A key component of culturally relevant pedagogy is about building a foundation of critical awareness within students and teachers. In this post, we’ll learn about the concept of critical consciousness, the left hemisphere of a culturally relevant teacher’s brain, and explore what it means for teachers and students to be critically conscious.

This image represents our human body analogy of culturally relevant pedagogy. We already talked about the heart, aka volition, and the impact having high volition has on student outcomes. So now, let’s get into the brain.  

What do we know about the brain’s relationship to the body? The human brain controls everything your body does – even the things you don’t think about, like breathing or keeping your heart pumping. It is divided into two hemispheres that remain in contact and communicate. The brain is like a powerful computer, like a control center that stores our memories and controls our thoughts and bodies. The left hemisphere represents critical consciousness. 

Gloria Ladson Billings defines critical consciousness for students as the ability to thoughtfully critique what they are learning in school and what they are experiencing in society. It’s questioning the status quo, analyzing power structures, and understanding how our identities and backgrounds shape our perspectives. However, cultivating critical consciousness in students starts with critically conscious teachers. These aren’t simply instructors who deliver content; they’re facilitators of thought and reflection. They possess several essential qualities:

• Introspection and reflection: Critically conscious teachers reflect deeply and often. They constantly examine and critique their own identities, actions, biases, strengths, and areas for growth. They ask tough questions about their attitudes and beliefs toward themselves and others, especially their students. They use this information to improve their practice. They understand that critical reflection is necessary, ongoing, and very personal and challenging. They know the importance of being open to mistakes, lapses in professional judgment, and other obstacles that occur during this process of critical reflection.

• Understanding of social structures: Critically conscious teachers can explain, critique, and challenge social structures and their causes. They have deep knowledge about how society operates, how power dynamics play out, and how these structures impact educational experiences. They see education as a space built on historical and societal contexts. 

• Comfort with identity and social issues: Critically conscious teachers openly discuss identity, culture, and society issues. They can examine how race, language, ethnicity, social class, and other identity factors shape people’s thinking, learning, and being and the world around them.

• Commitment to social justice: Critically conscious teachers recognize that teaching is not a neutral act. They commit to thinking, feeling, and acting in ways that dismantle systems that perpetuate inequities. They work to create a more just and equitable world. This shows in their classroom practices, lesson choices, and overall approach to education.

• Ability to empower students: Critically conscious teachers empower students to take learning beyond the confines of the classroom. They create experiences for students to use knowledge and skills learned at school to identify, analyze, and solve real-world problems. Critically conscious teachers prepare critically conscious students to be able to transform their communities and create new possibilities. 

So, what does critical consciousness mean for you? Whether you’re an educator, a student, or simply someone passionate about creating a more just world, take some time to reflect. How can you cultivate your critical awareness? How can you encourage it in others? Let’s start a conversation in the comments below and share our thoughts on the power of critical consciousness in building a more equitable and engaged future.

Watch this video to reinforce what you just learned.

With love and hope for a critically conscious world, 

Tamera 

P.S. Remember, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s much more to explore regarding critical consciousness and culturally relevant pedagogy. Stay tuned for future posts where we’ll go deeper into specific practices, challenges, and resources for educators and learners alike!