| The needs of the impoverished, non-White, non-English speaking student have yet to be addressed by the American education system. The United States is still experiencing larger-than-ever gaps in achievement between ethnically diverse students and White students. Meeting the needs of ethnically and linguistically diverse students requires that teachers implement instruction, strategies, and content that are sensitive to the culture of the students.;The goal of this study is to emphasize the work of successful teachers who have purposefully chosen to be culturally responsive in their teaching approach. Through heuristic inquiry, the researcher seeks to recreate and uncover the meaning of her lived experience as an ethnically diverse student situated in predominantly White middle class schools. The researcher utilized three phases of inquiry: immersion, acquisition, and realization. In the immersion phase, the researcher chose to use narrative inquiry to illustrate her story as an African American Latina whose dual experience both as the student minority and the teacher of minority students provides a unique perspective. Acquisition of new knowledge occurred through in-depth interviews and stories shared by three co-researchers. Synthesis of this study came through realization of the impact when student's culture and language are ignored in classrooms. During the analysis of the four teacher's stories several core themes emerged: (a) using student's culture to build self-concept, (b) advocating for children, and (c) revealing the value in all children and in all cultures. Through exhaustive analysis and on-going conversations, the data that emerged revealed that teachers, whether minority or non-minority, working with diverse populations need to adopt instruction that is culturally relevant and responsive.;Minorities make up 42% of American classrooms, yet the teaching profession is still represented by White middle-class women. As a result, there is a cultural disconnect between the educator and students. How can teachers minimize the cultural disconnect and effectively instruct students? A new pedagogical paradigm is needed, one that builds on students' cultures as a strength by connecting cultural knowledge with content knowledge. |
