Culturally competent educators are able to interact effectively with people of different cultures, primary languages, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In adult education, we work with a strikingly diverse groups of learners. Our classrooms are full of learners who differ by age, (dis)ability, physical and mental health, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, formal education, basic skill proficiency, and work and life goals, and who have varying levels of family/community support. Ours is no easy task!
In order to create effective conditions for learning, we need to be well aware of our own knowledge gaps and implicit biases, and work to deliver instruction in ways that are anti-racist, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and pedagogically sound. ATLAS bases its efforts around cultural competency on the following sources:
The state office of Minnesota Adult Education offers the following equity statement, one that ATLAS works to support through our efforts related professional development:
The state Adult Education office is committed to creating educational equity.
We see adult education as key to building educated, engaged, and just communities for all Minnesotans.
In addition to the Minnesota Adult Basic Education office, PELSB (the Professional Educators Licensing and Standards Board) states:
Cultural competency training means a training program that promotes self-reflection and discussion including but not limited to all of the following topics: racial, cultural, and socioeconomic groups; American Indian and Alaskan native students; religion; systemic racism; gender identity, including transgender students; sexual orientation; language diversity; and individuals with disabilities and mental health concerns. Training programs must be designed to deepen teachers’ understanding of their own frames of reference, the potential bias in these frames, and their impact on expectations for and relationships with students, students’ families, and the school communities.
There is a great deal more to cultural competency than using the right words or choosing multicultural readings. This PELSB-approved cultural competency training is aligned to MN Administrative Rule 8710.0310 Subpart 1D and introduces adult educators to concepts and skills needed to start on the journey to becoming a more culturally competent educator.
In this 10-hour study circle, a small group of adult educators will work with a facilitator to explore how the research around Translanguaging by Ofelia García and Culturally Responsive Teaching by Zaretta Hammond provides us with tools to change the way we approach teaching.
In this 12-hour study circle, a small group of adult educators will work with a facilitator, using a lens of “trauma-informed instruction” to deepen their best practices in working with adult learners in ways that are inclusive and culturally responsive. To do our work well, educators need to be aware of our own implicit biases, students’ possible experiences stemming from trauma in a myriad of forms, as well as implications for teaching and learning.
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For the past year, we have been working to revamp the Antiracist Instruction category since we know teachers are looking for specific things to try in their classrooms. Though Antiracist teaching requires deep reflection and constant expansion of our knowledge of culturally responsive practices and how to recognize racism in education, we know it’s helpful to move theory into practice when we can see some examples too. Read More
"Antiracism in ABE" is a large section of the Cultural Competency resource library on the ATLAS website. We have recently been adding new resources to the Antiracist Instruction category, since we know busy teachers are looking for specific things to use in their classrooms. Learn about a few of these great new resources! Read More
