Chapter 8:Creating a School Culture That Welcomes Diverse Learners Alicia Hines, 3rd Grade, Mary C. Greer Elementary

Scholars drive their brains and park their thoughts Write or draw ANY thoughts you have that you would like to share Could be connections to self, information you’ve read or heard before Could be I think/I notice/I wonder Could be new thinking

Take-Away Packet Includes ideas and strategies gathered from Chapter 8 as well as other resources that align with the goals of Chapter 8 in creating “a learning environment and school culture that welcomes diverse learners”. A few strategies will be highlighted briefly

4 minute scan/skim If I pass out materials ahead of time to be used in the course of a lesson, I always give students the opportunity to peruse the materials, or “discover” them so that no one is distracted once the lesson begins. Sometimes I give the students the challenge of looking for one thing they will be interested in hearing about (engagement tactic)

Characteristic #2 H: I plan and assess to determine if culturally responsive teaching practices have helped my students’ learn. (Use assessments other than formal/standardized/end-of-unit methods to gauge where your students are; address the achievement gap every 5-10 minutes, not just when SOL’s roll around) *Resources provided

Characteristic #2 I: My teaching approach varies in ways to accommodate the cultural differences in my classroom, including student groups and students helping each other. (Talk-back can be a sign of engagment, as in church, not defiance. Use call and response techniques; Use non-verbal “talk back” to eliminate noise)

Characteristic #3 K: I make an effort to educate families about our school. (School level initiative to meet as many of our families as possible BEFORE the first day of school. Meeting parents on a positive interaction within their comfort zone-- home!)

Characteristic #3 L: I build strong, positive working relationships with the parents of my students. (Use parent workshops to get parents that don’t usually have opportunity to associate to get to know each other--not the PTO; have these during the day also for parents that work nights)

Characteristic #3 N: Creating a sense of community in my classroom is key to student success. (Use music to create a team atmosphere, first by discussing different music types listened to at home, then expose the students to a new music genre all together to unite around. is a great site!)