ERIC Number: EJ1408764
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-7107
EISSN: EISSN-1938-1611
Culturally Sustaining Practices in Middle Schools
Chandra Diaz; Rebecca M. Nelson; Laurie A. Ramirez; Nancy B. Ruppert
Current Issues in Middle Level Education, v27 n2 Article 2 2023
The social unrest during the summer of 2020 in the United States has produced a renewed sense of urgency and agency for the interrogation of curriculum in K-12 education and the development of culturally sustaining practices. This urgency has encouraged more teacher preparation programs to be intentional in developing culturally sustaining teachers. This paper offers four pillars to frame classroom practices to be integrated holistically and support middle level preservice teachers' development of their culturally sustaining practices. Pillar one focuses on understanding self. The ability to honestly self-reflect and to understand personal practice deeply and continually is critical. Pillar two is decentering whiteness/self. This is the act of interrogating curriculum and classroom experiences to uncover places where teachers can widen their frames and incorporate perspectives from historically marginalized populations. Pillar three is outreach. Personalized learning and examining asset based perspectives allow preservice teachers opportunities to develop their own outreach practices. Pillar four is communication. The ability to express ourselves in a variety of ways and view our individual cultures and experiences as assets are important in communicating what is important to us and the needs that must be met. These four pillars give agency and are a strong framework for developing culturally sustaining teachers at a time that is urgent.
Descriptors: Culturally Relevant Education, Middle School Teachers, Preservice Teachers, Preservice Teacher Education, Classroom Techniques, Teaching Methods, Whites, Perspective Taking, Reflection, Self Concept, Individualized Instruction, Cultural Awareness, Communication (Thought Transfer)
National Association of Professors of Middle Level Education. Web site: https://www.napomle.com/cimle; Web site: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A