I was chatting with a friend recently about culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy (CRRP) and what it actually means, especially in the context of schools. He’s not in education, so I was trying to break it down in a way that made sense. But we kept getting stuck on one word: culture.

I realized I’d been using “culture” and “identity” interchangeably, and even though I knew they weren’t quite the same, I didn’t have the language to explain the difference clearly. In the conversation, he pointed out that I kept focusing on identity—but I wasn’t talking much about the learning. That hit me. It wasn’t until that morning, over our usual weekend coffee, that I started making the connection out loud.

So, what is culture in the context of CRRP? Is it just knowing what students eat or don’t eat, the clothes they wear, or the holidays they celebrate? Is it about identity? Yes… but it’s also so much deeper than those surface-level markers we often associate with diversity.

Somewhere along the way, I got fixated on “culture” as an outward expression of identity and missed the bigger picture: CRRP is about student learning. It’s about creating high expectations and academic rigor for all students—not just affirming who they are, but actually using that understanding to support how they learn.

Sure, identity plays a role. We need to understand students’ social identities, the languages they speak, their family structures, and their learning preferences. All of that helps us design meaningful learning experiences and build strong connections between school and home. It helps us see the strengths our students bring into the classroom—and center those strengths in how we teach.

When we affirm who our students are, we open the door to things like universal design for learning and authentic relationship-building with families. That’s where true student success begins.

But this goes far beyond food, festivals, and fashion. We need to understand how our students communicate, what friendship and leadership look like in their communities, how they show respect, and how they understand right and wrong.

Take learning styles, for example: in some cultures, knowledge is passed down orally through storytelling; in others, it’s through reading and independent study. If I know that my class leans heavily toward one approach, I’m going to plan accordingly—while still meeting curriculum expectations. That’s what culturally responsive pedagogy is about: meeting students where they are, without making assumptions based on surface-level identity markers. Instead, we rely on real data, observations, and relationship-building to create a full picture of each learner.

CRRP isn’t just about acknowledging who students are—it’s about using that understanding to create an environment where they can truly thrive. To me, this pedagogy is about giving students a voice in their own learning while allowing teachers to front-load curriculum expectations in ways that are actually meaningful and relevant.

I’ve always believed in listening to students, but when I started shifting my practice to be more culturally responsive, I noticed something different. Students were more willing to engage. The ones who usually hid in their hoodies or tucked themselves under desks began participating—in their own ways. Not everyone was suddenly raising their hands in a discussion, but some started writing responses in their notebooks, others would approach me after class to share their thoughts. And honestly, it made such a difference. I could actually see the impact. Students wanted to learn.

Reflecting back on that original conversation with my friend, I think that was the first time I was really able to explain that CRRP isn’t just about a student’s identity. It’s about everything we need to know about that student to support them in becoming the best learner they can be. It’s about holding high expectations for all students—so they begin to hold high expectations for themselves.

Because at the end of the day, anyone can meet their goals if the environment supports them. And that support doesn’t come from a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. It comes from understanding, adapting, and being intentional about how we reach every student. I continue to learn about CRRP and dissect and understand it. What I have written here is by no means a perfect definition but only a reflection of what I understand today.