The Three Imperatives
Throughout the many years of in the United States educational system, from when rule was ‘reading, writing, and arithmetic’ in a one room schoolhouse to currenty one of the biggest systems in the nation, educators have been viewed in society as incompetent. The old ribbing of those who can’t do, teach, has been laughed upon by many in society. In my opinion, education and those who are involved in the profession, have been placed at the bottom of the totem pole for quite some time. Obviously, educators know their value and the position they truly hold in the formation of society and in the lives of our youth. I believe that, although we may have politicians in positions of power that have no experience in education, there are several actual educators in our history and presently who have dedicated their lives and pioneered tried and true methods backed by years of experience and research to improve the system for educating our population. I appreciate the drive that educators have to push for more, we all know that those in education are underpaid and overworked, however, they are among the most genuine and hard working people in society.
Cultural and linguistic differentiation and awareness are a fairly recent phenomena within bettering our service to children and families within education. I believe that the biggest takeaway surrounding cultural awareness is that it’s not just the culture, it also involves language, norms, traditions and symbols (Mercer, 2018). Understanding your students’ cultures, norms, traditions and languages are all components of creating an inclusive classroom environment. I would say that the research behind creating a culturally responsive classroom environment has sufficiently proven that students learn more when they feel welcome and accepted in your classroom. It goes without saying that establishing a culturally responsive classroom environment takes quite a bit of work on the front end, but will pay off in the long run.
As an administrator, I think our teachers get overwhelmed when it comes to discussing culture in the classroom and ensuring inclusivity. So, where do we start? Inclusiveness begins on the first day of school, the first time each individual student steps into your classroom. Start by modeling an environment of mutual respect, students will push buttons during the first week and it’s important to correct disrespectful behavior right at the beginning. As the teacher, it’s your responsibility to maintain an environment where students will take advantage of learning from others experiences and interpretations. Lastly, students who speak english as a second language need to know that you see them and you are scaffolding your lessons to include them, not just passing them through because they don’t understand (Designing culturally inclusive classrooms, n.d.).
There is a saying that we have in education, I’ve had mentors say it to me and I’ve advised others the same way, “don’t reinvent the wheel.” Too often, as educators, we isolate ourselves because ‘we know what’s best for our students,’ right? I am guilty of taking this stance myself, however, throughout OTL565, I have reflected and realized that I don’t need to place myself on an island when it comes to creating and encouraging a culturally inclusive environment in the classroom and school, as a whole. I believe that, as educators, we need to band together and utilize the research provided to us throughout the years of experience from our predecessors.
References:
Designing culturally inclusive classrooms. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30,
2020, from https://www.usc.edu.au/community/work-at-
usc/staff/cultural-diversity/cultural-diversity-and-inclusive-
practice-toolkit/designing-culturally-inclusive-classrooms
Mercer, A. (2018, October 11). The importance of cultural awareness in
teaching. Retrieved October 30, 2020, from https://www.ace.edu
/blog/post/2018/10/11/the-importance-of-cultural-awareness-in-
teaching