1. Culturally Responsive Communication: Working with Families Across Difference Paula Groves Price, PhD Department of Teaching and Learning

2. Culture and Communication  Communication is the quintessential way in which humans make meaningful connections with each other, whether as caring, sharing, loving, teaching, or learning. (Gay, 2000)

3. How do you communicate?  What are your expectations of different roles when engaged in a dialogue?  How do you communicate to others your approval or disapproval of something?  How do you show your feelings?

4. Culture and Communication  The key to being a culturally responsive professional, is effective communication.  Communicating with others effectively means that we must understand how modes of communication are often culturally based.

5. Discourse Structures  Passive-Receptive Expectation that one person listens quietly while one person talks. Non verbal behaviors include eye contact, sitting still, and waiting to be acknowledged by the speaker before taking your turn to speak. Expectation that one person listens quietly while one person talks. Non verbal behaviors include eye contact, sitting still, and waiting to be acknowledged by the speaker before taking your turn to speak. This communication style is common among Euro-American/White people This communication style is common among Euro-American/White people

6. Discourse Structures  Participatory-Interactive Speakers expect listeners to engage them actively through vocalized, motion, and movement responses as they are speaking. Speakers expect listeners to engage them actively through vocalized, motion, and movement responses as they are speaking. This communication style is common among African-Americans, Latinos, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders This communication style is common among African-Americans, Latinos, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders

7. Communication Difference  According to some theorists, the discourse dynamics of Euro-Americans are almost the opposite of many communities of color  This is often the source of great miscommunication in classrooms and in conferences with families.

8. Communicating with Families  When communicating with families, it is important for you to be reflective and understand the cultural assumptions that you are bringing to the encounter, as well as some of the assumptions others may have about you.  Here are some basic Do’s and Don’ts…..

9. DON’T  DON’T let the only communication that you have with families be negative in nature. Make sure that you communicate positive happenings

10. DO  Do establish a relationship early with the families of your students. Make efforts to communicate early with families via phone calls, letters, and invitations to the classrooms. Not all cultures know that they are welcomed in school environments. Create a welcoming environment by sending multiple signals that you wish to develop a relationship with them.

11. DO  DO your homework by familiarizing yourself with the community within which most of your students reside. If you expect families to come to your classroom, you also need to be willing to spend time in their community. Getting to know parents on their “turf” aids in student engagement and also school-family relations.

12. DON’T  DON’T go into a meeting with families thinking about what they lack. Deficit ideologies are quickly picked up on and are offensive.

13. DO  DO LISTEN carefully and attentively to the wants, needs, and opinions of families. Especially when communicating cross- culturally, families want to know that their concerns and questions are heard.

14. DON’T  DON’T assume that because you are the professional that you know what is best for the child/student. Families know their kids better than you do, and they have a vested interest in their success. Offer suggestions and your opinions, but ask families for suggestions and opinions as well.

15. DO  DO understand that there may be resistance to interventions based on cultural beliefs and previous negative experiences with schools and institutions. Many communities of color have had horrific histories with education as an institution, and they bring that historical memory with them to meetings and conferences.

16. And Finally…  Do use appropriate professional language when referring to cultural groups, especially if you are of the dominant culture. African American, Latino, Asian/Asian American, Native American, people of color are all acceptable African American, Latino, Asian/Asian American, Native American, people of color are all acceptable Colored People, Negro, Oriental are offensive; Hispanic is offensive to some because of the colonial roots of the term. Colored People, Negro, Oriental are offensive; Hispanic is offensive to some because of the colonial roots of the term.