Cultural Competence

Teachers must engage in an ongoing process

Understanding that culture has a role in education

Actively learning about students' cultures and communities

Learning about the beliefs and values of a variety of cultures, whether or not those cultures are represented in the class

Broadening their awareness and gaining insight into issues facing diverse students, families, and communities

Teachers must practice ongoing reflection

What are my own thoughts, values and behaviors about culture?

I believe I have left this largely unexamined. What are my cultural beliefs about the role of the school, the teacher, the student, and classroom norms? Are my views Americanized? Asian-centric? European-centric?

"If you don't think about diversity in the classroom then you are shortchanging the students, and you're not looking at how they learn best." Pre-service teacher (IRIS center module p. 2)

Classroom practices

How does race and cultural background influence my teaching?

What is the race or cultural background of those students with whom I have difficulty relating?

Provide curriculum content to students in a way that is validating and meaningful

What messages do I send to the class about race and culture?

I occasionally engage in discussions with students, but these are anecdotal and unplanned. I should put thought into consciously and consistently incorporating cultural awareness into everyday learning.

Do I treat all students with respect?

Teach students to respect their own and others' cultural identitites and differences

Do I value the experiences my students bring to the classroom?

Make connections between background knowledge and content standards

Do I have prejudicial thoughts or allow prejudice to direct my actions in the classroom?

Teachers should familiarize themselves with students' styles of communication and the cultural influences which may be behind differences

dramatic presentation

conversational and active participatory discourse

gestures and body movement

rapidly paced rhythmic speech

metaphorical imagery

Consider cultural differences in student participation. Some students actively engage while others remain silent. (Donna Ford, PhD, IRIS center module, p. 4)

I have given such differences consideration with individual personality differences, but gave little thought to cultural differences.

Consider a student who repeatedly interrupts. This may not be a result of disrespectful behavior, but culturally appropriate engagement in discussion. (Donna Ford, PhD, IRIS center module, p. 4)

Cultural and linguistic differences can play a big part in whether or not families become involved in their child's schooling

language differences

learn basic words and phrases in the families' first language

utilize interpreters

varied family compositions

learn the family composition and who to contact regarding school issues

I acknowledge varied family compositions habitually. When instructing students to take something home to their parents, I typically use the long winded phrase "mom/dad/grandma/grandpa/auntie/uncle...whichever adult is at home" to recognize and normalize varied family compositions

culturally based perceptions about school involvement

support may be demonstrated in different ways

family members may view teachers as experts and as such are uncomfortable questioning them

anxiety about residency

build trust and make the family feel safe

manipulatives

word walls

real objects, pictures, or graphics

cooperative learning

building on background knowledge

reading aloud interactively

labels

technology

Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS)

ability to understand basic conversational English, or social language

generally acquired in approximately 2 years

adequate for early educational experiences but are "inadequate for the linguistic demands of upper elementary school and beyond" (IRIS center module, p. 5)

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP)

also "academic language", where students can effectively understand and communicate more advanced and complex language

typically acquired in 5 to 7 years

Students struggle significantly with academic concepts in the classroom while they are working to acquire CALP

Lack of awareness can lead teachers to misinterpret the fluency of students and, as a result, to have inaccurate assumptions about a student's ability

low expectations for students

instruction that lacks appropriate scaffolds and supports

inappropriate referrals to special education

Many educators, myself included, are unprepared to meet the needs of English Learner students