Culturally Responsive Back to School Activities: Creating a Welcoming Classroom
As educators, we know that the beginning of the school year can be a make-or-break moment when it comes to establishing a positive classroom culture. And whether we’re teaching in-person or online, creating an inclusive and welcoming environment should always be a top priority. But how exactly can we achieve this? The answer is through culturally responsive teaching practices that aim to honor and respect our students’ diverse backgrounds and experiences. In this blog post, we’ll explore three back to school activities that are both fun and culturally responsive.
1. Surveys to Learn About Students:
One of the first steps towards creating a culture of inclusivity is to get to know our students, and one way to achieve this is through surveys. Surveys may include questions about students' interests, family background, preferred learning styles, hobbies, and languages spoken at home, among other things. By understanding our students’ backgrounds and experiences, we can ensure that our teaching is sensitive to their cultural differences and that our classroom is inclusive. In addition, conducting anonymous surveys can help to identify academic and social-emotional needs and customize instruction accordingly. Here are three surveys to get you started.
2. Where I'm From Poems
“Where I'm From” poems, inspired by a poem by George Ella Lyon, are another creative way to promote an inclusive, welcoming environment. This poem prompts students to write about their lives, including family, culture, and experiences that inform their identity. It’s a great way to encourage students to reflect on their lives and share aspects of themselves with their classmates. These poems can also be used as a tool for building empathy, as it allows for students to gain some insight into the experiences and perspectives of their classmates. This product has everything you need to implement tomorrow.
3. STEM Activities that Foster Group Work and Collaboration
Incorporating STEM-based activities that promote group work and collaboration is another effective way of creating an inclusive classroom. STEM activities provide a plethora of opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to come together and utilize their unique skills and perspectives to solve problems collaboratively. STEM projects foster a shared sense of achievement where all group members have their roles and their views respected. Through STEM projects, students learn teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. It is a good way to let them know they are valued members of the classroom community. Here are five that you can do with your students for the whole week.
As we welcome back our students, it is critical that we strive to create an inclusive, welcoming classroom by implementing culturally-responsive strategies. These strategies allow us to better understand our students, honor their backgrounds and experiences, and facilitate meaningful group work, all while maintaining academic rigor. These three back-to-school activities provide some ideas to get us started. Let's all remember that making a positive impact on our students begins with creating a culture of inclusivity where all students feel welcome, seen, and respected so that they can thrive.
References:
Lyon, G. E. (1999). Where I'm from. Also published in Where I'm From, Where Poems Come From. Absey & Company.
Lori, A., & Gerlak, J. (2018). Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Corwin Press.
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