Intercultural Responsiveness

This is the fourth installment of a series making an appearance occasionally in this blog designed to give some specific guidance regarding how to work with an organization on intercultural responsiveness. The first three installments can be found here: Nuts & Bolts: Part 3, here: Nuts & Bolts: Part 2, and here: Nuts & Bolts: Part 1

We can do a tremendous amount of work related to intercultural responsiveness; however, if we’re not applying this work to our day to day lives, it’s not having the positive impact for all that it’s intended to produce. Specific to education, professionals are being asked to demonstrate culturally and linguistically responsive practices with students, families, community members, and staff. So, what does that mean?

We want the quick fix, the tool box, the laundry list, the binder, the “make and take” professional development opportunities. This isn’t that kind of work. Again, it’s a journey – an on-going and never-ending one at that. It doesn’t mean there aren’t some specifics that can be identified, and the attempt will be to do just that here.

The National Center For Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt) provides a wealth of information on these topics, and the quick synopsis below is drawn from one of their practitioner briefs entitled Addressing Diversity in Schools: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.

Activities to help one become culturally and linguistically responsive

1. Engage in reflective thinking and writing
2. Explore personal and family histories
3. Acknowledge membership in different groups
4. Learn about the history and experiences of diverse groups
5. Visit students’ families and communities
6. Visit or read about successful teachers in diverse settings
7. Develop an appreciation of diversity
8. Participate in reforming the institution

Activities that are culturally and linguistically responsive

1. Acknowledge students’ differences as well as their commonalities
2. Validate students’ cultural identity in classroom practices and instructional materials
3. Educate students about the diversity of the world around them (near and far)
4. Promote equity and mutual respect among students
5. Assess students’ ability and achievement validly
6. Foster a positive interrelationship among students, their families, the community, and school
7. Motivate students to become active participants in their learning
8. Encourage students to think critically
9. Challenge students to strive for excellence as defined by their potential (all students have the potential to learn, regardless of their cultural or linguistic background, or differing abilities)
10. Assist students in becoming socially and politically conscious

Well, there you have it: Some basics. Along with the perpetual caveat: Nothing about this work is basic. Ever. And, that’s a good thing.

“It’s not that we don’t care … We just know that the fight ain’t fair … So we keep on waiting … Waiting on the world to change.” ~ John Mayer

We’re a convenience store, drive-thru window, one stop shop, immediately answer my phone call/e-mail/text/message/tweet/post, rent movies and games and shop from the couch, use a vehicle to drive to the mailbox, remote control, Google, Wikipedia, 24/7/365 society. Whatever we want, we get it, quickly and easily with resources at our fingertips that we have or even don’t have.

Seriously, tell me I’m wrong.

And then something happens when we talk about change. Suddenly, the world slows down to a pace that is uncomfortable for even the most mellow of fellows. And I get it, I really do. We want it quick and easy, but only when it’s something we want and something we get to control. Everything else becomes, well: Walk downtown, let me write you a letter and send it via pony express, dig through the attic for the open reel/VHS/Betamax, leaf through the encyclopedia volumes, bankers’ hours kind of lifestyle.

Seriously, tell me I’m wrong.

Now, I’m not advocating for an easier or faster lifestyle, nor am I advocating for a more difficult or slower one. Well, maybe it would be nice to have an easier and slower one, but I digress. What I am asking us to reflect on is the lack of consistency when it comes to how we conduct ourselves. There are reasons we not only like the difference, but even appropriately should have the difference. Hey, we’re all unique in our own way, and being responsive to that is what we should be doing. Demonstrating patience and supporting one another through change is valuing those positive qualities that both separate and join us.

If we desire to grow and change, then we can’t sit back and wait for it to come to us. We have to stop shifting the blame to the system or to others or to a lack of resources or even to our very own comfort level. Nothing is stopping us from engaging with others, reading, learning, and trying. And, the fact that there actually are barriers for ourselves and others is all the more reason we must take the initiative to grow and change ourselves. We can listen, we can respond, we can act. There really is no reason to wait, because we’re only waiting on ourselves.

*****

How does this apply to you and your life, work, and circumstances right now, and what – exactly – are you gonna do about it? For me, it’s about speaking up and advocating, and it’s about professional development in the sense that we can access quality professional development instantly. I’m planning to continue to voice my beliefs, hold myself and others accountable, grow individually, and challenge myself to continue to find ways to respond to, help, and serve others. I’m planning to expose more individuals to the power and potential they have to interact, discuss, read, write, ask questions, share, and do – all without waiting for a professional development session, or paying for a consultant or facilitator. How about you?