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- Considering our own attitudes, biases and assumptions.
A common starting point is giving participants opportunities to consider aspects of their own culture. A colleague doing action research asked every teacher in a school with the highest minority population in our district to define “culture” and what it means to them. She was most surprised that the majority of the teachers had great difficulty defining culture. Only the teachers of color referred to their own ethnicity to discuss aspects of culture.
Do you think about your culture?
Do you value the culture of others?
- Valuing the language children bring to school.
As we work to provide educational experiences for our ELL students its pretty obvious that they come to us with their own language that is rich with the nuances of their culture. It seems to become less apparent when we work with other children. One English teacher was sharing with me how interesting it was to explore idioms with his ELL students. These phrases are rooted in culture. As educators, our awareness and appreciation of the language children bring to school allow us to provide relevant instruction for all students.
Are you using or recognizing culturally-specific language to enhance?
- Recognizing that there may be differences between the culture of the school and the culture of the child’s family.
Acknowledging the differences between the cultures of home and school can provide invaluable insight necessary to bridge the gap between home and school better interpret the school environment for all students.
What policies or practices in your school may not address the needs of all of its students or staff?
- Providing classroom climates that recognize and incorporate the cultural values children bring to school.
Some differences in cultural values might include; nuclear vs. extended family structures, competition vs. cooperation, informality vs. formality, direct communication style vs. indirect style.
How might you change the classroom environment to incorporate one of these or another cultural value that is different than your own?
- Incorporating culture-specific pedagogical styles.
Culture has a powerful impact on what happens in the classroom. Increased knowledge and awareness of our own culture and the culture of others increases our ability to address the needs of diverse learners.
- Providing culturally relevant materials.
All students benefit from multicultural gender-fair materials.
- Promoting culturally reciprocal parent and community relationships.
Educators must provide opportunities to involve all parents and community members as partners in the education process, not just the more influential parents and community members.
- Maintaining high expectations for all children.
Although educators are aware of Brophy’s research on expectation, our biases and stereotypes often impact out ability to hold all students to the same standard of excellence.
- Obtain new information about aspects of culture from “cultural informants.”
Cultural competence is a process. To increase our understanding of cultures and our skill it is important that we build relationships with individuals from different cultures. These relationships allow individuals to give and receive accurate cultural information.
Do you have opportunities to interact with individuals from diverse cultures at home? At work? In the community?
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