Opinion: The CRT we should all be concerned about

“Does anyone have a celebration?” I asked my 6th-graders. A small hand shot up. “I do. Today is the beginning of Ramadan,” Adeela said joyfully as she shared the details of one of the most important religious holidays of her culture. She later asked if she could rest in my office during gym because she was fasting and tired easily. I realized I never thought about the possibility of students fasting and how it might impact them.

Adeela reminded me that I must do a better job of knowing the needs of all my students, not just those who share my religion or culture, as well as the importance of building classroom communities where students feel safe sharing their backgrounds and interests. I must be aware of my own worldview and how it can impact relationships, how I teach, and the resources I use.  This is what it means for me to be a culturally responsive teacher. I believe all educators should focus their resources and efforts on making our classrooms culturally responsive and inclusive.

One of the main components of this work for me is building positive relationships. Celebrating culture is one way to build trust and learn about the differences that make us who we are. Establishing and abiding by classroom norms that include respect for oneself and others is essential. I must also communicate that all students can achieve high expectations; students who know I believe in them are more inclined to believe in themselves. Neuroscience tells us that students who feel safe and respected can access background knowledge and make connections needed for higher order thinking.

As a student, I was competitive and valued personal achievement. Students with strong cultural connections to countries in South America, Central America, Asia, and Africa, for example, value an approach where collaboration and relationships are paramount. To avoid privileging one group of learners over the other, I must provide students with opportunities to work individually and together. Storytelling provides all students with opportunities to share their cultural identities while developing literacy and learning content.

Culturally responsive teachers use texts comprised of various voices. Students must have access to stories that reflect their interests, told from the point of view of people who share their lived experiences. Students who see themselves represented in classroom materials are better engaged and can connect new learning to prior knowledge. Along with traditional books, for instance, culturally responsive teachers provide access to novels like The House on Mango Street, Inside Out & Back Again, and Brown Girl Dreaming. The use of diverse texts communicates that the stories of all people matter and all students can be heard and seen as writers, poets and playwrights.

Despite sharing the acronym CRT, culturally responsive teaching is not Critical Race Theory, a legal framework based on the core idea that race is a social construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also embedded in legal systems and policies. While there is now a heated debate about Critical Race Theory and education, I believe that as educators, we should focus our resources and efforts on providing equitable learning opportunities for our students. We must be culturally responsive educators. 

I received an email from Adeela with words that every teacher cherishes, “You are an amazing teacher, and I am really glad to be a part of your class!!!” I am moved not because she thinks I’m amazing, but because she feels a sense of belonging in my classroom, a place where she is free to be who she is with confidence. In my classroom, she has the tools to learn, work, and grow. There is no limit to what she can do. 

Castañón-Hernandez is the middle and high school theatre director and fine arts department chair at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders in Austin. She is a Teach Plus Texas Senior Policy Fellow.