About the Program:

Culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies have taken on various amalgamations throughout its 20-year history. Initially beginning as a form of multicultural practice, more recent iterations posit that it is not enough for teachers to acknowledge students’ cultures. Rather, educators must perceive themselves to be anthropologists in search of knowledge as to how students’ cultures can be authentically utilized in order to facilitate learning experiences. This includes but is not limited to restructuring curricula to meet students’ cultural interests, co-construction of lessons or feedback with students, and actively embedding elements of the community within the classroom.

For many ethnic groups in the United States, culturally responsive practice also      includes an acknowledgement of historical and social trauma that often impedes       learning. Schooling itself is a form of historical trauma as these institutions were tasked with stripping away students’ indigenous cultures for the purposes of assimilation and learning how to “do school.” From a sociological standpoint, schools have also served as sites of privilege and positionality. Segregation is still rampant throughout the country with students in certain contexts receiving minimal resources or support. Teachers who choose to work in schools that support marginalized populations must acknowledge these historical contexts and co-construct what it means to be a “good student” while validating the lived cultures of students’ lives.

This training will offer participants an opportunity to examine the role of culturally responsive practices in relation to understanding students’ trauma. The objectives for the session are:

• Participants will examine the various definitions of culturally responsive teaching.
• Participants will review the role of trauma in schooling as an institution.
• Participants will analyze examples of trauma and associated triggers within the con-text of schooling.
• Participants will review and apply methods for addressing students’ manifestation of trauma through a culturally responsive lens.

About the Presenter:

Dr. Reshma Ramkellawan-Arteaga is an educational consultant working with schools throughout New York City, the Hudson Valley and New Jersey. The scope of her work includes but is not limited to curriculum design, school turnaround, teacher coaching and leadership support. Prior to this role, she served as an assistant principal in a prominent New York City charter school. She was also an English Language Arts educator with-in the middle school setting.  With over fourteen years of experience working with students and supporting schools, Dr. Ramkellawan-Arteaga has always placed culturally responsive teaching at the core of her work. Her philosophy of education is grounded in the belief that all children have the capacity to learn. It is our responsibility to find the best methods for supporting and loving them.