A Self Evaluation on Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices

I would love to think that after ten years of teaching, I would be able to say that I am doing everything that I possibly can to be an effective teacher for my students. However, the reality of it is, there will always be room for improvement. After taking this course, I must admit that there a lot of areas that I need to take a look at and work to improve if I want to give all of my students the educational opportunities that they deserve.
While reflecting on Dr. Garcia's CREDE standards and assessing myself using the checklist provided, I discovered that I am weak in some areas and strong in others. In standard one, Joint Productive Activity, I am sometimes reluctive to have the students work in cooperative groups although I know that it is good for them to do so. When I do have them work in groups, I never let them choose who they want to work with. I make sure that the groups are diverse in an effort to ensure that they learn from working with peers who come from different cultures. While ELL students are not an issue in my classroom, it is still necessary to promote acceptance of other people and cultures. I also make sure that the students work together to accomplish tasks even if they are simple ones like putting the classroom in order or rearranging desks.
Standard two, Language Development is an area that I feel I am competent in. I always allow the last ten minutes of the class period for "catch up time" in which the students and I catch up on what's going on at home and in their lives. Everyone gets a chance to share if they want too. I also make an effort to respect the mannerisms of each culture. If a student is not comfortable with eye contact, I respect that. I also provide multiple opportunities for students to practice vocabulary, write in journals, and speak often in order for them to become comfortable with the English language.
Standard three, Contextualization is an area in which I could use some improvement. I think it would be a great idea to encourage parents to come into the classroom to help with various tasks but have always thought that they would not be interested so have never asked. Also, I would love to get the community involved by developing community based learning activities. These things take a lot of planning, time, and effort but my students would benefit from the opportunities.
Standard four, Challenging Activities is an area in which I am both competent and need improvement. I give my students clear and directive feedback and make sure that my students see the whole picture when I am instructing them on a topic. However, sometimes I do not challenge them enough. I need to give them more challenging standards to follow and expect more of them. This will help them when they leave high school and enter either the work force or a post secondary educational setting.
Standard five, Instructional Conversation is probably the area that I feel the most competent in. I understand the importance of holding meaningful conversations with my students. It helps to create a positive learning environment and makes the student feel comfortable. I utilize the act of guided conversation in every lesson that I plan. I encourage my students to state their opinions and to speak freely as long as it is not disruptive. Student understanding can be assessed by listening and I take advantage of this on a daily basis.
Dr. Garcia's standards create a guideline that all educators should follow. One should never grow complacent and comfortable in their teaching career. There will always be room for improvement and growth. I for one, took the self evaluation to heart and will make changes in order to become a better teacher and person.