgoing and independent; she repeated this message on Maria’s report card and at parent conferences. Maria’s teacher is unaware of the fact that Hispanic parents tend to expect their children to be quiet and obedient in school and to seek advice and approval before acting. Houng, a Vietnamese American girl in second grade, repeatedly answers “Yes,” when her teacher, Ms. Adams, asks her if she understands. Her written work, however, consistently reveals her confusion. Frustrated and annoyed, Ms. Adams concludes that Houng lacks motivation to learn and chastises her for not seeking help. Ms. Adams has no idea that the literal equivalent of “yes” in Vietnamese is “da,” which can also mean “I am politely listening to you.” (Grossman, 1995) James is an African American sixth grader who is loud, active, assertive, and quick to interject comments into a class discussion without raising his hand. His teacher (who is African American and was educated in predominantly White schools) realizes that the school’s emphasis on quiet, passivity, and turn taking is strikingly different from the behavioral expectations that exist in James’s home; nonetheless, she believes it is important for James to learn “appropriate” classroom behavior. For this reason, she frequently reprimands him, makes him miss recess, and has him stay for detention. The teachers in all of these situations are interpreting and responding to their students’ behavior from the perspective of mainstream sociocultural norms. Although well-meaning, these teachers are acting in ways that actually discriminate against students from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. Such discrimination occurs when teachers do not recognize that behavior is culturally influenced; when they devalue, censure, and punish the behaviors of non-mainstream groups; and when they fail to see that their management practices alienate and marginalize some students, while privileging others. Unfortunately, the misunderstandings and misinterpretations that give rise to this kind of discrimination are likely to become more frequent as the cultural gap between students and teachers widens. Calls for “culturally relevant pedagogy” (Ladson-Billings, 2001) and “culturally responsive teaching” (Gay, 2000) address the need for teachers to develop the knowledge, skills, and predispositions to teach children from diverse racial, ethnic, language, and social class backgrounds. This article expands these discussions by focusing specifically on the tasks and challenges of classroom organization and management. First, we examine three prerequisite understandings that underlie teachers’ ability to manage diverse classrooms in culturally competent ways. We then consider specific approaches and strategies for enacting culturally responsive classroom management (CRCM). Prerequisites of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Like culturally responsive pedagogy and culturally relevant teaching, CRCM begins with an understanding of “the self,” “the other,” and the context. First, we must recognize that we are all cultural beings, with our own beliefs, biases, and assumptions about human behavior. We need to articulate and examine the values implicit in the western, White, middle-class orientation of U.S. schools, such as the emphasis on individual achievement, independence, and efficiency. By bringing cultural biases to a conscious level, we are less likely to misinterpret the behaviors of our culturally different students and treat them inequitably. Second, we must acknowledge the cultural, racial, ethnic, and class differences that exist among people. A desire to be fair and impartial sometimes leads teachers to strive for “color-blindness” (Nieto, 1994), and educators are often reluctant to talk about cultural characteristics for fear of ignoring heterogeneity among group members and “essentializing”—seeing groups as static, monolithic, and homogeneous. But in order to be culturally responsive, we must acquire “cultural content knowledge.” We must learn, for example, about our students’ family backgrounds, their previous educational experiences, their culture’s norms for interpersonal relationships, their parents’ expectations for discipline, and the ways their cultures treat time and space. At the same time, cultural knowledge should not be used to categorize or stereotype, nor to imply a clear understanding of another’s cultural beliefs and world view (Mishne, 2000). Instead, teachers should use acquired cultural knowledge as a way of demonstrating an openness and willingness to learn about the aspects of culture that are important to students and their families. Finally, culturally responsive classroom management requires that teachers understand the ways that schools reflect and perpetuate discriminatory practices of the larger society. We must understand how differences in race, social class, gender, language background, and sexual orientation are linked to power. We need to recognize that the structure and practices of schools (e.g., rigid tracking, unevenly distributed resources, standardized testing) can privilege select groups of students while marginalizing or segregating others. Strategies for Enacting Culturally Responsive Classroom Management With these fundamental understandings, teachers can begin to reflect on the ways their classroom management practices promote or obstruct equal access to learning. This is an ongoing, longterm, and often discomfiting process, in which cultural diversity becomes a lens through which teachers view the tasks of classroom management. These tasks include (a) creating a physical setting that supports academic and social goals, (b) establishing expectations for behavior, (c) communicating with students in culturally consistent ways, (d) developing a caring classroom environment, (e) working with families, and (f) using appropriate interventions to assist students with behavior problems. In the following sections, we examine each of these tasks from a culturally responsive perspective. Organizing the physical environment I once visited a fifth-grade classroom on the New Mexico-Mexico border. The room displayed pictures of colonial Jamestown, and because it was spring the bulletin board was surrounded by paper tulips. In fact, when I looked at the calendar, I realized that it was May 5 (Cinco de Mayo) and that there was nothing in the classroom commemorating this holiday. Also, as much as I like tulips, I found those on the bulletin board paled in contrast to the Mexican golden poppies and other beautiful desert flowers that surrounded the school but didn’t make it into the classroom. (Jones & Fuller, 2003, p. 93) In contrast to the teacher who designed the classroom in this vignette, culturally responsive classroom managers filter their decision making about the environment through the lens of cultural diversity. In other words, they think about the ways the environment can be used strategically to communicate respect for diversity, to reaffirm connectedness and community, and to avoid marginalizing and disparaging students. A map of the world, for example, can highlight students’ countries of origin. A sign or banner can welcome students in the different languages they speak. Posters can depict people of various cultural groups (although care must be taken to avoid stereotypical representations such as Mexicans sleeping under large-brimmed sombreros). Children’s individual photographs can be mounted on poster board and then used to create a jigsaw puzzle, reinforcing the idea that everyone comes together to form a whole. In elementary classrooms, the literacy corner can prominently display books that promote themes of diversity, tolerance, and community, such as Crow Boy (Yashima, 1983), The Sneetches and Other Stories (Dr. Seuss, 1989), The Crayon Box That Talked (DeRolf, 1997), and Chrysanthemum (Henkes, 1991). In addition, the physical setting can promote social interaction and prosocial behavior. Desks arranged in clusters, for example, allow students to work together on activities, share materials, have small-group discussions, and help each other with assignments. Because racial and ethnic differences can lead to name-calling and teasing, the physical environment can reinforce the importance of being kind and tolerant. Students can drop brief notes about acts of kindness they do or witness into a “kindness box,” from which the teacher periodically pulls a note and reads it aloud (Beane, 1999). Bulletin board displays can encourage students to commit “Random Acts of Kindness” or can remind students about the “DOs and DON’Ts of Teasing” (Hoover & Oliver, 1996). Establishing expectations for behavior Research on effective classroom management at the beginning of the year (e.g., Emmer, Evertson, & Anderson, 1980) has confirmed the importance of establishing clear expectations or norms for behavior. According to these researchers, effective managers typically have three to six general rules of conduct (e.g., “Be respectful” and “Participate in class lessons”), and they make certain that students understand what the norms mean in terms of specific behavior. This is especially critical in culturally diverse classrooms, since different cultures hold different views about appropriate behavior. In some cultures, for example, making eye contact is a sign of respect, while in others respect is communicated by maintaining an averted gaze. Teachers may expect children to sit quietly and “listen when someone is talking,” but some African American students may be accustomed to a more active, participatory pattern of behavior (“call-response”). To avoid the possibility of confusion or misunderstanding (which can then lead to unnecessary disciplinary interventions and antagonism), teachers need to be explicit about their expectations, engage students in discussions about the class norms, model the behavior we expect, and provide opportunities for students to practice. Consider the following example: Because Ms. Frank values collaborative learning, she places her students’ desks in clusters and encourages them to help one another. But she spends a lot of time at the beginning of the year explaining to her second graders exactly what that means. She takes pains to distinguish between helping and doing the work for the other person. She and her students role play different situations; for example, Ms. Frank pretends she doesn’t know how to do a math problem and asks a student for help. Then she asks the class, “Was that good help? Was that explaining or was that doing the work for me?” Ms. Frank and her students also talk about when it’s not permissible to help one another. She explains that sometimes work has to be done independently so that she can see what people know how to do on their own. Ms. Frank realizes that it’s important to be absolutely explicit about the norms for helping in her very diverse classroom. Some of her children have cultural roots in individualistic cultures; it is likely that the values of individual effort and selfsufficiency have been deeply engrained, so these children may resist her efforts to encourage peer assistance. In contrast, the children from more collectivist cultures (e.g., African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American) have probably been taught the value of providing assistance to others; they may find it difficult to resist helping their peers, even when they are directed to work independently. Communicating with students in culturally consistent ways Culturally responsive managers recognize that differences in discourse style can have a direct effect on students’ behavior. Delpit (1995), for example, points out that Black children and children from working-class families are more accustomed to straightforward directives from authority figures (“Sit down and get to work.”) than to the “politeness formulas” (Manke, 1997) and indirect discourse strategies (e.g., “Sally, would you like to sit down?”) typically used by middle-class White teachers. If teachers choose to use these indirect discourse strategies, they need to provide students with explicit lessons on how nondirective verbal interventions are actually “code” for direct commands. Sometimes, teachers may decide to modify discourse styles so that their communications are consistent with students’ cultural backgrounds. Cindy Ballenger (1999), for example, was an experienced preschool teacher who expected to have little difficulty with her class of 4-year-old Haitian children. To her surprise, however, her usual repertoire of management strategies failed to create a respectful, orderly environment. Since her colleagues— all Haitian—were experiencing no difficulty with classroom management, Ballenger had to conclude that the problem “did not reside in the children” (p. 32). She began to explore her own beliefs and practices with respect to children’s behavior and to visit other teachers’ classrooms to examine their “control statements.” Eventually, Ballenger was able to identify several key differences between her own style of discourse and that of her Haitian colleagues. While the Haitian teachers stressed the fact that they cared for the children and had their best interests at heart (e.g., “The adults here like you, they want you to be good children.”), Ballenger frequently referred to children’s internal states (e.g., “You must be angry.”). Moreover, she tended to stress the logical consequences of children’s behavior (e.g., “If you don’t listen, you won’t know what to do.”), while the Haitian teachers articulated the values and responsibilities of group membership and stressed less immediate consequences, such as bringing shame to one’s family. Once Ballenger had identified these differences in control statements, she made a deliberate effort to adopt some of the Haitian discourse style. Order in her classroom improved significantly. Creating caring, inclusive classrooms When teachers and students come from different cultural backgrounds, planned efforts to cross social borders and develop caring, respectful relationships are essential. From the very first day of school, teachers can set the tone by greeting students at the door with a smile and a warm, welcoming comment. Greeting second language learners with a phrase in their native language can be especially affirming. Teachers can also forge positive relationships with students by sharing stories about their lives outside of school, learning about students’ interests and activities, inviting them to make choices and decisions about class activities, and listening to their concerns and opinions. It is critical that teachers deliberately model respect for diversity—by expressing admiration for a student’s bilingual ability, by commenting enthusiastically about the number of different languages that are represented in class, and by including examples and content from a variety of cultures in their teaching. Finally, it is important to remember that caring also involves communicating high expectations and holding students accountable for highquality academic work. Consider what Vinh, an 18-year-old Vietnamese student, has to say about teachers who praised his limited English: My English is not good. And she say, “Oh, your English is great!” But that’s the way the American culture is. But my culture is not like that. . . . If my English is not good, she has to say, “Your English is