Professional development on cultural competence is most effective when it is intentionally designed, research informed, and responsive to the educators themselves who are participating in it.
Based on my research on South Asian American students’ experiences in K–12 schools, as well as existing scholarship on culturally responsive teaching and professional learning, the following guidelines outline best practices for training educators who work with South Asian American students.
These principles are applicable both to district-level professional development and to smaller, school-based training initiatives.
Whenever possible, cultural competence training should be conducted in person rather than relying exclusively on asynchronous or technology-mediated formats.
Live, face-to-face interaction allows educators to ask questions in real time, engage in dialogue, and work through moments of uncertainty collectively. While digital tools can support learning, cultural proficiency work benefits from human interaction, which helps reduce the distancing and misinterpretation that can reinforce cultural misunderstandings.
(See Guerra & Nelson, 2007)
Training should be designed for groups rather than isolated individual learning.
Group-based learning creates opportunities for educators to hear multiple perspectives, reflect together, and develop shared language around culture, identity, and classroom practice. Well-facilitated group work can encourage thoughtful risk-taking and cross-cultural growth, provided the environment feels supportive rather than punitive.
(See McAllister & Irvine, 2000)
Because conversations about culture, identity, and bias can elicit strong emotional responses, it is critical to establish clear expectations for participation.
Facilitators should work with participants to develop mutually agreed-upon ground rules at the start of training. These may include commitments such as listening respectfully, assuming positive intent, allowing one speaker at a time, and remaining open to learning. Making these expectations visible throughout the session helps create psychological safety and keeps discussions productive.
Educators enter cultural proficiency training with varying levels of awareness, experience, and comfort.
Effective training acknowledges these differences and avoids a one-size-fits-all approach. Differentiation should occur without singling participants out and can draw on strategies commonly used in classrooms to support diverse learners. Importantly, training itself should model culturally responsive practices, recognizing that adult learners also bring distinct cultural backgrounds and learning preferences.
Developing cultural proficiency requires more than acquiring information about students’ backgrounds; it requires educators to examine their own identities, assumptions, and beliefs.
Training should intentionally incorporate opportunities for self-reflection, helping educators consider how their experiences, cultural positioning, and implicit biases shape interactions with students. Early and ongoing reflection makes professional learning more relevant and increases the likelihood that new insights translate into classroom practice.
(See Brookfield, 2017)
Together, these guidelines highlight the importance of intentional design in professional development focused on South Asian American students. When training is interactive, reflective, and responsive to educators’ needs, it is more likely to foster meaningful growth in cultural competence and improve students’ experiences in schools.
This framework was originally developed as part of my work on educator cultural competence and has been adapted here for broader practitioner use.
