The Bulldog Buzz!
Special Edition: Culturally Relevant RTI (CR-RTI)
Dwayne Williams
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Part I: An Intro to Culturally Relevant RTI (CR-RTI)
Although, he cautions us to remember that there are exceptions to every rule, he takes the time to break down the values that may be demonstrated throughout our communities into two groups: Afrocentric & Eurocentric (which are supported by most “traditional” school routines). As you read through the chart below consider times when your practices have been culturally relevant and how these practices impacted student achievement. Also consider how these culturally relevant practices fit into Danielson’s Framework for Teaching…and don’t forget to share your thoughts via email, social media or in the footer of the Buzz!
Part II: Communalism
In order to promote communalism within our classrooms, we must be intentional in establishing routines to build (and maintain) relationships with our students, and (most importantly) amongst the students themselves. Opportunities for students to engage in what Dwayne Williams refers to as the Four Constructs of Communalism (outlined below) are often relegated to the first weeks of school and frequently fall by the wayside due to a fast paced instructional day. If we hope to avoid this pitfall, we must embed the Constructs into our Tier1 instruction, even including them in lesson plans! Keep these concepts in mind as you select texts (consider our 1st trimester essential question), establish activities for group-work (literacy circles & jigsaw activities), or as you provide feedback to your students (hold-ups, Plickers, self/peer assessment).
Take a moment to explore the Four Constructs of Communalism, and reflect on ways you have provided students with multiple opportunities for success & praise for working interdependently. How can you build this into your planning routines…and what does it look like through the lens of Danielson’s FFT (think 1b, 2b, 3c, 3d)?
Part III: Movement Expressivness
He just won’t sit still; I must have him sitting right next to me on the carpet; His movements distract all the students around him. As educators we have all heard these statements during intervention meetings or in the faculty room…and some of us have even said them ourselves! For many of our students, however, these movements help them focus and process information as they learn. The challenge is for us to look beyond the Eurocentric values that may have been modeled for us as children, and look for ways to include this movement expressiveness throughout our Tier1 instruction!
According to Williams, Movement Expressiveness comprises “meaning making” through movement/gestures, rhythmic speech patterns & rhythmic music. Rhythmic chants and call-response are two easy ways to get students moving as we work with FUNdations or on math facts, for example. Students can also be asked to role-play plot points from texts through dance, play, or gestures (this is known as TPR-Total Physical Response, in ESL circles). The end result is that a focus on Movement Expressiveness will naturally support a learning environment that promotes communalism (bonding, connecting, & working interdependently), orality & verve!
Take a moment to think about a “back to school” read aloud you are preparing to support communalism in your classroom. What opportunities can you provide students to role-play? Consider our current instructional schedule/programs…what routines that are currently in place can be tweaked to include chants, raps or rhythmic movements? Most importantly though, as you integrate movement expressiveness into your Tier1 routines, remember to share these new culturally relevant practices via social media, email or in the footer of the Buzz!
Part IV: Orality
In addressing orality, Williams states that speaking is a lively performance full of vibrancy for our minority students, and is not restricted to simply conveying a message. Our students are animated when speaking with peers and may not remain silent until a signal is given (i.e. raising your hand). Therefore, we must establish an environment where “speaking is natural and generated through emotion,” and where feedback takes these emotions into account. This is step one in building relationships with our students, and in ensuring that the classroom is a comfortable place for students to become “risk takers.”
Williams also discusses the value of “code-switching” between BVN (Black Vernacular English) & Standard English. If fact, this is even addressed in the CCSS’s, which state that students must be able to “approach language as a matter of craft and informed choice among alternatives.” Therefore, we must be mindful to avoid qualifying the use of BVN and quiet any preconceived biases we may hold. Rather, we must look to honor where our students come from and consider a scaffolding process as students learn to integrate Standard English into their speech and writing (this holds true for movement expressiveness as well). Williams views this process through two lenses and even provides some strategies that can be integrated into our Tier1 instruction.
As you review the strategies below, consider where this would fit into your classroom routines & what it means through the lens of Danielson’s FFT (think 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b…just for starters!). Always remember, language & the manner in which we promote student contributions within our classroom is an essential component of student engagement…to paraphrase John Britton: Language is the sea upon which all floats.
Part V: Verve
Verve represents the 4th and final characteristic of Williams’ CR-RTI model; however, in many ways, it embodies the sum of our three previous entries (communalism, movement expressiveness & orality). As a standalone component of our framework, Williams defines verve as having three qualities: energy, stimulation (behavioral & environmental) & variability. Verve also embodies the heart of Danielson’s FFT (3c: Engaging Students in Learning), and is characterized by “high energy, by a sense that what is happening [in the classroom] is important and that it is essential to get it right.”
Click on the chart on the right to find a definition for each quality of verve along with wording directly from Danielson’s FFT. As you read, keep in mind that Williams encourages us to remember two main points: 1) Don’t think of this as something extra or new; it is simply looking at our current planning/programming routines through a different lens. 2) Teachers who establish vervistic instruction will naturally engage students behaviorally, cognitively and affectively.
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