How Race Impacts Learning & Teaching at Our School: Multiple Perspectives III

My colleagues' eloquent responses to our race and teaching professional development article continue:

"Building relationships is an important part of developing and maintaining a racially and ethnically responsible school environment. When students witness staff members caring about each other and the students in the school in a genuine manner they are more likely to care about themselves and the work they are doing. To piggy back off of what [another colleague] said, “When I was in school my teachers all cared about me and talked to me frequently about how things were going. I also had parents who were on top of me to make sure I was doing what I was supposed to” It was the same for me, so I didn’t want to disappoint my family or my teachers by doing poorly.  

Today, I feel that building strong relationships with students will help instill those same thoughts in them and hopefully regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or family view on education that at least for the 8 hours we have them each day we can help bridge the gap. Part of the article that I found especially relevant to how culture impacts teaching and learning at [our school] was analyzing how we build relationships, 'Respecting and being interested in students experiences and cultural backgrounds,' I think that at [our school] we are all very invested in the lives of our students and make it a priority to not just know about them but to be “interested” in them even when we get the same little stories time after time.  

I think that our interest in them makes them a little more comfortable and committed. By doing the work we do day in and day out, building relationships with students, peers and families but recognizing that we still have work to do, we are able to create a responsible school environment at [our school]."

"I agree that the key to success for our students  is a delicate balance of content, expectations, and interpersonal skills. Know yourself, know your content, and most importantly, know your students. Let students know that you care about them in a truly genuine manner. Relationship building and rapport, coupled with rigor, high expectations and persistence, is absolutely critical in helping our students to thrive and flourish academically and personally."

"I also agree that relationship building is key to success no matter what the race of a child.  I think this is important for our entire staff not only teachers. I am so glad to have a wonderful paraeducator. She has spent countless hours looking through student files, helping with students during class and Bobcat Time and her determination at getting to know each student shows. Not only does she know the students that need support, but she connects with all the students in the classroom. They feel very comfortable coming to her and asking for help just as often as they come to me. It’s great to see that someone else in our building is trying to form positive and lasting relationships with our students. I think that we need to encourage the whole staff to find ways to connect with students on a daily basis."

"I would like to see more discussion or info. on racially/culturally responsive teaching strategies specifically."

"I feel very lucky to be teaching in this school.  Of course I don’t know everyone, but the teachers I do know appear to accept and practice what is being shared in the article.  We care about our kids and enjoy getting to know them as kids – not just data points to review and analyze.  I believe that comes naturally when teachers truly like kids – and I believe we at [our school] really LIKE kids and being with kids.  And I mean kids as a whole – regardless of cultural background.  All kids have individual needs – culture is just one of many.  I truly believe we do that here.  I feel like these articles and lessons preach to the choir.

“'Ganas' is what I have a difficult time with.  I have a great desire to motivate my kids to succeed, but getting them to want this has always been my greatest challenge.  Sure, I have successes, but it’s the failures that concern me.  Again, this is worrisome regardless of the child’s background.

Part of the article was bothersome to me.  I felt rather insulted reading, 'Valenzuela located the problem of student underachievement not in students’ identities or in family culture or poverty, but rather in uncaring school-based relationships and ineffective organizational structures.' NOT HERE.

What I need to know is what “culturally relevant pedagogy” looks like. We’ve seen our peers sharing great lessons teaching to different learning styles, but what does a culturally sensitive lesson look like?   If someone asked me that question of course I could come up with an answer, but I would like to know if what I am saying is truly what is expected of me. I am a visual learner. I need to see it.

I could go on and on, but I think perhaps that’s enough."


"I see the definite benefit of building relationships with students—getting to know a child and who they are and where they come from allows you to see and hear differences between us. By getting to know my students, I can see where they have strengths and weaknesses, in the hopes of building their weaknesses, without taking away their strength. As a teacher, I have tried to add different activities that can address a variety of learning styles to allow all students for success. With the new curriculum, I have not been as creative because I have been trying to reach the key concepts for all (READ: same high standards for all). My hope is that in the next year, I am able to work with Beth and Ellen to find alternative topics/activities/and labs that meet the standards AND relate to each individuals’ learning styles (English teachers—I apologize for any grammatical errors…). I ramble on because I feel that race and learning are similar.  I have found that if I am unsure or if I have a question about a topic or background or cultural aspect that I take time to ask—not necessarily (and usually not) in front of the class, but students will usually share. My odds of getting an answer increase if I tell the student why I am asking (for clarity, for information, etc.) and then tell about what takes place in my own personal culture.  (I always enjoy hearing about holiday traditions because it gives us common ground to perhaps holidays not common to all.)


I think that having continuous conversations about race and how we can embrace our differences AND our similarities, that we will continue to move forward.  I love to see what one colleague has had happen with the group of guys that she is working with to peer mentor (the Wolf Pack, as she has called them). This teacher has empowered students of various backgrounds to teach their peers and reinforcing that what they have to say is important and worth sharing with a friend. As a staff (speaking from the point of view from a non-ILT member), we need to continue to TALK about race---not being TALKED to, but share with each other  and really listen. I think that the study circles were helpful for this—and could be (and have been) for students as well. Continuations:   Edline messages, Connect Ed, Hispanic Parents Group, African American Parent Group, Language Line, supporting minority students in the higher level classes and sending the message that “You are smart and you can do this!”, professional development opps during the school day, study circles, modeled strategies…"

"I also agree that relationship building is key to success no matter what the race of a child.  I think this is important for our entire staff not only teachers.  I am so glad to have a wonderful paraeducator in Judy Koval.  She has spent countless hours looking through student files, helping with students during class and Bobcat Time and her determination at getting to know each student shows.  Not only does she know the students that need support, but she connects with all the students in the classroom.  They feel very comfortable coming to her and asking for help just as often as they come to me.  It’s great to see that someone else in our building is trying to form positive and lasting relationships with our students.  I think that we need to encourage the whole staff to find ways to connect with students on a daily basis."


"I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughtful comments this week. Here are some things I’ve been thinking about.

Even though we all have the best of intentions, race very much impacts teaching and learning at [our school], as evidenced by our test scores, grade distribution, referral data, and so on.

There’s no easy answer for this. Race and ethnicity have invisible and pervasive effects on how we see ourselves, how we communicate to one another, and how we interact with one another, no matter how much we may wish otherwise.

I read a fascinating book by Malcolm Gladwell over break called Outliers. One chapter was called “The Ethnic Component of Plane Crashes.” I can’t do justice to it here, but the chapter basically explained how the airline industry used a study of culture to improve communication in the cockpit and thus reduce airline crashes. One of the case studies they cited frequently was a crash in which US air controllers (US= Low Power Distance Culture; inclined to think everyone is equal; values direct communication) did not interpret the last transmissions of a cockpit crew from a High Power Distance Culture (more likely to respect authority, less inclined to value direct communication). The crew couldn’t get the Kennedy control tower to understand that they had no fuel as a result of being rerouted several times due to bad weather. The controllers didn’t understand that when the crew said, “We’re low on fuel” meant they were OUT of fuel (apparently most planes come in with fuel tanks almost completely empty).  The last thing on the flight’s blackbox recording was a comment about how the NY controllers “sounded mad.” The plane crashed and the crew died.

I thought this was just fascinating. I’m sure this type of miscommunication occurs throughout the school day (not air traffic control mishaps, but you get the idea).  My “take away” idea from this chapter is that I can’t forget that every time I speak and act, culture and race are part of “my transmission” . Other parts of the book discussed the impact of class on how parents foster children’s interests and talents (a topic I’d like to read more about).

Our best way to develop and maintain a racially and ethnically responsible school environment is to continue on the path we have begun with by continuing to have Study Circles and being committed to open and honest communication with one another."

"What stayed with me after reading this article is how often we sometimes will overlook how different cultures can help us in the classroom. In my classroom, I use this to my advantage—we compare Spanish traditions to American ones as well as to those present in students’ lives as my students come from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Asia, etc. In addition, coming from a multicultural family, I had stereotypes compared against me growing up. Whereas instead, my teachers should have embraced the fact that I have parents from two different cultures and it has made me broaden my own knowledge and cultural awareness of the world. In our classrooms, we need to share everyone’s cultures.

I think our school environment could definitely improve by stressing at the beginning of a school year and throughout the year (of course) how important it is to get to know one another—not only students and their peers but also the teacher. We should involve parents more in embracing the racial and ethnic differences present in our school as well so that they can continue to work with their children at home and help them gain understanding into the value of this issue. Students have so many different perspectives all influenced by their own culture and we need to help them teach others and foster their growth."

"One thing that really struck me in reading this article was on page 68, top paragraph, where it talks about academic rigor.  A direct quote from the article reads, “Compelling evidence shows that when teachers hold high expectations for students who have been marginalized by their schooling experiences, student learning is enhanced, as long as high expectations are linked to greater resources and support (Ferguson, 2004).”  I couldn’t agree more about the need for high expectations and academic rigor for all students .  I think it’s safe to say that MCPS also believes in high expectations and rigor.  Unfortunately, more than ever in the wake of economic recession and budget cuts, we find ourselves lacking in the areas of greater resources and support.  I’d love to see more research devoted to how we can most effectively provide high expectations and rigor while class sizes are simultaneously growing, the budget for support staff is shrinking, and our overall resources that we can make available to our students in our schools is shrinking.  On second thought, maybe any funding available for such research should be diverted to beefing up those resources and supports we so desperately need for our students."

"Two things-

First thing-

I think that it is interesting that of all of the responses I have read (plus the one I wrote) [one another colleague's] is the only one that cites our data.

“…as evidenced by our test scores, grade distribution, referral data, and so on.”

Second thing-

Many of the responses people posted identify [our] staff as people who follow the practices suggested in the article, research, and staff development. I believe I am someone who follows the practices set forth in the article and in staff development.

So what I wonder is… why do we have achievement and discipline data that is predictable by race?"

Now, that, my friends, is a question ALL educators need to seriously ask themselves.