As teachers, we are bound to encounter students with different backgrounds than our own, be it familial, religious, linguistic, ethnic, or socioeconomic. The problem some students can have with these differences is becoming distrustful of us, the teachers in charge. So, we need to be a little more sensitive when faced with these differences.
To be a teacher in a multicultural society, we need to do our best to make our students feel comfortable and safe in our classrooms, particularly when it comes to language variations, be that dialectically-based or language-based. Remember, how we speak is how we think, and it’s important to include everyone and what they have to offer a diverse classroom.
A few approaches we can use to incorporate various cultures in the classroom:
Other ideas for teachers are trying to understand these cultural and linguistic differences by speaking with families who are from cultures unlike our own. Making these connections help teachers to not only better understand his/her students but to appreciate these differences and use them to dispel the discomforts of unfamiliarity.
To put into practice:
Sources:
Vacca, Richard T., and Maryann Mraz. "Culturally Responsive Teaching in Diverse Classrooms." Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum. By Jo Anne L. Vacca. 10th ed. Boston: Pearson Education, 2011. 54-67. Print.
To be a teacher in a multicultural society, we need to do our best to make our students feel comfortable and safe in our classrooms, particularly when it comes to language variations, be that dialectically-based or language-based. Remember, how we speak is how we think, and it’s important to include everyone and what they have to offer a diverse classroom.
A few approaches we can use to incorporate various cultures in the classroom:
- Contributions: Culturally-specific celebrations and holidays (not in-depth, only surface)
- Additive: Teaching various themes related to multicultural concepts and issues (thematic unit)
- Transformative: Attempts to help students understand diverse concepts by giving ongoing opportunities to read about concepts/events and draw their own conclusions
- Decision-making/social actions approach: Gives opportunities to engage in activities and projects related with social action
Other ideas for teachers are trying to understand these cultural and linguistic differences by speaking with families who are from cultures unlike our own. Making these connections help teachers to not only better understand his/her students but to appreciate these differences and use them to dispel the discomforts of unfamiliarity.
To put into practice:
- Pick literature that is culturally accurate
- Stay away from overgeneralization
- Find a common ground- do not exacerbate “otherness”
- Try not to correct speech (writing for technical purposes can be different)
Sources:
Vacca, Richard T., and Maryann Mraz. "Culturally Responsive Teaching in Diverse Classrooms." Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum. By Jo Anne L. Vacca. 10th ed. Boston: Pearson Education, 2011. 54-67. Print.
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