{"id":2008,"date":"2025-06-18T18:23:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T18:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cerulepillar.com\/?p=2008"},"modified":"2025-06-19T08:52:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T08:52:41","slug":"culturally-responsive-teaching-simply-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cerulepillar.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/18\/culturally-responsive-teaching-simply-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Culturally Responsive Teaching Simply Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) has gained attention in recent years, largely thanks to Geneva Gay\u2019s landmark book Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice<\/em>. Gay made the concept accessible, practical, and deeply rooted in classroom realities.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s where confusion sets in: CRT is often conflated with culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), a framework Gloria Ladson-Billings introduced in the early \u201990s. They share a commitment to equity through culture but they\u2019re not the same.<\/p>\n

CRT is more instructional and practice-focused. CRP is more political, rooted in social justice and systemic critique.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s critical race theory; no, it\u2019s not interchangeable with either. CRT (the educational kind) and CRP may share a commitment to confronting inequity, but they serve different purposes and operate in different spaces.<\/p>\n

In this post, I unpack the distinctions between CRT and CRP, outline their theoretical roots, and highlight core integration strategies. I\u2019ve also added something unique: ways to use AI to support culturally responsive teaching, something rarely discussed but urgently needed.<\/p>\n

What is Culturally Responsive Teaching?<\/h2>\n

Here are some key definitions of culturally responsive teaching and leadership from leading scholars. Each highlights a different dimension of how culture, identity, and learning intersect in the classroom and school environment.<\/p>\n