Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Streams of Life Counseling & Educational Services, LLC

Second Presenter's Institution

Streams of Life Counseling & Educational Services, LLC

Third Presenter's Institution

NA

Fourth Presenter's Institution

NA

Fifth Presenter's Institution

NA

Location

Session 6 (Westbrook)

Strand #1

Academic Achievement & School Leadership

Strand #2

Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

This workshop proposal about cultural-responsive educational practices (CREP) is applicable and relevant to all five of the NYAR conference strands – Head, Heart, Hands, Health and Home. Educators, Administrator, Professional Student Support Staff, Students, Parents, Families and Community Partners (all stakeholders) working together using the factors of culture and climate to foster a positive engaging, academically challenging, safe and supportive learning environment is an essential best practice.

Brief Program Description

The aim of this interactive workshop for educators and administrators is to promote cultural awareness and reflect on the impact that our own cultural influences have on the teaching and learning process. This interactive session will also allow professional educators and leaders to apply culturally informed practices to foster positive school climate, learning and academic achievement relevant to a widely diverse student population. The workshop strives to encourage dialogue between educators, administrators and interdisciplinary/inter-agency team members through the application of evidence-based practices for the development of a deeper understanding of ourselves and how our views as educators, schools and districts impact on students’ academic achievement, social and emotional skills, safety, mental and physical health as well as support family and community engagement in schools.

Summary

The objectives of this workshop are to promote school districts, school level faculty and staff members’ exploration and/or expansion of their abilities to identify the impact of their personal cultural influences when working with diverse student populations. Cultural Sensitivity, awareness is a frequent and ongoing process of learning and unlearning about diversity. Educators and Administrators being able to identify their own cultural influences and the culture in their districts, schools and classroom is a MUST for establishing the best action plans to create successful student learning environments. Educators and Administrators being able to address the parts of their school cultures that are harmful or positive is important to creating safe and positive student learning environments. Educators and Administrators need to take every opportunity to expand their knowledge and expertise by increasing their understanding of the meaning of being culturally informed and creating positive school and classroom climates. The Essential Question is -Do we as Educators and Administrators really understand the meaning of “Culturally Informed-Sensitive” Educational Practices? Through our interactive workshop, we will be engaging, encouraging each other as fellow educators to really explore our own ideas about culture, climate and test the limits. Let’s dive deeper in our conversations about the way stereotypes have changed our perspectives. Let’s learn and unlearn that which serves us purpose in relationship to the way we view the world and how these views of the world impact on educating today’s diverse student populations.

Evidence

Years of research have been conducted on culture, poverty, brain-based learning and positive school climate. Many of us as educators have attended various workshops on ways to appropriately educate poor children and diverse student populations while meeting their emotional and social learning needs in schools. Some well-respected researchers such as Ruby Payne, Eric Jensen, Lisa Depit, Crystal Kuykendall, and Bonnie Davis to name a few have written books, taught courses, conducted workshops, developed webinars as well as YouTube videos on evidenced-based practices. These amazing leaders in education have and are continuously working to increase our understanding as educators about the impact of culture on school climate in connection to educating diverse learners, understanding the impact of poverty and the need for emotional safety by these same students to promote academic achievement. Although, first before we as scholars can implement some these proven evidence-based, Educational Practices, we must understand ourselves as educators/administrators and how our “Cultural Lens” affect the way we teach and establish district and school climates. The purpose of this interactive workshop is to begin and/or revisit for some the conversation about culture’s impact on school climate.

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Rená Glass-Dixon is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Therapist in private practice, a retired educator and professional school social worker, a Past SSWAG President with over 35 years of varied experience in the fields of social work and mental health. Also, She has presented conference workshops for NASW-GA, SSWAG, District 4-SSWAG on Cultural Competency and Self-Care. She has recently been invited to facilitate an “Essential Conversation on “Equity Dilemma/Cultural Competence” for the SWAA 2020 National Conference.

Dr. Shelbie Dixon-Brown is an Educator in the Public Schools system with over 12 years of experience as a teacher and leader. She is also a gifted educator and researcher. Her research interests are in professional development of educators of the gifted and talented, and recruiting and retaining culturally different students in the gifted population. She is a member of the World Council of Gifted and Talented Children and was recently recognized by the organization at their 23rd Biennial World Conference as having the best poster presented by an early career researcher.

Keyword Descriptors

Culture, climate, schools, evidence-based research, best practices, culturally responsive-sensitive, educators, students.

Presentation Year

2020

Start Date

3-10-2020 1:00 PM

End Date

3-10-2020 2:15 PM

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Mar 10th, 1:00 PM Mar 10th, 2:15 PM

“Re/Imagining Culturally Responsive Educational Practices (CREP) and Effectively Implementing CREP to Meet The Needs of a Diverse Student Population”

Session 6 (Westbrook)

The aim of this interactive workshop for educators and administrators is to promote cultural awareness and reflect on the impact that our own cultural influences have on the teaching and learning process. This interactive session will also allow professional educators and leaders to apply culturally informed practices to foster positive school climate, learning and academic achievement relevant to a widely diverse student population. The workshop strives to encourage dialogue between educators, administrators and interdisciplinary/inter-agency team members through the application of evidence-based practices for the development of a deeper understanding of ourselves and how our views as educators, schools and districts impact on students’ academic achievement, social and emotional skills, safety, mental and physical health as well as support family and community engagement in schools.