Leading with Purpose: Lessons from Research on Culturally Responsive Instruction

As I reviewed five powerful articles on culturally responsive instruction (CRI), one message stood out clearly: meaningful CRI doesn’t happen by chance, it’s intentional, strategic, and deeply connected to students’ identities. Across the literature, I saw a consistent pattern: effective CRI goes beyond group activities or general student-centered practices. It requires teachers to thoughtfully include students' cultural and linguistic backgrounds in lesson design. The concept of “mirrors and windows” from Levine and Tamburrino (2024) particularly inspired me. This approach encourages us to create language arts lessons where students not only see themselves represented (“mirrors”) but also learn about others’ lived experiences (“windows”). It reminded me that representation isn’t a trend; it’s a responsibility.

Another eye-opening moment came from Shubbar’s (2024) work on teacher self-efficacy. As a mentor, I realized that the confidence and preparedness of our teachers directly shape their ability to implement CRI. Supporting new educators in building this confidence is part of my mission as a leader. Díaz (2023) pushed me even further, her work made me pause and examine my own mentoring style. Am I encouraging reflection, or am I simply handing over strategies? Her article taught me that mentoring should empower teachers to challenge outdated views and adopt practices that sustain students’ cultural identities.

These articles didn’t just inform my practice, they transformed my leadership goals. Comstock (2025) emphasized that creating a culturally responsive environment is a systemic effort, not an individual one. I now feel more prepared to advocate for structural shifts in my school and district, build inclusive curricular resources, and support my colleagues in delivering instruction that respects the diverse voices in our classrooms. This journey reaffirmed that culturally and linguistically diverse learners deserve more than accommodation—they deserve transformation.

References 
Comstock, M. (2025). A justice-oriented system: Practicing teachers’ conceptions of and perceived school and environmental supports for culturally responsive instruction. Teachers College Record, 127(1), 153–196. https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681251327559
Díaz, C. C. (2023). Culturally sustaining practices for middle level teacher educators. Middle School Journal, 54(3), 39–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2023.2185437
Levine, E., & Tamburrino, M. (2024). Culturally responsive literature. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 24(2), 10–26. https://doi.org/10.33423/jop.v24i2.7015
Shubbar, A. M. (2024). Self-efficacy in the management of culturally responsive classroom among secondary school teachers. Journal of Anbar University for Human Sciences, 2024(3), 1727–1748. https://doi.org/10.37653/juah.2024.145022.1262
Tanase, M. (2020). Is good teaching culturally responsive? Journal of Pedagogical Research, 4(3), 187–202. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.2020063333