similarities between CRCM and differentiated instruction

In the Bondy-et-al article, CRCM (culturally responsive classroom management) is described as a way that teachers can use their understanding of their students’ cultural backgrounds to connect with their students and manage the classroom in a way that is effective and sensitive to the students’ varying backgrounds. It reminds me a lot of differentiated instruction, in which a teacher takes into account students’ varying academic backgrounds while creating lessons and leading the classroom. Many parallels can be made between examples of CRCM in the article and typical examples of differentiated instruction.

On page 328, the article reads: “Consequently, teachers may inappropriately judge culturally defined actions as resistant. For example, Thompson (2004) noted that loudly talking, a common African American cultural characteristic, is often misinterpreted as defiance. Viewing a behavior as a manifestation of difference in culture suggests one should teach alternative behaviors. Viewing a behavior as a manifestation of defiance will most likely lead to conflict, the alienation of the student, and disruption of the learning environment”. Just as teachers shouldn’t assume that a student is defiant because they haven’t learned the same behaviors and social norms as their classmates (because they come from a different cultural background), a teacher shouldn’t assume that a student is “dumb” or “lazy” because they haven’t learned the same academic concepts or topics that their peers have. In both cases the teacher should work with the student to teach them the proper behavior or topic, without putting any blame on the student. This helps the student to adjust to the classroom environment and culture, or feel comfortable and like they are on the same page as their peers.

Another example is on page 329: “A teacher who is authoritative and sensitive to the cultural norms of the students holds students' attention by using the communicative style of their culture, appeals to affiliation rather than authority to maintain order, and believes it unnecessary to use coercive means to control behavior”. Just as students from different cultures have different communication styles, students have different learning styles or ways of participating in class and doing schoolwork, depending on their personal preferences and what they’ve learned from other academic settings. A culturally aware teacher will communicate in a way that a student is used to in order to reach the student, and a teacher using differentiated instruction will cater to different learning styles during class.