The book is divided into three main sections: Part I: Building Awareness and Knowledge (Ch. In other words, the book is a toolkit for teachers ready to do the work of examining and leveraging “deep culture” to foster independent learning. However, as she cautions early on, the book isn’t a “how-to guide on developing culturally responsive lesson plans in every subject area” rather, it is “a mindset, a way of thinking about and organizing instruction to allow for greater flexibility in teaching.” In her book “Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students,” Hammond blends practical brain science with the need for awareness of individual and collective culture, arguing we cannot be effective teachers without first understanding how culture programs the brain. Education consultant Zaretta Hammond describes herself as “a ‘boots on the ground’ teacher … a former writing teacher turned equity freedom fighter heart is forever with children and teachers in the classroom.” Hammond started her career as a writing teacher, and those years in the classroom led her to “understand how important literacy was to equity, and how neuroscience and culture should inform our instructional practice.”
