Supporting Elementary General Education Teachers In Creating a Welcoming and Inclusive Classroom Community Through the Implementation of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Abstract

As I work with English Language Learners (ELLs) I notice a lack of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) being implemented in the K-6 general education classroom. Therefore, I wanted to acquire an understanding of the practices and perspectives of general education teachers who implement CRP to identify how it helps in creating a welcoming and inclusive classroom community. I utilize Krashen’s (1982) second language acquisition theory (SLA) as a lens to explore my overarching question: How to support general education teachers in grades K-6 in creating a welcoming and inclusive classroom community through the implementation of culturally relevant pedagogy? The challenges that noticeably create this problem are: insufficient teacher preparation programs, a lack of understanding about ELLs’ social and cultural needs, and an absence of opportunities, strategies, and support systems for general education teachers. To mitigate this problem I am providing K-6 general education teachers with a Professional Development (PD) that occurs over 3 sessions during the school year. The intended goal of my PD is for participants to become knowledgeable about CRP and how to implement it, as well as gain a support system. An anticipated outcome and implication of my research and product is that ELLs will be fully welcomed and integrated into the classroom community.