Culturally Responsive Classroom Management OER

One of the most challenging aspects of teacher preparation is bridging the gap between theory and practice, especially in classroom management. This one area accounts for much of a teacher candidate’s anxiety and future success in the classroom. So, I created a resource for teachers and students that presented research-based practices and offered helpful examples and illustrations meant to guide preservice and novice in-service teachers in managing their classrooms.                            

We should acknowledge that preservice and novice in-service teachers have at least one thing in common: funds can be limited. That’s why it was important to offer this resource as a free open educational resource, which teachers at any school can assign to their candidates. This OER serves as a useful primer for getting started in any K-12 classroom, as it is the product of focused research and practical tips shared by educators from around the world. 

While this resource was first created many years ago, it underwent a major revision just recently to embed culturally responsive practices in everyday teaching and classroom community building. The need to meet students where they are and to help them scaffold their classroom life along with their learning is important, now more than ever. The importance of this topic led me to create an entirely new chapter on this topic alone.  

This OER includes a wide range of topics, such as rules and procedures, proximity and arrangement, building classroom community, models of discipline, cooperative discipline techniques, and avoiding and de-escalating conflicts.

If anything, this resource can provide a springboard for discussions on building a classroom community through culturally responsive practices and how research, and the experiences of other teachers, can help support those new to the field.