SupportEd
SupportEd
Resource Library Resource Library

Culturally Responsive Teaching Culturally Responsive Teaching

What is culturally responsive teaching? Importance to MLs SupportEd’s approach

Culturally responsive teaching is an assets-based approach to teaching MLs that leverages students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds to support learning. This approach prioritizes learning about and building relationships with MLs, their families, and their communities.  

Culturally responsive teaching is essential for MLs in that it creates space for students’ backgrounds and experiences to be understood and valued. It prioritizes an assets-based view of all students. Culturally responsive teaching also creates opportunities for MLs to share differing ideas and perspectives and learn from one another. These practices result in a safe and supportive learning environment for MLs while at the same time fostering high expectations of all students.  

The SupportEd team frame their work in culturally responsive teaching around five guiding principles grounded by principle one: an assets-based approach to MLs and their families. Instructional practice is focused on supporting and challenging students, putting students at the center of the learning, and leveraging students’ linguistic and culturally backgrounds. Additionally, relationship building with MLs’ families and communities is prioritized. SupportEd provides various solutions and practical tools to help build your understanding and implementation of these five guiding principles of culturally responsive teaching. For a more detailed understanding of the guiding principles of culturally responsive teaching, check out chapter 1 of Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity. 

culturally responsive teaching illustration

Printables Printables

Cultural Awareness, Knowledge, Skills

Self Assessment

Free printable resource from SupportEd to promote Culturally Responsive Teaching: Cultural Awareness, Knowledge and Skills SupportEd

 Culturally Responsive Instruction

Checklist & Goal Setting

Free printable resource from SupportEd to promote culturally responsive teaching: Culturally Responsive Checklist and Goal Setting

Deficit-Based ML Policies and Solutions

Editable Guide

Free printable resource from SupportEd for promoting culturally responsive teaching: Deficit-Based ML Policies and Solutions

Exploring Inequity in My Context

Editable Guide

Free printable resource from SupportEd to promote culturally responsive teaching: Exploring Inequity in My Context-SupportEd

SupportEd Lessons

Unit Planning Tool

SupportEd-Lessions-Unit Planning-Tool-English-Learners

What I Know About My MLs

Editable Guide

Learning about my English Learner students-guide_SupportEd

Books Books

Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity

In this innovative book, Sydney Snyder and Diane Staehr Fenner share practical, replicable ways you can draw from students’ strengths and promote multilingual learners’ success within and beyond your own classroom walls.

Self-Paced Learning Self-Paced Learning

Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners

Online Book Study

Self-paced book study for Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity by Dr. Sydney Snyder and Dr. Diane Staehr Fenner

Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners

Online Course

Self-paced Application Course on Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners

Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies and Tools

Online Course

Self-paced Collaborative Course from SupportEd on Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies and Tools

Webinars Webinars

Culturally Responsive Teaching for MLs: Tools for Equity Corwin Webinar Culturally Responsive Teaching for MLs: Tools for Equity Corwin Webinar

Culturally responsive teaching is an essential practice to equitably educate MLs. However, understanding what it looks like when implemented in schools and classrooms can be challenging to pin down. Together, we’ll:
• Discuss the importance of culturally responsive teaching in educating MLs
• Share our five guiding principles for integrating culturally responsive teaching for MLs and their families
• Explore look-fors, tools, and strategies to support the five guiding principles
• Reflect on how the culturally responsive teaching principles can be applied in your context

Podcasts Podcasts

Culturally Responsive Teaching for MLs with Tan Huynh Culturally Responsive Teaching for MLs with Tan Huynh

Sydney Snyder, PhD and Diane Staehr Fenner, PhD, share the five principles of culturally responsive teaching for Multilingual Learners with Tan Huynh. Tan Huynh is a career teacher, consultant, and author specializing in language acquisition and literacy development. Tan has taught students from fifth to tenth grade in public, private, charter, and international schools. He has servedas a language specialist and is currently a secondary social studies teacher.

Articles Articles