Culturally Responsive Teaching within the Common Core Math Modules

Abstract

The Common Core State Standards aim to provide each child throughout the United States with the same educational opportunities regardless of economic status, gender, or state of residence. Within the goals of the common core standards the main priority is for all students to graduate and be college and career ready. This drastic shift in education has brought upon its own challenges and restrictions. Many teachers have been left wondering, how can they teach the new common core math modules while continuing to teach considering the students’ culture and individual needs? Every child has their own unique needs whether educational or emotional. Each child also brings with them a home culture unique to that student. Each student has a specific way by which she/he learns best, whether they learn best through music, movement or visual or musical kinesthetic approaches. As educators we are well aware that each child brings with her/him a plethora of experiences, and specific educational and emotional needs which must be addressed in order to educate students successfully. As the common core standards become an integral part of education today, educators, administrators, and parents are feeling the pressure to adapt quickly to the new expectations. Teachers are feeling the added pressure of teaching using culturally responsive strategies to fit the specific needs of their students. Geneva Gay, professor of multicultural education at the University of Washington-Seattle states culturally responsive teaching “Uses culture and experiences of different ethnic groups as a launch pad to teach more effectively” (Chinn, Chinn & Gay, 2005). Within culturally responsive teaching teachers are able to teach cultural awareness while scaffolding to fit individual educational and emotional needs. Educators across the country would agree that teaching to meet the individual needs of students based on their background knowledge is an effective teaching strategy that takes time and skill. Given the drastic changes in education today educators are left to wonder how this can be done. Will the CCSS provide diverse students with the same quality education?