Mindful Reflectionas a Process for

Developing CulturallyResponsive Practices

Barbara J. Dray and Debora Basier Wisneski

3S

Becoming a culturally responsive edu-cator has been at the forefront of themovement to reduce inappropriatereferrals to special education and dis-proportionate representation of stu-dents of color within special education(Fiedler, Chiang, Van Haren, Jorgensen,Halberg, & Boreson, 2008; NationalCenter for Culturally Responsive Edu-cational Systems, 2005). However, formany educators, working with adiverse student population can be moredifficult when the student comes froma background that is unfamiliar to theteacher (Harry & Klingner, 2006). Asteacher educators who prepare educa-tors for inclusionary settings in diverseurban areas, we have noticed thatissues often arise when a teacher orteacher candidate attempts to makemeaning of behavior in the classroom,particularly a behavior that concernsstudent engagement, classroom man-agement, or discipline of students withwhom the teacher has a cultural dis-connect. Teachers are not often awareof how diversity affects the way thatthey interpret students' actions and theways that they interact with their stu-

28 COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

dents. Teachers may misinterpret a cul-tural difference as a potential disability.

• How does diversity influenceteachers' perceptions of behavior?

• Is there a way to use a process ofmindful reflection and communica-tion (Langer, 1989; Langer & Moldo-veanu, 2000a) to help support thedevelopment of culturally respon-sive practices?

What Does Diversity Meanta Teachers?

Cultural diversity is a dynamicand relational reality that existsbetween persons rather thanwithin any single person. For thisreason, its challenge lies not somuch in different behaviors as inthe diverse meanings attributedto those behaviors. (Barrera &Corso, 2003, p. 3)

We agree with Barrera and Corso(2003) that diversity is never problem-atic in and of itself but "it is theresponse of individuals and institutionsto diversity that can be problematic"(p. 8). A teacher can understand or

misunderstand his or her diverse socialworld in many ways. These under-standings and misunderstandings areattributable to differences in gender,race, class, geographic location, lan-guage, religion, family structures, abili-ties, and family and personal history.These myriad differences make diversi-ty a way of life rather than a problemto be solved or fixed by casting theother as deficient. Instead, a teachershould view diversity as an opportuni-ty to expand his or her understandingof himself or herself and the world.

Before a teacher can accept andembrace diversity in the classroom, heor she must reflect on the challengesthat can interfere with acceptance. Forexample, educators overidentify stu-dents of color, particularly AfricanAmericans, in the category of emo-tional and behavioral disorder (EBD),although these students are underrep-resented in the category of learningdisabilities (LD; Harry & Klingner,2006; Neal, McCray, & Webb-Johnson,2003). Students of color also continueto experience higher rates of disciplinereferrals, as well as lower academicachievement (Drakeford, 2006; King,

Harris-Murri, & Artiles, 2006). Somehave argued that these outcomes occurpartially because of the potential cul-tural, racial, and economic mismatchwith the primarily White middle-classteaching force (Cartledge, Singh, &

ing retlective practices to gain a deeperunderstanding of institutions, personalassumptions, and common communi-cation patterns that create tensions andmisunderstandings between teachersand their students (e.g.. Barrera &

Teachers are not often aware of how diversity affects theway that they interpret students' actions and the waysthat they interact with their students on a daily basis.

Gibson, 2008; Garcia & Ortiz, 2006).This argument suggests that withoutdirect attention to cultural and individ-ual differences in the classroom, somestudents, including those labeled LD orEBD, have limited opportunities to suc-ceed. One recommendation that is cen-tral to the process discussed in thisarticle is to assist teachers in develop-

Corso, 2003; Garcia & Guerra, 2004;Kalyanpur & Harry, 1999).

Teacher Reflections:Confronting Bias inCItusroom Interactions

In special education, scholars and edu-cators have recognized the need forteachers to be sensitive to diversity in

the classroom; this sensitivity requiresthat teachers look inward and reflecton their personal assumptions andbiases (e.g., Fiedler et a l , 2008; King etal., 2006; Wisneski & Dray, 2009).Kendall (1996) calls for teachers totake the "emotional risk" to examinetheir deeply held beliefs that can affecthow they treat students. She suggeststhat this inward reflection requiresbeing willing to listen and chatige torespond to the student who may bedifferent in some way. Jacobson (2003)asks teachers to confront their discom-fort through self-reflection and becomeaware of the prejudices and biases thateveryone may have. Ramsey (2004)states, "we need to know ourselves—tohonestly see our reactions to otherindividuals and the larger world and toanalyze our underlying assumptions"(p. 20). In each case, there is the

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN SEPT/OCT 2011 29

It Is the Deficit Thinking Model?

In the deficit thinking model, teachers believe that students fail in schoolbecause of the student's own deficiencies, not because of unfair school poli-cies or differential treatment from teachers. A deficit perspective situatesschool failure within the student and suggests that deficiencies exist withinthe student or his or her home life and that these deficiencies are the causeof academic failure. Another common deficit perspective attributes studentfailure to parents and families who do not value education. As a resuh,teachers' attributions that are rooted in a deficit perspective guide an oftenill-informed understanding that a student's failures are attributable to thestudent's perceived lack of ability, linguistic inferiority, or family dysfunction(Garcia & Guerra, 2004; Valencia, 1997).

understanding that assumptions aboutvarious types of diversity in society areheavily value-laden and potentiallyharmful to students.

One example of negative attitudestoward some students and families isthe deficit thinkitig model (Valencia,1997; see box, "What Is the DeficitThinking Model?"). Deficit thinking isan outcome of inaccurate and oftennegative attributions about students ortheir families. It is an unexaminedprejudice often directed at students ofcolor or from low socioeconomic back-grounds, even by teachers who mayconsider themselves supportive advo-cates of such students. Therefore,teachers need to self-reflect to unpackattributions that are potentially linkedto racism, power, or privilege so thatthey can work more effectively andfairly with diversity in the classroom.

Reconsidering Communictiffionin Hie Classroom

In addition to reflecting on personalbeliefs, teachers may need to reconsid-er how they communicate with stu-dents in the classroom. According toRamsey (2004, p. 56), "effective com-munication requires paying closeattention to what others are sayingboth verbally and nonverbally andgenuinely trying to see and understandtheir perspectives, as we are makingoneself understood." Effective commu-nication requires teachers to analyzenot only students' behaviors but alsotheir own behaviors and ways ofcommunicating.

In intercultural communication the-ories, mindfulness is a core conceptused to help individuals reframe andreinterpret unfamiliar behavior orways of communicating to understandrather than to judge others (Gudykunst& Kim, 2003). According to the workof Langer (1989), mindfulness is theability to be conscious about commu-nication with others. It is the processof purposefully responding to othersby moving away from automatic-pilotor mindless responses that are basedon a person's own cultural frames ofreference. Automatic pilot is theprocess in which a person is not con-scious or aware of her or his responsesto others. Automatic pilot, or scriptedbehavior, serves well in familiar situa-tions but not in intercuUural communi-cation. "The problem of misinterpret-ing strangers' behavior is compoundedwhen we communicate with strangersbecause we tend to interpret strangers'behavior on the basis of our ownframes of reference" (Gudykunst &Kim, 2003, p. 283).

Attributions are the explanationsthat people may give to a behavior(Gudykunst & Kim, 2003). They are theway that a person attributes or givesmeaning to why people behave theway that they do, and attributionsguide how a person responds to thebehavior of others. A person who isaware of his or her attributions andtakes time to reflect on them can mini-mize misattribution or misinterpreta-tion of why someone behaves the waythat he or she does.

Additionally, a person's culturalframe of reference or cultural back-ground, as well as life experiences,guides how a person responds to oth-ers. When a person's cultural back-ground and/or life experiences arevastly different from those of peoplewith whom he or she is interacting,there is a risk for a culture clash ormisunderstanding of cultures that canlead to conflict or misattribution(Gudykunst & Kim, 2003). Therefore,teachers within diverse communitiesshould become highly aware of theirpersonal cultural background and lensfor understanding behavior, as well ascultural norms or tendencies of others,so that they can reduce attributionsthat lead to prejudice, deficit thinking,and overgeneralizations.

Gudykunst and Kim (2003) suggestthat there are three cognitive processes,or types of attributions involved in theperception of communicating with oth-ers: description, interpretation, andevaluation.

1. Description is an account of what aperson observed or experiencedthat does not attribute social signifi-cance to the behavior. It includeswhat the person heard and saw.People typically gather descriptionsby observational data, counting, oranecdotal records. For example,"Enrique raised his hand 10 timesduring the story read-aloud" is adescription of what occurred in theclassroom.

2. Interpretation is the process of infer-ring what the behavior meant, thusattributing social significance to thebehavior. Educators must rememberthat behaviors can have multipleinterpretations. For example, at leastthree separate interpretative state-ments are possible for the descrip-tive example "Enrique raised hishand 10 times during story read-aloud": (a) Enrique was disruptiveduring story read-aloud; (b) Enriqueenjoyed the story; or (c) Enriquewanted attention.

3. Evaluation is the process of attri-buting positive or negative socialsignificance to a behavior. Forexample, the interpretive statement

30 COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

"Enrique wants attention" as anevaluative statement could varyfrom "I don't like that; Enriqueneeds to learn better turn-takingskills" to "I like that Enrique takesinitiative to participate during read-alouds." It is important to recog-nize that attributions can be nega-tive or positive and may lead toovergeneralizations and prejudice,which classroom teachers shouldminimize.

Process for Mindful Reflectionand Communicfrtion

Reacting to students' behavior on auto-matic pilot by jumping to conclusionsor making assumptions about students'behaviors is very easy to do in the con-text of a busy school day. When teach-ers have difficulty interacting with stu-dents in the classroom, emotions andassumptions can cloud perceptions;likewise, teachers are more likely togive a student the benefit of the doubtwhen clashes occur if the studentbehaves in a way that the teacherdesires. Therefore, just as teachers ofstudents with disabilities often takeanecdotal notes or keep runningrecords of students' academic perform-ance for assessment purposes, thesesame skills are necessary when reflect-

The following example of a teacherwho used the process of mindfulreflection and communication tounpack attributions of a student whomshe perceived as having troublingbehavior draws on the work of CarolArcher, who frames the prevention ofculture clashes as the culture bumpprocess (see Archer, 1990, 2003); andEllen Langer, who has researched theimportance of mindfulness as a toolfor prejudice reduction (see Langer,1989; Langer & Moldoveanu, 2000b).We developed this process and thevignette as d result of our collectiveexperiences working with teachers tohelp them rethink troubling behaviorin the classroom and learn to responddifferently. Teachers often have deepconcern for students who are easilydistracted or disruptive during class-room activities, yet they often interpretstudents' perceived troubling behavioras a dysfunction of the student insteadof examining alternative explanationsfor the behavior (e.g., lack of eye con-tact in one culture might indicate highrespect; whereas in another, it mightindicate lack of respect). We use thiscommon concern to walk through theprocess of understanding the deepermeaning of behavior in the classroomby introducing and applying a process

Just as teachers of students with disabilities often take anecdotalnotes or keep running records of students' academic performance

for assessment purposes, these same skills are necessary whenreflecting on attributions about students in the classroom.

ing on attributions about students inthe classroom. Similar to the process ofoperationalizing behavior (that is,describing behavior so that it is observ-able and measurable) during a func-tional behavior analysis, we inviteteachers to think about how they canunderstand the deeper meaning ofbehavior in daily classroom interac-tions of students who may or may notbe labeled with a disability but whopresent behavior challenges in theclassroom.

for mindful reflection and commu-nication. The following case studydescribes and illustrates each step ofthe process by using a situation inwhich Ms. Marten (the classroomteacher) is reflecting with a mentorteacher on her attributions about astudent.

Step 1 : Explain the AttributionsThat You Have About the Student

When unpacking attributions aboutstudents in the classroom, we recom-

mend taking a moment to ask yourselfthe following questions:

• Have 1 already interpreted thebehavior?

• Am I making assumptions aboutwhy the student behaves the waythat he or she does?

• Have I already passed judgment onwhether the behavior was good orbad? Stop and describe what youand the student said and did and inwhat order.

• What leads you to believe that thebehavior was wrong or desirable?

• What about the behavior leads toyour interpretation?

Isolated incidents rarely paint theclearest picture of the situation, soteachers should collect notes on atleast three incidents of student behav-ior over an extended period of time (atleast over a 2-4 week period) and atdifferent times of the day (e.g., acrosscontent areas and different instruction-al settings). The educator must notblame or label the student or thebehavior. The emphasis is on listening,observing to understand, and beingwilling to learn something new and dif-ferent. The following description of Ms.Marten's experience demonstrates thisprocess;

Ms. Marten first mentioned toher mentor teacher that Antwanwas disruptive during small-group guided reading. When Ms.Marten's mentor asked her todescribe exactly how Antwanwas disruptive, Ms. Martenrestated that Antwan read alongwhile she conducted guidedreading and then began to tell astory about what he had done onthe weekend.

Step 2: Write Out and Reflecton Your Feelings and ThoughtsWhen Working With the Student

Take into account potential issues ofdeflcit thinking, prejudice, and over-generalizations. After a teacher hasrecalled the interaction, she or he mayalso reflect on her or his attitudes andfeelings toward the student duringthe interaction. As Jacobson (2003)

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN I SEPT/OCT 2011 31

suggests, educators must constantlyengage in self-reflection about theirassumptions and attitudes toward stu-dents. If they are to imagine alternativepossibilities to relating to others, theymust acknowledge the depths of theirperspectives. Teachers can ask them-selves the following questions:

• What attributes am I assigning tothe student?

• Have I evaluated, interpreted, ordescribed the behavior?

• How does this student make mefeel?

• What are my worries or fears?

• What are my assumptions—whydo I find the student's behaviorproblematic?

At this point, the teacher hasacknowledged his or her prejudices ordeflcit thinking, despite the difficultyand uncomfortable feelings that thisreflection may reveal. The teacherreflects on and rewrites interpretive orevaluative statements in descriptiveterms and begins to rethink why she orhe responded to the student in a partic-ular way.

Ms. Marten asked herself, "Have1 already interpreted the stu-dent's behavior? What leads meto believe that Antwan did notfollow directions?" She then real-ized tliat she was not describitigthe behavior but instead hadalready interpreted Antwan'sbehavior or his actions, so shestarted to rethink and describe:

"He was mimicking—no wait, hewas reading along while I read tothe group, and then he began totell a story about what he did onthe weekend. Why do I perceivehis behavior in a negative light?Mimic versus read-along? Whydo I find his story inappropriate?Antwan is classified with a dis-ability and he is African Ameri-can: Am I making assumptionsabout his behavior? Do other stu-dents behave in a similar man-ner? How do I respond to otherstudents in the class?"

Step 3: Consider AlternativeExplanations by Reviev/ing YourDocumentation and Reflections

This next part of the process moredeeply examines the ways in which theteacher communicates and perceivesthe student and situation and reconsid-ers the initial interpretations. Reviewthe explanations, and reflect on thereasons that the student may be doingwhat he or she does. Consider howthis student's behavior is similar to ordifferent from other behavior in theclassroom. Teachers can ask them-selves the following questions:

• What are my expectations for thesituation?

• How is the student not meeting myexpectations?

• In what way is the behavior inter-fering with learning?

Here Ms. Marten recognized thatshe was on automatic pilotwhen she became frustratedwith the guided reading lessonbecause Antwan was not follow-ing the expected script of com-munication: the question-response-evaluation or teacher-student-teacher interaction inwhich the teacher asks a ques-tion, the student responds, andthen the teacher responds withan evaluative statement relatingto the student's response. Forexample, the teacher asks, "Whatwas the character doing?" Thestudent answers, "He was eat-ing." The teacher then responds,"Good job, he was eating anapple" or "Almost, he waspreparing food."

Ms. Marten could reinterpretAntwan's reading along with herwhile she read the story for guid-ed reading as a clear attempt toshow involvement and demon-strate his reading skills to indi-cate to his peers and to her thathe could read too. Even thoughthe process of guided readingincludes the teacher readingalone rather than choral reading,Antwan could have been apply-ing the rules from a previous les-son that involved choral reading.His storytelling after the read-

aloud, on deeper reflection,showed connection with an inci-dent in the story about spendingtime with family on the week-ends. Antwan could have beenmaking connections with thecontent of the story by addinghow the story connected with hispersonal life.

Ms. Marten began to recognizethat she was viewing Antwan'sbehavior only in negative termsat first, but she wanted to bemore positive when respondingto his actions. Ms. Martenremembered that when Sarahhad read along during guidedreading in another group, shewelcomed that behavior becauseshe saw it as an additionalopportunity for Sarah to practiceher reading; however, shethought that Antwan's behaviorwas disruptive. Why? Was it histone, dialect, fluency, racial back-ground, gender, or some otherfactor? When Ms. Marten reflect-ed further, she realized that hisclassification as EBD made hermore suspicious of his behavior,and the fact that he was AfricanAmerican had positioned him (inher mind) as more likely to mis-behave.

Step 4: Check Your Assumptions

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does the student's family notice thesame behavior at home?

• How do family members interactwith the student at home?

• Have there been any major changesor upsets in the home?

Share your reflections with a col-league, parents, and/or communitymembers. Meet with parents to learnmore about expected and observedbehaviors in the home.

After you have reflected on thebehavior and developed alternativeexplanations as well as possible biases,check your assumptions with individu-als with specialized training on work-ing with diversity, staff members whoare familiar with or from the localcommunity/culture, parents, and com-munity members who are familiar with

32 COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

cultural norms of behavior. Considertalking with other professional person-nel who specialize in multiculturalism,English as a second language (ESL), orbilingual education. Be wary of col-leagues or informants who blame thestudent, community, or home life forthe student's behavior; instead youwant someone who understands thedeeper meaning of behavior and canoffer alternative explanations (e.g., cul-tural, linguistic, interactional) that canhelp you unpack attributions andreframe them in a way that leads toproductive solutions and positive out-comes for students.

Ms. Marten reviewed her reflec-tions with her mentor teacher,who had studied multiculturalperspectives in education andwho had strong ties to the neigh-borhood community. She dis-cussed her discomfort with someof the insights that she haduncovered related to Antwan'sdisability and racial backgroundthat may have clouded herunderstanding of his behavior inthe classroom. Her mentor com-mended Ms. Marten for takingthe risk and examining her bias-es and reminded Ms. Marten thatshe also needed to meet withAntwan's parents to ensure thatshe was interpreting the behaviorappropriately.

Next, reach out to parents and fami-lies to learn more about their percep-tions and ideas. Share your interpreta-tions in a spirit of collaboration tolearn from family members about theirexpectations and norms for behavior.Ask yourself the following questions;

• Am I operating from a different setof values or norms?

• How can I reach a middle ground?

• What are some ahernative explana-tions or interpretations of the stu-dent's behavior?

When Ms. Marten met withAntwan's parents, they sharedthat they have a tight-knit familyand that they attend a Baptistchurch regularly. On the week-ends, the minister encouragesthe congregation to participate

through call-and-response ser-mons. Antwan's mother was ateacher's aide for students whostruggle with reading, so she didmany interactive literacy activi-ties with Antwan because shefound that he did better and wasmore motivated when he couldactively participate. She hadnoticed that Antwan preferred tobe interactive rather than remainquiet during activities. However,the mother also indicated thatshe was trying to teach him dif-ferent routines and behavioralexpectations.

Step 5: Make a Plan

Ask yourself the following questions;

• How can you change or respond dif-ferently?

• What additional resources do youneed to implement the plan effec-tively?

After teachers have considered alter-native explanations and developed adifferent interpretation of a situation,they are able to change their behavior.Teachers can experiment with respond-ing differently, noting what happensand reflecting on their reactions andfeelings, as well as on the student'sresponse. The teacher should developand implement a plan to change theclassroom environment or his or heractions, and he or she should reexam-ine expectations for the student.

Ms. Marten decided to be proac-tive by giving explicit directionsabout class routines to Antwanbefore he asked. Ms. Martendecided to listen to Antwan'sstatements in class for contentand focus on understandingwhat he was trying to communi-cate, rather than whether hisimmediate expression followedthe typical teacher-student-

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN | SEPT/OCT 2011 33

teacher response pattem. Forexample, instead of rejectingAntwan's cotnments if he did notraise his hand, Ms. Martendecided to respond to the mean-ing of his comment beforereminding him to raise his hand,thereby recognizing and accept-ing his desire and attempts toparticipate in class discussionsand lessons. At times she wouldpair a statement such as "I wantto hear what you have to say,Antwan," with a statement suchas, "Will you please raise yourhand so that 1 can call on you?"Ms. Marten's intent in thesestatements was to help Antwanbegin to learn the norms of theclassroom.

Ms. Marten recognized that mostof the classroom interactionswere formal and focused primari-ly on the prescribed curriculum,so she structured group time andparticipation to include makingpersonal connections and sharingopinions about material. As aresult of talking to Antwan'smother, Ms. Marten incorporatedmore movement into her lessons.For example, during think-pair-share, she asked each student tofirst put an index finger on his orher temple during the individualthink, then face a peer withknees touching and discuss aconcept during pair, and sit side-by-side next to the peer with thepalms of their hands togetherduring share.

Step 6: Continuously RevisitThis Process to Reassess YourAttributions and YourProgress With the Student

Dealing with attributions in the class-room can be a complex and layered—and often uncomfortable—process, andeducators should view dealing withattributions as an opportunity to learnmore about others and about them-selves. Therefore, educators must con-tinuously review their relationship withthe student and evaluate how theirinstruction and communication supportthe student's success in class. Educa-tors should view this process as contin-uous and ongoing by revisiting eachstep as needed to ensure that all stu-

dents are experiencing success in theclassroom.

After a few weeks of reflectingon her attributions aboutAntwan's behaviors, mindfullyexploring alternative explana-tions, and interacting with himin more responsive ways, Ms.Marten noticed positive changesin his performance. Antwanentered the classroom with asmile. He talked tnore with herabout his likes and dislikes. Heparticipated in large-group activi-ties, atid he was more attentiveand engaged when he workedwith other students.

Ms. Marten also noticed achange in herself. She noticedthat she was more aware whenshe began to overgeneralize orhave prejudices about certainstudents, and she began to con-sider alternative views. Shefound herself often asking suchquestions as, "How can I under-stand this student better? Whatassumptions or values are guid-ing my interpretations?" insteadof asking "Why won't this stu-dent behave?" or "Why can't shebe more like the other students?"

Final Thoughts

Although we have described thisprocess of mindful communication andreflection within a special educationcontext, we believe that the processcan be applied across settings to helpteachers develop a deeper understand-ing of students' behavior by reflectingon the environment, cultural underpin-nings, and biases that may be interact-ing to create a mismatch in the class-room. The intention is to supportteachers in a process of deep reflectionthat transforms historically deficitviews and responses to students withdisabilities or from culturally and lin-guistically diverse backgrounds, inaddition to developing practices thatare culturally responsive and ensurethat all students are well supportedand successful in the classroom.

In particular, the process of mindfulreflection and communication can helpteachers do the following:

• Evaluate their own assumptions,prejudices, and biases about race,culture, and disability and considerhow they affect the teacher's inter-actions with and expectations fortheir students.

• Objectively describe behaviors with-out interpretation to consider appro-priate and consistent ways ofresponding.

• Interpret behaviors to support ratherthan inhibit learning.

• Consider the many different waysthat children demonstrate engage-ment and attentiveness, how theseways closely tie with culture, andhow culture influences students'many ways of responding and inter-acting with others in the classroom.

• Recognize that children are childrenfirst and foremost and that theirbehaviors do not deflne them, andconsider whether or why you havedifferent behavioral expectations fordifferent children.

The end goal of this process is toaccomplish the following:

• Develop mindful relationships withchildren and their families to sup-port learning through building onthe students' strengths and assetsinstead of focusing on their delaysor need.

• Recognize and teach in develop-mentally, contextually, and cultural-ly appropriate ways of respondingto the behavior of all children.

• Create a culturally and linguisticallyresponsive and supportive learningcommunity that recognizes and cel-ebrates differences.

We hope that this process enablesteachers to become aware of and rec-ognize their own biases when inter-preting behavior in the classroom sothat they may use culturally and lin-guistically responsive practices. Theconcern is that when teachers act onautomatic pilot or do not take the timeto reflect, they may risk misinterpret-ing culture and language ability as dis-ability. Figure 1 furnishes a summaryof the steps for mindful reflection and

34 COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

Figure 1 . Steps for Mindfui Reflection and Communication

Step I : Explain the attributions that you have about the student.

a. Describe what you and the student said and did.

b. How did the student react to your actions or comments?

c. Collect notes on multiple days and at different times of the day.

Step 2: Write out or reflect on your feelings and thoughts when working with the student. Take intoaccount the potential for misinterpretations resulting from deficit thinking, prejudice, andovergeneralizations.

a. How does this student make you feel? What are your worries or fears?

b. What are your assumptions? Why do you flnd the student problematic?

c. Have you evaluated, interpreted, or described the behavior?

d. Try to rewrite the examples in descriptive terms.

Step 3: Consider alternative explanations by reviewing your documentation and reflections.

a. Review the explanations and reflect on why the student may be doing what he or she does. Look forpatterns in your behavior and the student's behavior.

b. What are your expectations for the situation? How is the student not meeting your expectations? In whatway is the behavior interfering with learning?

c. List alternative explanations or interpretations of the student's behavior.

d. What external factors and/or personal factors could be influencing the student's behavior? What recentchanges have occurred in the student's life, disability, acculturation, and so forth?

Step 4: Check your assumptions. Share your reflections with a colleague, parents, and/or communitymembers. Meet with parents to learn more ahout expected and observed behaviors in the home.

a. Share your list of alternative explanations or interpretations of the student's behavior with a colleague,parents, and/or community members.

b. Meet with the family to learn more about their perspective in understanding the behavior. Do they noticethe same behavior at home? Do they flnd it problematic? How do they interact with the student at home?Have there been any major changes or upsets in the horne?

c. Be open and responsive to the family's ideas and perspectives. Seek to understand rather than to judge.

Step 5: Make a plan.

a. How will you change or respond differently?

b. Brainstorm ideas on how to change the environment, your actions, and/or expectations for this student.

c. Experiment with responding differently. Note what happens. Reflect on your feelings as well as thestudent's response.

d. Frequently communicate with the family. Ask whether family members have noticed a difference. Whathave they been trying that works?

e. Consult with colleagues, parents, and/or community members while you experiment to check yourassumptions and interpretations.

Step 6: Continuously revisit this process to reassess your attributions and your progress with the student.

a. Notice when you are overgeneralizing, attributing behavior within a deficit perspective, or behaving inprejudiced ways toward certain students.

b. Remember that this process is a continuous one, so revisit the steps periodically to continue your growthand understanding of students.

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN I SEPT/OCT 2011 35

communication. We hope that thisprocess assists teachers in understand-ing the role of their own cultural lensin examining student behavior toreduce the potential for them to inter-pret culture and language ability asdisability.

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Barbara J. Dray (Colorado CEC), AssistantProfessor, Special Education and Litiguis-tically Diverse Education, University ofColorado-Denver Debora Basier Wisneski,Associate Professor, Early Childhood Educa-tion, School of Education, University ofWisconsin-Milwaukee.

Correspondence concerning this articleshould be addressed to Barbara J. Dray,School of Education and Human Develop-ment. University of Colorado, 1201 5th St.,Campus Box 106, Denver, CO 80204 (e-mail:barbara, dray® ucdenver. edu).

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