Culturally Responsive Resources

Students in the United States and its territories come from a large and increasing number of racially, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse families: diverse students made up 48 percent of the population in 2011, up from 39 percent in 2001.

Culturally Responsive Teaching is so much more than a trendy education term, but many educators struggle to define it. They are unsure of how it’s different from other equitable teaching practices and they can’t explain how to utilize it in their classrooms.

An excellent way to help students tap into that capability is through culturally responsive teaching, or CRT. CRT seeks to empower students educationally and to expand their capabilities in other spheres including social, emotional, and political arenas.

Teachers still think of CRT as separate from “regular” teaching. On several occasions, a group of teachers would be talking and someone would say, “But when I go back to regular teaching…” When we think of culturally responsive teaching as different from our “regular” instructional routine, we reinforce the mindset that it’s an add-on set of strategies.

Many teachers in high-poverty schools struggle to establish a positive classroom environment. These teachers know a great deal about their students, feel affection for them, and empathize with their struggles. Unfortunately, the way these teachers act on their caring is often not comprehensive enough to make a difference.

Native Knowledge is a series of informational handouts that teachers and educators can use to increase their cultural awareness and knowledge about Native American people. The series is written by staff members of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Native American Student Services department. Our hope is that all students and teachers

As the holiday season approaches, many schools and students will be learning about the story of the ?First Thanksgiving?. Educators across the United States will teach lessons of how Thanksgiving came to be. However, many of the materials and lessons that have been taught are inaccurate and incomplete from the Native American perspective.

This booklet is designed to give teachers a place to begin when designing their lessons for Thanksgiving. It is written from a perspective of the Indigenous people of our country. We want to acknowledge and recognize the Wampanoag People for being forgotten in the Thanksgiving story for so many years in our country’s education system.