The primary purpose of school is to provide students with a quality education.  Every student is different, they all learn different ways, and some have special needs that need to be met.  Through examination, these needs can be met in different ways, but the responsibility for meeting these needs is left to teachers, parents, and other leaders in the state and school district.  These people have to be responsive to the needs of the students.

Before determining the exact needs of the students that need to be met in the classroom, the teacher should assess the students.  When learning how a student learns best, maybe a formal assessment is inappropriate.  However, it may be beneficial for the instructor to teach a lesson that will allow the students to work in different ways.  Maybe for a period of time, the students will do independent work, and then later they may work in small groups.  Or maybe one day in class, the students will do a discovery lesson that requires some hands on activities.  Learning about the best strategy for the student may take a few days or even a week, but it’s worth taking the time to learn.  Once the teacher sees what’s best for that student he/she will know how to prepare for future lessons.  

While teachers are required to teach a specific curriculum, some students may need to learn some other information.  Maybe a student didn’t quite master a prerequisite skill needed to complete an algebra course, for example.  In such a situation, the instructor may need to take some extra time to teach the student or review the material.  To get an idea of where all of the students in the class are, the teacher could give an ungraded quiz to the students during the first week of school before any lessons are taught.  The results of the quiz could allow the teacher to see where to begin reviewing or teaching for the school year.     

When I hear the phrase “Culturally Responsive”, I think about various cultures.  Different people from different backgrounds, generally, have different ways of working and learning.  Some cultures are very people oriented and the members of the cultures are accustomed to working together in groups to accomplish a common goal.  In the classroom, to be responsive to someone who is used to this, a teacher may find it beneficial for the student to work with a group of students to better explore and understand a concept of a lesson.  An instructor needs to observe all of the students in the class and make note of what works best for them.  Some students may come from a community that learns best with their hands.  Other students may come from a culture that is used to working independently and discovering things alone.  Regardless of how a culture learns best, the teacher should be mindful of it and meet those needs of the students accordingly.  Meeting those needs may mean group work, self discovery lessons, or interactive activities.  However the teacher sees fit, he/she must strive to meet the needs of the students. 

Meeting the needs of the classroom and the school at large is (or at least should be) a part of the school’s mission.  Throughout my personal education experience, I’ve witnessed schools support their own causes and missions, but I’ve found that they have even more success in reaching their goals when they gain the support of others. 

Many teachers reach out to parents by sending home notes and newsletters and by having them sign off on their students’ homework assignments and agendas.  Schools often have Parent Teacher Association (PTA) events to encourage parents to get involved with the children.  Through the letters, associations, and the events, parents are informed of the things going on in the school and with their children.

We live in a diverse society.  As a result of such diversity, we see that not all of the students in a classroom learn the same way.  When presenting a new concept or skill, teachers should take this into consideration and try to accommodate the various styles of learning in the classroom.  Before starting a lesson, teachers should not just assume students know all they need to know to begin a new topic, but should assess their knowledge to see what things they may need to learn in order to better understand a new topic.  Also, students are often more engaged in school when their parents and their communities support the school.  Through special events and letters, parents and communities can be informed of the things going on in the school and may be opted to support the mission.