The two dispositions that I believe I have made the most personal growth in this semester

are value and affirming student background knowledge and responsibility and capacity to be
culturally responsive.
According to our class handout Dispositions of Culturally Responsive Teachers, a key
component of affirming and building on student prior knowledge is constantly actively learning
about [our] students, their families, their community, their experiences, and their relationships
towards subject matter (Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, SED 322, session 8/9, n.d.). This
semester I have made an effort to shake every students hand before they enter the classroom. I
also say good morning, happy Friday, good afternoon, or simply hello with the handshake.
Being at Washington High School only one day a week, the handshake helps me to connect with
the students personally and individually the day that I do see them. Also handshake time is a
great way to touch base and connect with my students. For instance, I can briefly chat about the
Cardinals football game from the week prior, ask how their Math test went last week, or inquire
if they had fun at the Homecoming dance. By actively inquiring about my students, their
interests, and their hobbies inside and outside of school I can better connect with them while I
am teaching and adjust my Historical narrative lectures to their key interests. For examples, if I
have a class of students who are interested in sports, I can incorporate sports related historical
facts and foci in addition to standard content curricula to further promote student engagement.
The second disposition in which I fell that I have made tangible personal growth in this
semester is the ability to feel a capacity and responsibility to be culturally responsive whilst
teaching. The definition given in our class handout, states that teachers [are] [] agents of
change (Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, SED 322, session 8/9, n.d.). Indeed, especially
teaching U.S. and Arizona Government classes to seniors, the information that they learn and

take away about their political community and burgeoning political voice will be the springboard
for their potential future activism in their own community. Teaching Government I have realized
how important it is for me as the teacher to accept the role of being an agent of change and
empower my students to understand that they too have power to change different facets of life in
their community, as well as be agents of change in their own lives.

Culturally Responsive Teaching is defined by the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College as
a pedagogical perspective oriented towards placing a students cultural and social identity at the
center of an educational process meant to affirm and develop a students cultural competence,
academic achievement, and critical consciousness (Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, SED
322, session 8/9, n.d.). In my classroom, I will implement culturally responsive teaching by
focusing on the social and cultural narratives of everyday people when discussing historical
events. For instance, focusing on the American Revolution from a teenagers perspective and
how the Revolution affected them and their lives. Also, by acknowledging the cultural, social,
and ethnic makeup of my students, I can tailor my teaching to make sure we spend ample time
on their collective historical narratives (e.g. Hispanic, Mexican, Native American, African
American, etc.) while teaching the district mandated curriculum.
Critical consciousness is the principle of CRT that I will embrace the most in my
classroom. Critical consciousness, as defined by the Teachers College, is a students
development of a broader sociopolitical consciousness that allows them to critique the cultural
norms, values, morals, and institutions that produce and maintain social inequities (Mary Lou

Fulton Techers College, SED 322, session 8/9, n.d.). For it is simple to read to the Declaration of
Independence and explicitly state the hypocrisy of the statement: all men are created equal which
was written by slave owners. A more mature and critically consciousness analysis of the
Declaration of Independence takes the statement in historical context and analyzes what the
authors meant when writing the statement and how society functioned when the words were
penned. Historical context, also known as critical consciousness, is a paramount aspect of
teaching responsible objective, analytical history. An aspect that I plan to utilize every day that I
am in the classroom and one tool that I will impart to my students.

Suspending judgement, simply put is to not judge a book by its cover. When interacting
with students, parents, and colleagues I have to remain cognizant that I do not possess all the
facts concerning everyday situations that arise in and out of the workplace. Therefore, when I
suspend my judgement I can allow for the facts of the situation to present themselves, objectively
analyze the situation and circumstances, and then proceed to identify possible resolutions.
Following this simple protocol when dealing with students, parents, and colleagues will allow for
me to suspend judgement and make sure that I do not hastily analyze and negatively categorize a
situation.
Asset based thinking is focusing on the good of a bad situation. When dealing with a
difficult student, parent, and/or colleague it is best to focus on what assets they do possess
instead of just focusing on the negative behavior that is causing friction. Specifically when
dealing with a talkative student who often disrupts class, I can focus on their vocal and creative

conservational style and ask them to help plan a skit for class or some other vocal and active
presentation in which their can utilize their effervescent communication skills.
Interpersonal awareness means that I am cognizant of how I am perceived by others. My
actions whether they be verbal, nonverbal, or passive body language are under constant scrutiny
because I am a teacher and a leader in the classroom. The professional competency is especially
important during parent teacher conferences. Some parents I will be meeting for the first time
and have to tell them that their precious angel is either not behaving maturely in school and/or
not producing academically appropriate work. How I come across to other people, whether it be
my students, parents, or colleagues is vital to my professional reputation. I need to always be
vigilant about my actions (verbal and nonverbal) can be interpreted and judged and make sure to
clear up any ambiguous or misconceived actions on my part.
Imagine stepping into a hula hoop, what is inside my hula hoop is my area that I have
control of, also known as my locus of control. As a teacher I have to remain vigilant as to what I
actually do and do not have control over. In high school, I see students one hour a day. For that
one hour I need to be a role model for that student. If that student comes to me with a problem
e.g. parent is drinking heavily) I can refer them to the school counselor of proper authorities and
have the professionals help the student. Then, acknowledging my locus of control, I can give the
student more time if needed to complete homework assignments because of their chaotic home
life. What is not in my locus of control is to take the student under my wing and start calling
social agencies to help them and involve myself into their life. Whatever the situation may be,
with whomever (student, colleague, or parent) I have to stay inside of my hula hoop, period.
One example of creating a learning environment in History that is consistent with
culturally responsive teaching is having students use the language of historical record of the time

as the sole research tools for their written assignments. For instance when studying the
Progressive Era (1890s-1920s America) students will be asked to write and argumentative paper
either for or against an historic social, political, or economic issue of the day using rhetoric of
that time to further their argument. Womens suffrage would be an issue that one student would
write a paper in favor of and another student would write a paper opposed to allowing women
the right to vote, utilizing documents of the time as primary and secondary sources to further
their argument. By having the students use historical evidence of the people who witnessed a
specific time period, the students build up their level of historical empathy and can then better
gauge how and why people of the past made the decisions that they did.
To further promote historical empathy and culturally responsive teaching n my classroom
I would ask students who hold emotionally charged feelings about a certain issue to debate the
other side in order to help them open up their own eyes to differing viewpoints and the modus
operandi behind the difference in opinion. For instance, when dividing the class into two distinct
groups, those for nuclear weapons and those against nuclear weapons, for an upcoming debate
concerning the Cold War, I would poll the class, find out who was for and against and then
assign them to the opposite side for the debate. By having the students argue the opposite
opinion of which they hold, will in turn stretch their thinking and allow them to be able to see
how the other side constructs their argument. By being able to see the other side of a
controversial issue, students will be better able to determine the validity of political arguments,
controversial issues, and complicated decisions that they may have to make in their life.

References

Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. (n.d.). Dispositions of Culturally Responsive Teachers, SED
322, session 8/9 [PDF Document]. Retrieved from
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