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Victor Partida
Catheryn Shelton
SED222
I believe that all dispositions of culturally responsive teaching are crucial and needed
hand to hand to successfully achieve the goal aimed by culturally responsive teaching. However,
the most important to me would have to be knowing about students lives. This disposition
means what it literally entails. Getting to know students both as students and as humans is
extremely important. Once you have such understanding of them one can incorporate some of
their interests to better connect and educate. This semester I learned that my interning classes
were big fans of hip hop music. I took this into consideration and during the scramble for Africa
topic (world history) I presented them with a hip hop song that corresponds with the topic.
Reformer Christine Sleeter (2013) observed a classroom in where the teacher got to know her
students and developed curriculum reflective of the student population (p. 69). As a result,
student attention and academics improved significantly. But aside from this, learning about
student lives is important because we find out beyond what is in the classroom. As educators we
are there to educate, mold, and help students both in and out the classroom. Once we get to know
students lives we begin to strengthen all other dispositions, so in a way this disposition is the
I also think that all professional competencies are important in the world of teaching. In
my opinion suspending judgement is the most important as it is the first step to being an amazing
Partida 2
educator and human. To begin with, I think it is important to know that biases are negative
messages that we have gathered in regard to the intelligence, competence, motivation, or value of
different groups of people. These biases can imprint false images of students, parents, and other
coworkers. Once we are aware of biases we can work to suspend judgment. As stated by Herbert
Kohl (1993) many of the teachers he worked with had biases towards African-American children
and treated them differently. As a result, these kids often fell behind in school (p. 8). By
suspending judgement, I will see all students as equal which will allow me to deliver a quality
education to every student who steps in my class. This would also allow me to better
communicate with parents as they will see that I am a righteous teacher who respects their
students and thus them. Suspending judgement will also label me as a good person among my
References
Kohl, H. (1993). I won't Learn From You (pp. 6-8). N.p.: Milkweed
Sleeter, C. (2013). Power, Teaching, and Teacher Education (pp. 67-72). N.p.: Peter Lang Inc.