Reflection 1 EFrisbee

Review – What did you learn?

Culture plays an important role in the development of who we are and how we fit in society. It is important to be mindful of how people from different cultures handle social situations. In addition to people we meet we must be aware of how culture affects how we see our students, what we perceive about the students in our classroom and often what we believe our students are capable of.

In chapter 1 of Developing Multicultural Educators by Jana Noel the reader is reminded of the role of the public school and how the structure of the school day was established to create opportunities for students to create habits necessary for success in our communities. Our students come from many different cultures and time must be spent acclimating students to the structure of schools. Our students come from many different backgrounds with different rules for punctuality, personal space to name a few.

Culture is shaped by our traditions and family history. Our way of communicating with others, the structure of our day and life and how we interact in society are all shaped by the culture that surrounds us. Bringing all of these cultures together will require teachers to have knowledge and understanding of cultural differences.

Reflect – What did it mean to you?

            The first chapter of this book certainly made me think about the students in my classroom and in my school. How amazing is it that schools are able to function with all of the different cultures merging into our very own culture of school. We have rules in place that help keep order and allow for learning to take place in a building housing more students than a small town. We have students from different backgrounds and cultures who didn’t grow up with the same structure that they walk into each day yet our school functions. I am amazed each day at how our students are able to adapt and accept their peers and their differences and similarities.

            I started thinking about how important it is for the school to help students acclimate themselves to the culture surrounding them each day. How confusing it must be for students entering our county and schools. Having never traveled to another country I do not have experiences similar to those of our ESOL students. I can’t imagine how strange it must be adjusting to a new set of rules, habits, traditions and even a new language.

            I am not currently teaching an ESOL class, but I have taught students new to our school with limited or no English language skills. I must say,  I only thought about the language barrier and until working at Norcross High School never thought about all of the cultural differences. I grew up in a small town in Maine with very little diversity. Moving to Georgia has opened by eyes different cultures and I am thankful for this opportunity to learn about different cultures. I always think about how lucky our students are to experience different cultures during their high school years and believe this opportunity will make each of them better adults.

Refine – How will you use the information in your classroom?

            In my classroom I plan to get to know my students and the culture that shapes who they are. Having previous taken a teaching math to ESOL students professional learning class I have been aware of the different cultures that my students bring into the classroom. I have been exposed to the different ways cultures feel about school, use eye contact and comfort levels with personal space. As with everything in education I just needed to be reminded of these differences and apply this knowledge in my classroom. Knowing just a little about the cultures my students bring into the classroom will help me create relationships that will make my students more comfortable in my classroom and help engage them in the lessons.

            I want all of my students to feel comfortable in my classroom, be accepting of   mathematical challenges put before them and become lifelong learners. Understanding their cultures will be a step in the right direction to doing my part to achieve this goal. I also see this as an opportunity to help my students become better adults with minimal cultural bias.