Let Care Shine Through

Care is in the eyes of the receiver; it doesn\u27t exist unless those being cared for experience it. The authors describe culturally relevant critical teacher care, an approach that considers the effects of students\u27 cultural and socioeconomic conditions and that helps teachers find ways to show care to every learner—especially those from oppressed groups. Bondy and Hambacher describe three principles of this care for students (having political clarity, embodying critical hope, and sticking to asset-based thinking). They describe four helpful practices that they observed in a long-term study of two effective 5th grade teachers. These teachers embodied a culturally relevant approach to supporting students: expanding the meaning of achievement; overhauling deficit thinking; offering high expectations and support; and teaching with urgency