Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke

Toward a Conception of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management

Given the increasing diversity of our classrooms, a lack of multicultural competence can exacerbate the difficulties that novice teachers have with classroom management. Definitions and expectations of appropriate behavior are culturally influenced, and conflicts are likely to occur when teachers and students come from different cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this article is to stimulate discussion of culturally responsive classroom management (CRCM). We propose a conception of CRCM that includes five essential components: (a) recognition of one’s own ethnocentrism; (b) knowledge of students’ cultural backgrounds; (c) understanding of the broader social, economic, and political context; (d) ability and willingness to use culturally appropriate management strategies; and (e) commitment to building caring classrooms. In the final section of the article, we suggest questions and issues for future research.

Mandela’s Inspiration

Nelson Mandela’s life is an inspiration and his legacy has become a symbol of the power of solidarity in the struggle to achieve human dignity and human rights. Mandela’s personal characteristics and life history were central to leadership that mobilized South Africa and eventually the world in protest against the existing economic, political and social conditions resulting from a system of governed racial segregation enforced by the apartheid regime.

Integrating Positive Psychology Into Counseling Psychology Doctoral Education

Strategies for integrating positive psychology theory and practice into the existing counseling psychology training program model within the framework of the Counseling Psychology Core are proposed. The three main clusters (i.e., Foundational, Functional, Organizational) and subcategories of the Counseling Psychology Core Competencies provide the framework for integrating positive psychology approaches into doctoral education. Integrating positive psychology and counseling psychology increases counseling psychologists’ familiarity with positive psychology treatment approaches, and maximizes counseling psychologists’ ability to promote empirically based positive psychology interventions designed to assist individuals, communities, and organizations in achieving positive life outcomes.