The Need to Create Culturally Responsive Teachers: Implications for Teacher Education Programs

Using nine reflections as a centerpiece, this paper aims to inform readers about the power that an international travel experience and/or practica in dual-language environments can have in becoming a more effective teacher, a culturally responsive teacher. Students with diverse backgrounds (that are different from their teacher) may have extra difficulty communicating or expressing their thoughts and ideas. Teachers need to recognize these difficulties and respond appropriately and in a constructivist manner to encourage and promote student learning. If students? needs are rejected, teachers could generate student resistance towards learning and lose the valuable opportunity to hear diverse perspectives on a variety of issues. Throughout this paper, I will compare and share reflections I gathered from observations of mainstream and sheltered learning environments for ELLs (English language learners). These shared reflections will serve as an example of what it means to be a culturally responsive teacher. I will also explore how teacher education programs could ensure pre-service teachers are exposed to the pedagogies and practices needed to become CRTs.