Yvonne Bunkley Ch. 1 Reflections

Review:

Chapter 1 of Janel Noel’s book , “Developing Muliticultural Educators” taught me more about culture, and what that word means, than I thought possible. Understanding that culture is a way of seeing, perceiving, and believing goes far beyond the simplistic idea I had of what culture means. The example Noel uses of a tree to illustrate that culture extends beyond the “branches”;  the parts that we can see and hear,  was profound. The “roots” of a culture, the basis which forms what we are able to observe about a culture, is vitally important for us as educators to understand in order to reach our students whose backgrounds are not like our own. Noel points out that within every culture there is a variety and uniqueness among individuals. This is important to remember because even if we, as educators, perceive that a student is from a culture similar to our own, we must not make assumptions about that student. Chapter 1 of this book taught me that every culture is unique and every student within a culture is unique.

Reading the “Cultural Socialization Practices in the Schools” section was a real eye-opener for me. I had never realized how profound, and pervasive, the roles our schools take in shaping our students into the models our American culture  view as important. How confusing it must be for our students if the norms we set for them at school are different from the cultural norms they are expected to adhere to in their homes and communities!

Reflect:

Using the “Preliminary Activities” on page 10 of Chapter 1 was helpful to me in understanding  how someone with a background similar to my own  could have a perspective different from mine, based upon what they feel is most important in their personalities. It put in perspective for me how large, and potentially daunting, it is to not only understand, but embrace, other cultures in order for me to grow as an educator and as a person.

Refine:

Figuring out how to use the information I have learned about cultures and using it to make me a more effective educator is a challenge filled with promise and rewards. I am looking forward to learning more about my students’ backgrounds and cultures in order to differentiate instruction  within the classroom beyond just their academic abilities.  If I can get to some of the “roots”’ of their culture, I believe that I can allow the more “authentic” nature of my students to emerge, which will allow them to become the best person they can be.