Design and Implement Culturally Responsive Instruction

1. Time to Redesign

Let's put what we have explored and reflected upon into practice by having you redesigning an upcoming unit of study.

1. If it has been more than a couple of days since you have read the materials, then revisit them.
2. Select a small handful of practices two, three, or even four that resonate with you. These should be practices that you are not currently implementing consistently in your instruction. Remember that we defined "consistent implementation" as something that occurs at least four times in a week. 
3. Look at the next unit of study that you plan to have your students work on and identify points within the unit that you can insert those Culturally Relevant,  Equitable Instruction, and Cognitively Demanding Practices. The insertion of those practices isn't as simple as just bolting them on to an existing lesson; rather, it is about finding ways for it become seamlessly integrated into the flow of the lesson and unit in an authentic way.

2. Time to Implement

1. Take stock of how you are feeling and what you are thinking about you. Change is not often easy so you may be feeling a bit off.
2. As you implement the lessons within this unit, observe how students are responding to the practices you are implementing.
3. Are things flowing the way you had hoped? What real time adjustments do you need to make?
4. What lessons did you learn today that you want to carry into tomorrow and the rest of the unit? 

3. Time to Reflect and Refine

The unit of study has been completed. Let's reflect, learn, and refine.

• What changes did you observe in your students' behavior and/or engagement levels as a result of the practices you implemented?
• What changes did you observe in yourself as a result of the practices you implemented?
• How would you describe your comfort level with the changes as you progressed through the unit?
• Do you have any data (student scores, attendance, surveys, etc.) that point to an impact that the changes had on your students?
• What worked well? How do you carry that forward the next time you teach this unit?
• What didn't work well? What were the reasons it didn't work well? What modifications could you make the next time to improve things?