Abstract
As educators emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, they face new challenges in the classroom. This research study considers the lessons learned during various learning situations such as remote and hybrid and seeks to find a way toward a more culturally responsive classroom in order to motivate adolescents. Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based pedagogy that leverages students' values, needs, and interests. These teaching strategies and practices, among other best teaching practices, motivate all students with emphasis on those who may be more likely to be disengaged in schools, and therefore, in reading and writing. The researcher administered a survey and conducted interviews with secondary teachers in local Northern California school districts in order to gain information about teachers' experiences during and emerging from the pandemic, strategies and practices to engage and motivate students, and culturally responsive teaching. The findings determined that while some teachers are using some of the researched practices described in this study, many are not using their knowledge of students to teach them in the social and cultural contexts in which they may learn best.