Student-Centered Instruction: The Collaboration of Students and Teachers through Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Anti-Racist Curriculum in Music Education

As our communities are becoming more diverse, it is imperative that teachers implement all the tools available to them so they can become more culturally proficient in the planning of their curricula. While acknowledging our own biases and providing culturally responsive language and culturally sustaining pedagogy through a decolonized, anti-racist lens, we can create student-centered classrooms. These classrooms place students as the leaders of instruction and the teachers as facilitators of learning. This collaboration provides not only a grounded musical experience but also the ability to implement a curriculum that represents the diversity of our communities.