Oct. 9...From Deficit Approaches to Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
Now that you have learned about deficit theories and a bit about asset-based approaches (e.g., culturally relevant, sustaining pedagogies), what do you think about teachers' roles in accounting for students' home cultures? How/should teachers be thought of as having a role to play in reshaping our society so that cultural bias is less of a problem in the future?
I definitely believe that teachers should celebrate student's home cultures. Sometimes a lot of bi-cultural students have a lot of trouble feeling like they can fit into their classrooms. At this point in their lives, their schools/classrooms are their communities. If children don't feel like they fit into this small community, it will be so hard for them to feel like they can fit into communities later as adults. Teachers can acknowledge different cultures and traditions without necessarily pointing students out. Teachers can act as the connection between children and the rest of the world. They can correct students if they hear or say misinformed comments, they can answer questions that curious students want to know more about, but most importantly, they can sit back and learn from other students. Growing up of Middle Eastern background, I always would feel different from all the other students. Especially when they would talk about things that was traditional for most Americans and not for me. I remember in the 6th grade, everyone in my class had gone to a cotillion thing except for me. I remember the teacher and the rest of my classmates had talked about it for like 30 minutes straight and I had just felt very left out considering not only was i middle eastern, but also from the north. I think that having the teacher be more open to learning and talking about different cultures and traditions is a fantastic place to start.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to adapt curriculum to an entire school, so the responsibility of making sure a student can learn the information being taught falls to the teacher. While most classrooms today are overcrowded and teachers don't exactly have time to tailor the lesson to every child, it's important still for them to understand their audience. It's not about an individualized lesson plan, it's about understanding the ways the curriculum might not fit your students based on their background. Teachers should be taught about the inequity in the education system so that they can better understand the advantages/disadvantages that their students started out with. When teachers don't realize that all students aren't on the same level of privilege it makes a one sided classroom that doesn't benefit anyone.
ReplyDeleteI believe that teachers should celebrate each of their students’ home cultures. Just as the chapter states, ignoring a child’s culture, or being “color-blind,” is incredibly harmful to the children and to your mindset. It is our job to talk about and celebrate these differences with children. If we don’t, we risk our students feeling deeply alone, possibly resenting where they came from and who they are. When we embrace and love on these differences, we are able to see beautiful aspects of our students that we wouldn’t have seen before. It allows us to teach each child in a way they understand. When we keep these things in mind, I believe we can aid in reshaping our societies cultural bias. Obviously, it is difficult to be so personalized with your students, but knowing about their background is so important to understanding who they are as learners.
ReplyDeleteThere is this amazing children’s book called “The Sandwich Swap” that I read when I was at community college. It’s a great book to share with younger children about diversity and embracing differences in culture!
I totally agree with the idea that teachers should incorporate all of the different cultures into their lessons and classroom environments. Though this may be difficult at times, it creates a less hostile environment and allows each child to feel more comfortable and welcomed. Going about classroom duties, interactions with students, and lesson plans, without taking different home cultures into account, can create a very bitter and unwelcoming environment. Some students may not feel like they have a place in the class which could lead to them acting out or becoming isolated and distant. In my opinion, I believe it is extremely important to take the different cultures into consideration to avoid making a student feel out of place or different. Yes, the main job as a teacher is to teach, but teachers are also there to build character and advocate for each individual child. Advocating does not include excluding those who come from a different culture and background. It all starts with one change that leads to bigger changes within the society. If we as teachers do better at incorporating all cultures into the classroom, changes will definitely be made with the bigger picture. We want our students to embrace their differences and not be shameful of other's.
ReplyDeleteIn the grand scheme of things, the idea of reshaping society and reducing cultural bias is an ideal one. However, it requires an entire population of individuals to be on board with it and that is difficult to attain. I believe both parents and teachers are responsible for creating and fostering an accepting environment at home and at school. However, in school, teachers are the primary authority figures that are able to make a difference in children's lives.
ReplyDeleteEvidence by Bonilla-Silva suggests that it is imperative to avoid the 'color-blindness' approach in schools, as in can ultimately reject individual differences. I think it is important for teachers to see students as individuals who are not all the same. Each student is different and comes from a different background /families, possess different talents and abilities, etc. These differences should not be ignored; they should be acknowledged and accepted in order to increase inclusion, acceptance and ultimately decrease prejudice or cultural bias toward a particular group.
If teachers are able to foster acceptance and acknowledge children's individuality and differences, they are more likely to utilize effective methods of teaching that may positively impact children's learning and overall academic experience. In addition, I have read studies that report higher levels of innovation when working in a diverse environment.
I think teachers should be respectful and accepting of students home culture. Schools nowadays are very diverse and children come from all kinds of different backgrounds. I think teachers should embrace all these different cultures. Children should feel accepted in school and not feel like an outcast based on their home culture. Every student should feel like an equal and not be treated differently. The teacher can incorporate different lessons on different cultures and let some of their students go in depth about their culture. I think when children learn about different cultures earlier in their life, then they'll be more accepting of other cultures in throughout their life. Another thing that teachers could do, is read different books about different cultures to teach students about culture. I think it's very important that teachers respect a students home culture because every student just wants to feel included in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteTeachers have an incredibly important role in accounting for students' home cultures. Educators are able to give knowledge to their students and I personally believe that some of that knowledge should include information that can help reduce cultural bias. Children should be able to see the value of their identities and backgrounds and by using culturally relevant pedagogy and modifying communication style, this can be done. Nieto and Bode write, “Learning cannot take place in settings where students’ cultures... are devalued and rejected. Teachers who want to provide all students with a caring and stimulating environment for learning have to take into account their backgrounds and identities.” Educators are able to promote acceptance and recognize children's individuality and cultures in a positive way, but teachers need to be aware of asset-based approaches and the need for lessening cultural bias.
ReplyDeleteI agree with my peers in that teachers play a critical role in reshaping society so there's less cultural bias. Cultural discontinuities create an uneven playing field for students in marginalized culture groups. Engaging with families and students about their cultures could greatly benefit the students' ability to learn within the classroom. I think it's extremely important for students to share about their cultures in class so that everyone has a deeper understanding of differences and similarities. If teachers don't invite dialogue about culture into the classroom then we may be showing students that we don't find culture important or relevant in education. This would be a shame as learning about cultures is also a great way to learn about history, language, art, music etc. As the reading by Nieto and Bode stated, "...cultural differences between school and students' home lives may lead to negative academic outcome." I also think it is easy for teachers (and society) to make assumptions or generalizations about students instead of truly understanding them which creates a large barrier to learning. The example in the reading was very telling in which a teacher didn't know that wrinkling your nose in Puerto Rican culture means that "you don't understand something" so when her Puerto Rican students would wrinkle their nose she had no idea that they were confused about the assignment or topic of discussion and she would move along with class. These subtle differences are ones that truly need to be acknowledged so we can try to break down as many barriers as possible.
ReplyDeleteMary Kate- I believe teachers’ accountability for their students’ home cultures should be very high. An inclusive classroom should always be the standard for education but I think that this is often mistaken to just pertaining to varied neurological abilities. Ensuring that all cultural backgrounds feel safe and accepted in a learning environment is a crucial part to promoting growth and success. One of the most devastating aspects to the history of the world in my eyes has been the diminishing of so many cultures. Whether it be through force or waves of westernization, a lot of cultural customs, languages and even land has been lost to others more dominate in society. I believe this fact alone can be used as a teaching point, showing that this does happen but it is not the type of behavior tolerated in a classroom. Everyone has the right to education therefore, once they get their this equality should be transitioned into the style of pedagogies used. I am a social work minor and we often talk about the strengths perspective when working with clients. Lifting someone up and empowering them through assets they already have is by far the most effective way to lead them towards a healthy and happy life. Students are people too, and the celebration of their backgrounds is a beautiful way to enlighten others to new things while minimizing the effects of cultural bias.
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ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic question, and I agree with majority of the posts. Teachers play a crucial role in the classroom. Thy are the role models that students would start acting and observing like one. Having rules and regulation in the classroom is very important. United States is a melting pot, we have people from different parts of the world. These students come with different cultures and background. Maybe even with different experiences, education and languages. Having a teacher in the classroom that is open minded makes it so much easier. what a teacher teaches in the classroom matters. The teacher must consider the minority group as much as the majority group when making classroom decisions. The students likes and dislikes matters as much as the majority. The teacher should picks things that is educational and also not culturally bias towards one group of student and not towards others.
Madison Bray:
ReplyDeleteI think that the teachers’ role in taking into account a students home culture is important because different students come to school with different things going on in their lives that may affect the overall classroom feeling. For example, Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts there is a wide variety of students in that school that bring different “cultures” with them to school. With it being a charter school students that wouldn’t necessarily interact with one another and make each other more worldly because they share their experiences with each other, some students live in the projects and have shared when they are tired or are having a bad day that it is because there was shooting or something else happening the night before and teachers have learned to make their lessons and days schedules allow for time to relax and calm down so that the children in their classes feel safe. Also, it is very eye opening to those other students that don’t live in a situation like that at all. As a teacher you have to be able to be flexible to some degree when dealing with students home culture because those students are also a teachers priority as is their education, if students struggle with something then as a teacher you need to be able to adjust your teaching to reach the majority if not all of your students as best you can. On the flip side of this it is important to show students through example that if they are in mixed families, foster families, or adopted families that it is a great thing as long as they are safe because that means that they can grow to be more understanding individuals through example and experience. This is great when helping to break those racial bias, social bias, economic bias, and religious bias that many people that are older have a harder time trying to do.
I think teachers should strive to understand their students' culture and not view it as a hinderance of learning. If students feel accepted and understood by their teachers then they probably would have a better experience of school and learning. It is important to not make students excluded if culture, ethnic background differs from most in the class. Teachers are influential in not only students' learning, but in their lives. So, if teachers do not believe that the students are capable of achieving things in the classroom, the students would not believe in themselves either. Cultural bias can stunt the learning environment and everyone would be affected including the teachers. The focus does not have to be only set on students' backgrounds when learning; however it can be a resource and tool for those who mental processing may be different.
ReplyDeleteTeachers have an enormous role in each of their students' lives. Whether it is intentional or not, it is inevitable that students are affected by what goes on in the classroom. This in itself is a huge reason as to why teachers need to take in to account the many different cultures that students bring. In the beginning of the reading, it talked about "color blindness" and while that is a good start- and much better than being blatantly racist- there are still some issues that can arise with "not seeing color." For example, it may result in refusing to accept differences all together which would then result in automatically accepting the dominant culture. This was interesting to read about because it made me realize how much more aware I need to be of my surroundings. Just because I don't say anything or address a situation, doesn't mean i'm being culturally aware. It made me realize that I could unintentionally be doing something that is hurtful by not saying anything at all. I think the first step in addressing and diminishing cultural bias is to not be silent. Teachers are scared to speak out on subjects that are viewed as taboo or controversial, which I understand because I myself tend to shy away from addressing situations that are controversial in fear that I might offend someone, or hurt someone's feelings. However, I think it's so important to address these situations in a way that shows compassion and understanding, especially as a teacher with culturally diverse students.
ReplyDeleteLindsey: I think its important for teachers to be cognizant of their students' cultures and background, so that they can tailor their teaching to them. I understand that since classrooms are overcrowded and there is a shortage of teachers, it would be difficult to individualize education, but I still think that being aware of culture can help teachers understand the students' actions and be able to, in some small way, customize the education to the student. Not everyone learns or understands in the same way or in the same time frame and being conscious of that is important in order to create a positive and uplifting educational environment where every student can succeed. I think differences in students' cultures and upbringings can be used as a tool in the classroom so that the next generations of students can be more and more aware of the people around them and maybe we can create societal change that way.
ReplyDeleteI believe that teachers should celebrate all different cultures in the classroom and show how culture are differnt and similar. Students spend most of their time during the day with their teachers and other students, so the teacher needs to expose them to other cultures and experiences. By showing all of the cultures to students you are including everyone in your class and showing how everyone is different.
ReplyDeleteI think it is really important to acknowledge and respect student's varying cultures and backgrounds. There are many benefits to doing so. I think for one, the student may feel more comfortable in the classroom and feel better about their teacher and the classroom environment. I think some kids may feel different because of their culture which may put a hindrance on their learning and affect them negatively. I think it benefits the teacher and the students to acknowledge everyone's differences as a positive thing, and to immerse the kids into ideas they wouldn't necessarily see or hear without their peers. It's a great opportunity to learn more about the student, and for others to learn about the world around them. Teachers must also be able to work with different backgrounds and all different sorts of kids, so by acknowledging the student's home culture I think it gives the teacher better insight into educating and guiding that child. Teacher's accountability for acknowledging students' culture should be very high. I think it is very empowering, especially for a child, to recognize and celebrate their culture respectively.
ReplyDeleteI think it is extremely crucial for teachers to respect and understand their students cultural backgrounds in the classroom. As role models, it is their job to create a sense of community within the classroom. However, if a student has a different cultural background then others and the teacher does not recognize and embrace as such, the students can feel left out and excluded. Teachers can try to prevent this by incorporating students' cultural backgrounds into their lesson plans and activities but they need to be aware of bias and present these backgrounds in a positive light.
ReplyDeleteI think that a teacher plays a whole role in many aspects of a student's life. Likewise, a student's home life also plays a role in a classroom community. I think at any level of education, students will talk about what's going on at home and their culture. Some students may relate and others may not understand. In regards to culture bias, I think it is important for a teacher to allow their students to explore and ask questions about another student's culture, however the teacher should act as guide to ensure that it is productive and respectful. In terms of how a teacher should incorporate culture into the classroom, the curriculum should be relevant to the students. I think that when selecting content it is important for the teacher to be aware of cultural biases when teaching about cultures that are different from their own. A prime example would be some lesson plans about Native Americans that portray misconceptions about the culture. I also think teachers should model how students should treat everyone with respect and acceptance regardless of a person's race or culture.
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ReplyDeleteI think when it comes to a students' demographic, teachers should be celebrating what makes their classroom unique. No one should feel like they have to suppress who they are in order to fit in. We must encourage individuality, and incorporate all the holiday's that are celebrated, not just the American viewed "major holiday's." Teachers should also be mindful on what kind of decor they hang in their classroom, something that I thought would be a fun idea is to hang flags around the room of several different countries, and posters that have greetings and saying's in all different languages. No student should feel like they are not worth being represented in their own classroom.
ReplyDeleteAll teachers should be respectful and accepting of students cultures. Depending on the area schools can be very diverse and kids come from all different backgrounds. Teachers should embrace culture and find ways incorporate into lessons. All students should feel accepted in school no matter their culture or where they come from. Teachers should act as a guide during classroom discussions about culture to make sure that the conversation remains respectful. Teachers should model ways to respect and embrace a persons ethnicity and culture because teachers play such a large role in their students lives.
ReplyDeleteTeacher's should be highly encouraged to recognize and even celebrate the student's home culture. By doing so, it allows the students to feel in existence at school while still emphasizing their own culture. While emphasizing their culture, the students should still feel appreciated and comfortable as possible. I very much agree with Mary Kate when she said that an inclusive classroom should be a standard. By doing show, that will shine a light on areas and cultures that students might haven't heard of, as well as give students a chance to share their uniqueness and traditions with each other. This will heavily promote self-expansion at a younger age. I believe teachers play a key role in society because of all the children in school now, will eventually be the leaders, administrators, doctors, lawyers, politicians and more important roles that help shape, guide, and continue society itself. With teachers setting an example and being open/understanding to cultures while eliminating the cultural biases, the students will learn those characteristics and hopefully carry those out themselves.
ReplyDeleteTeachers play a very important role in students’ lives, and so I think that it is important that they account for different cultures. Because students spend over 7 hours every weekday at school, they spend more time at school than they do at home. So I think that it is important for teachers to share the importance of different cultures with their students so everyone is included.
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I feel like teachers have a big role in taking students home cultures into account, if you don't know who and where your students came from or how they grew up, then would you really be able to connect with them? Not only should teachers take it into account, but also maybe they can express it and teach their other students about these different cultures coming in this one classroom. By also knowing more about your students and their cultures, it could be used as a way to make lessons that are more relevant in their lives, in which it makes it easier for the students themselves to learn since they can relate to it. As a teacher you are able to develop a genuine connection with them and what better way to achieve that by knowing and understanding the cultures they are raised on.
ReplyDeleteTeachers should consider all different cultures when teaching. It's very important to recognize each students culture while celebrating individuality amongst different cultures. This will also bring a a sense of community. By knowing more about students cultures and background it gives others a chance to learn more about the world around them. As a teacher were able to really make an impression on kids and create genuine connections between students creating a sense of community and a feeling of importance.
ReplyDeleteMichelle Miguel: I think for the most part teachers should know the demographics of where they are going to teach. Therefore, they should be aware of the different cultures they are going to encounter. This creates stronger bond and a greater impact with the students and the community as well. When teacher's are able to connect and understand with their students, it motivates students to do better and helps them improve. Also, when they learn from their perspective it makes things a bit easier for them. For example, in high school I went to a predominant white school and honestly I never felt like my teachers made me the effort to connect with me. I then moved to a more diverse school which was totally different because my teachers seemed to actually care, connected and would work with me.
ReplyDeleteTeachers play probably the biggest role in shaping up a child and preparing them for the real world, behind the child's parents (in most cases), so it's only right that as teachers we focus on the things that make each student who they are. Teachers see their students for eight hours of the day, five days of the week, so it is important that the teacher knows who their students are, and culture plays a huge part in who a student is. I think it is uber important for teachers to focus on the things that make their students different. It helps celebrate diversity, and it allows for their students to learn to be accepting of people of all kinds of cultures and backgrounds. I think teachers should figure out ways to incorporate different cultures into their lessons and teaching techniques.
ReplyDeleteTeachers aren’t responsible for everything that goes on inside a student’s home. However, teachers need to be aware, and be flexible. It is important not to see a different cultural background as a deficit, or something to be corrected. Different doesn’t mean bad. It’s critical to remember that. If a student knows little about the culture of the area, it would be wonderful for the teacher to provide the student with some frame of reference, but the teacher should not be wiping out the student’s heritage and replacing it with the culture of the area. It is important to have an understanding of both, and it is equally important to realize that the differing cultural backgrounds are not a weakness by any means.
ReplyDeleteFor teachers working with younger students especially, it is important to make sure to provide exposure to different types of people. Not every story should be about an able-bodied neurotypical English speaking teenage Caucasian male living in the western world. Different cultures should be showcased. People of differing abilities shouldn’t be forgotten. It is also important to show that an impairment or a disability does not mean an inability, at all. People in different circumstances can do amazing things. It is important for teachers to pay attention to that. It doesn’t have to be a huge thing, either. For example, if a teacher is discussing history, the great composer Beethoven may come up in conversation. It would only take a minute, a few words, to mention that Beethoven went deaf during his career, and still composed music. When discussing World War 2, it would only take a moment to add a slide showing FDR in his wheelchair. It wouldn’t derail the conversation, and would show students who may be in a wheelchair that they are still capable. Prejudices and societal expectations aside, President Franklin D Roosevelt was a wheelchair user, and he was the longest serving president in American history!
When assigning books, they can find stories from different backgrounds. Little kids seeing a movie like Aladdin could learn a bit about the middle east, for example. Obviously the movie should not be used as a direct source, but by normalizing people of different heritages, the students might be a bit more aware that not everyone has the same experiences as they do, and that’s okay! Their middle eastern friend might not know much about what Christmas is, and that doesn’t mean their friend is dumb, it just means their friend has a different holiday. Maybe the two of them could learn from each other.
Things like this obviously won’t instantly reshape the world, but raising children who are understanding of each other’s differences is the first step. After all, children are the future, so we have to raise them right.
It will be an ideal situation if you get your hands on both the softwares, but it is difficult to manage and maintain the bulk email verifier tool. You need to have a team that needs to work day and night and manage it in real-time.
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