A person’s culture may be defined as the sum of an individual’s experiences realized from the family they were born into, the people he or she is surrounded by, as well as the effect of the surrounding environment. An individual is raised in a certain culture and perceptions about race, religion, class, gender, and sexuality are formulated as a result of the culture in which one is raised. The culture in which one is raised also dictates how one views other races, religions, classes, genders, and sexual preferences. A person who learns, through their family and through interaction with members of a larger community, that women are inferior, will continue to believe that women are inferior unless some outside force changes the person’s thought pattern in a significant way. An individual from Midwestern America who has only been exposed to other white people and ideas that degrade other races will generally continue to have a negative outlook towards other races and groups of people. People who grow up in diverse areas, where they are exposed to and taught to appreciate different races, ethnicities and sexual preferences, will most likely be open to different points of view and varying lifestyles. Someone who has been indoctrinated into a certain religious faith will most likely associate with other members of the same faith and continue to believe that that particular faith is the one and only truth unless the person is taught to appreciate alternative ideas. One’s culture can affect one’s outlook on race, religion, sexuality, gender, and class in any number of ways.
Personally, I have learned to be part of the American middle-class culture in which I appreciate all races, genders, classes, religions, and sexual preferences. In this culture, I believe that I am free to express myself in any way I see fit so long as it does not present any potential harm to another human being. I have been raised by my family and my surrounding community to believe that I can achieve anything that I set my mind to, so long as I put forth the effort and dedication needed to achieve my goal. The idea that I have the potential to be successful in any endeavor has definitely had a positive affect on me as a student.
I bring a variety of beliefs and attitudes every time I step into the classroom, as will each and every one of my students. I have my own set of beliefs regarding religion, sexuality, class, race, and gender; however, my students may have distinctly different vantage points. Specifically, I bring a set of beliefs and dispositions which are positive in nature and aim to respect each and every person as an individual. I believe that every person has a story, a background, and a history that is uniquely different. These individual differences should be shared and respected. I do not aim to convert people to a type of culture in which I live, but merely to allow them a window into what I experience and how I perceive the world. While being allowed to share my own beliefs and my own experiences, I welcome and encourage others to share their stories. My belief that every person and every culture has something to offer may be in stark contrast to other cultures which believe that their way of life and their culture is the one true path – the only culture that matters and is the only one of importance. I believe my culture to be one of open ideas, discussion, conversation, and dialogue; so there may be a distinct problem.
Culture plays a vital role in the classroom because it affects how a student views certain events or takes in and analyzes certain information and how they perceive events in the classroom. For example, a teacher asks the class the following question: “There are ten birds in a tree. A hunter takes out his gun and shoots one bird down to the ground. How many birds are left in the tree?” The teacher waits for a moment, and then Malik, a young student from
“I didn’t give the wrong answer, there wouldn’t be any birds left,” replied Malik. The teacher, still perplexed by the answer, asks Malik to explain himself. Malik goes on to explain that if a man shoots one bird in a tree, the other birds will just fly away from the sound of the gunshot. Malik, being from
If teachers are not open to different cultures, students will most likely feel isolated and left out, which will undoubtedly have a negative impact on the learning experience. By being open and respectful of alternative lifestyles, teachers set an example for their students. The students will hopefully learn to be open to learning about and respecting other cultures as well. The goal is to create a classroom environment that is supportive of individual differences and diversity. By showing respect and not tolerating any negative behavior, students will come to feel safe and secure. As a result, a trust will be built (hopefully) between the teacher and the students where ideas can be expressed openly and honestly.
3 comments:
I really like your example about the birds in the tree. I would argue that Malik's answer is "more correct" because he is answering based on real-life experiences, not hypotheticals. It is quite a clever demonstration of the importance of being culturally sensitive, and that is something that standardizedtests have difficulties with. It is important to preserve different perspectives because once Malik starts thinking like all the other students in the class, the students as a collective will think more similarly, and diversity is important in problem solving, creating meaning in a community of inquiry, and responding to changes.
"By showing respect and not tolerating any negative behavior, students will come to feel safe and secure. As a result, a trust will be built (hopefully) between the teacher and the students where ideas can be expressed openly and honestly."
This made me think of a young teacher who came to visit one of my classes this past spring. He was a skinny, white kid from the suburbs of NJ, who teaches English in Harlem. Some of the things he offered were eye-opening... for example; he doesn't require his kids to read entire books. He'll simply pick important excerpts from books and focus directly on the main themes being portrayed. He also incorporates philosophy into his readings - his class read Plato's allegory of the cave. Anyhow, someone had raised their hand and asked him how he won over his students- to which he replied "I didn't act like myself. I was myself." He went on to describe that by being simply real to his students, they respected him. He did not have to punish them to control them; oddly enough he was totally cool with them until it came to the point where he could punish them and not have it be a big deal. He was just a friend who helped them learn.
I think that that is a great point. In order to gain the trust of your students I feel that you need to be yourself and true to who you are. If you can show the students that your not gonna be this fake teacher who is going to do everything by the book and stuff like that. Then I believe the students will respect you for that and in turn be able to be comfortable to open up and want to learn more from you and together with you.
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