How to Teach a Culturally Responsive English Class and Respond to Those Who Say You Shouldn’t

Culturally responsive teaching tells students that their life experiences matter and helps students connect to the curriculum. The practice is well suited to teaching English classes, but many communities are rejecting culturally responsive teaching. In this episode, we talk about teaching a culturally responsive English class and responding to those who are critical of the practice.

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Stephanie Smith Budhai, PhD, is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Department at Drexel University and co-author of “Culturally Responsive Teaching Online and In-Person: An Action Planner for Dynamic Equitable Learning Environments“. Stephanie is a certified K-12 teacher and has spent over a decade helping pre-service and in-service teachers develop their capacity to use culturally sustaining, decolonized, and anti-racist pedagogies in their teaching. Stephanie is the co-chair of the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE) Culture and Climate committee, and is on the board of the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Association of Multicultural Education.
Jacquelyn Fabian, a Senior Manager of Candidate Experience focused on DEI at The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, is a former English and Social Studies teacher and school leader. She leads professional development on antiracist practices and culturally responsive teaching and is a member of the Teach to Change Now Collaborative.
Marina Rodriguez is a 6th-grade dual language arts teacher at a Title I school, in College Station, Texas. She has taught in a dual language program for 16 years, leads an after-school writing club for multilingual students, and is a former co-author of Two Writing Teachers. She can be reached through her website, marinarodz.com or on Twitter.

Jennifer Yoo-Brannon is a teacher and instructional coach in El Monte, California, with over 16 years of experience teaching high school students, mentoring teachers, and designing and facilitating professional learning. Jennifer’s passions include: building collective teacher efficacy, designing meaningful professional learning, and fostering emotional resilience among all educators. She is an Edsurge Voices of Change Writing Fellow and has written for Edsurge and The California Educator.