ABSTRACT
Throughout this book, we’ve looked together at specific instructional practices that can make the English language arts curriculum culturally relevant: these methods will help your students make connections between the academic material they learn in your classroom and material related to their interests, backgrounds, and out-of-school lives. However, for these instructional practices to be effective, it’s essential for the teacher to build an inclusive classroom environment that ensures that all students feel welcomed and valued. The feelings of support and safety that come from a welcoming and inclusive classroom environment can make students more likely to form and share connections between the information they learn in school and their out-of-school lives, which are essential aspects of culturally relevant teaching.
