ABSTRACT
This chapter includes the following statement: culturally responsive teachers are those who, in seeking to understand their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, learn more about themselves in the process. This understanding of ‘self’ and personal identity promotes a greater awareness of the similarities and differences between people, including people from different culture groups. While the National Professional Standards for Teachers include only two (out of 37) focus areas that specifically mention Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (standards 1.4 and 2.4), culturally responsive teachers pay particular attention to the needs of these students all the time. The cultural competence demonstrated in the responses (actions) is embedded in each of the Standards. Cultural competence plays out in different contexts, and it is possible to be culturally responsive in one context but to be less so in another.
