Culturally responsive classroom management: awareness into action

Theory Into Practice, Autumn, 2003 by Carol Weinstein, Mary Curran, Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke

Dealing with problem behaviors

Despite the best preventive measures, all teachers eventually have to deal with problem behaviors in the classroom. What does it mean to be culturally responsive in this situation? First, culturally responsive classroom managers reflect on the kinds of behaviors they judge to be problematic and consider how these are related to race and ethnicity. For example, Black children tend to be more intense and confrontational than White children; they are more likely to challenge school personnel since they see leadership as a function of strength and forcefulness (rather than as a function of position and credentials); and they may jump into heated discussion instead of waiting for their "turn" (Irvine, 1990). Teachers who subscribe to the dominant culture are likely to see these behavioral patterns as examples of rudeness and disruptiveness, to respond with anger, and to invoke punitive measures. Alternatively, teachers who view the behaviors as reflections of cultural norms are better able to remain calm and nondefensive and to consider a variety of more constructive options (e.g., discussing classroom norms and the need for turn-taking in large groups). Indeed, they may actually come to see the benefits of allowing intensity and passion to be expressed in the classroom and broaden their definition of what is acceptable student behavior (see Delpit, this issue).

Second, culturally responsive classroom managers examine the ways that race and ethnicity influence the use of disciplinary consequences. Research repeatedly shows that African American youngsters, particularly males, are disproportionately referred for behavior problems compared to their majority counterparts (Cartledge & Milburn, 1996). Indeed, Irvine (1990) notes that Black students are 2 to 5 times more likely to be suspended at a younger age and to receive lengthier suspensions. Lipman (1968, cited in Nieto, 2000), for example, describes a case of an African American male who was given a 10-day in-school suspension for wearing the straps of his overalls unsnapped (a common fashion trend among African American males), while White students with holes cut in the thighs of their pants (also a fashion statement) were not even reprimanded.

Conclusion

Being a culturally responsive classroom manager means more than learning a few words in a student's native language or creating a bulletin board that highlights students' countries of origin. It means being willing to reflect on the ways that classroom management decisions promote or obstruct students' access to learning. Culturally responsive classroom management is a frame of mind as much as a set of strategies or practices.

Teachers who are culturally responsive managers recognize their biases and values. They reflect on how these affect their interactions with students. They ask themselves hard questions, such as "Am I more patient and encouraging with some? Am I more likely to reprimand others? Do I expect African American and Latino children to be disruptive? Do I use hair style and dress to form stereotypical judgments of my students' character and academic potential? When students violate norms, do I recommend suspension for students of color and parent conferences for students who are European American?"