Culturally Responsive Teaching: Fostering Skills For A Diverse World

Abstract

The role of teachers in contributing knowledge in this highly advanced digital era is both challenging and competitive. Teachers are resource pools that help students to imbibe social skills and life skills which mould their personality. Imparting core skills include hard skills as well as soft skills and are vital in succeeding in both personal as well as professional life. Hard skills are basic capabilities which aims at career achievements. Soft skills, in contrast refers to unique characteristics in one’s personality which includes interpersonal skills, communication abilities, leadership qualities, etc. which has to be acquired through proper practice and training. Developing soft skills in a ‘customised’ classroom requires individual attention by knowing the personal background of each student and then identifying the cultural context they belong to. Addressing the unique needs of each student who belong to different background is one of the major challenges faced by a teacher in an ordinary classroom. Culturally responsive learning enables to recount the process of acquiring information in an immediate thriving environment. The role of teachers in developing soft skills among students through culturally responsive pedagogy involves active participation of teacher by exploring her full potential in the process of effective transaction of instructional objectives. In this e-world it would never become difficult to enrich learners’ hard skills through various online platforms. But polishing the soft skills needs a highly interactive peer group with the guidance of an excellent mentor and performer. Teachers, in modern education theatre, need to become flexible enough to supplement the same to the students by enriching personalised learning. This study aims to find out the role of teachers in a culturally responsive classroom and how it enables to enhance certain essential soft skills among students.