Responsive, Sustaining, Transformative!

What is the central aim of Critical Pedagogy?

• To support student compliance in oppressive systems

• To instill moral behavior through traditional schooling

• To interrogate power structures and empower collective transformation

• To foster quiet classrooms that boost standardized achievement

Which pedagogy emphasizes maintaining and evolving cultural and linguistic pluralism?

• Differentiated Instruction

• Culturally Responsive Teaching

• Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy

• Ethnic Studies Integration

Gloria Ladson-Billings’ theory of Culturally Relevant Teaching stresses:

• Using multicultural texts to decorate the curriculum

• Integrating students’ home language into scripted instruction

• Academic success, cultural competence, and sociopolitical consciousness

• Increasing participation of underrepresented students in school clubs

According to Critical Race Theory, racism is:

• A) A product of individual ignorance, not systems

• B) Most visible in personal slurs and overt hate

• C) Deeply embedded in institutional policies and normalized social practices

• D) A declining phenomenon in education since Brown v. Board

Why must teachers interrogate their own cultural lens in responsive pedagogy?

• To increase comfort with diverse communities

• To better understand textbook multiculturalism

• To dismantle implicit biases and resist deficit narratives in instruction

• To improve rapport with school administration

What kind of environment supports culturally sustaining pedagogy?

• Structured around uniform behavioral expectations and assimilation

• Focused on isolated “culture days” and celebrations

• Normalizes multilingualism, identity exploration, cultural evolution

• Oriented toward standard content mastery regardless of background

What is an example of culturally responsive cognitive scaffolding?

• Timed drills with minimal variation

• Rhythmic, story-based problem-solving rooted in community context

• Posting objectives and Cornell Notes

• Enforcing silent reading and worksheets

In Zaretta Hammond’s framework, dependent learners:

• Prefer working alone and need few supports

• Haven’t yet internalized learning strategies that foster independence

• Thrive in high control, low expectation environments

• Resist culturally responsive teaching

The ultimate goal of Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Pedagogy is to:

• Maximize GPA and AP enrollment

• Build student agency through identity, critical thinking, and rigor

• Make content entertaining and relatable

• Standardize instruction across classrooms

Reflect on how these pedagogies shift our understanding of teaching and what you might change tomorrow.

• They encourage teachers to reconsider their approaches and adapt to new methods.

• They require teachers to ignore student feedback.

• They focus solely on traditional lecture methods.

• They discourage reflection and change.