Navigating the journey to culturally responsive teaching: Lessons from the success and struggles of one first-year, Black female teacher of Black students in an urban school

•We explore how one first year teacher navigates culturally responsive teaching.•Findings indicate that Black teacher of Black students must evaluate perspectives of culturally responsive teaching.•Novice teachers must learn to bridge the gap between theory and practice.•Teachers from rural/suburban backgrounds might explore the lived experiences of urban students to be more effective.

This exploratory case study examines the experiences of one first-year, Black female English language arts teacher and her Advanced Placement Language and Composition students. Through an exploration of her relationship with her Black students, the data reveal how she faced challenges when finding balance in her classroom management style, encountered cultural dissonance, developed teacher-student relationships, and struggled with how White, middle-class values may have shaped her classroom interactions with her students. The results of this study inform the field of teacher education and have potential implications for pre-service and inservice teachers worldwide working with students from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds.