Week 7: Response to "Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom"

2/12/19

"Everything starts with your attitude" 

Teachers engagement with students is very important to get an effective learning process. Teachers need to value and motivate their students. They also need to meet their students individually. Students abilities, skills, and capabilities are important to meet rather than set stereotypes that lack them into the learning process. 

The curriculum is also an important part of the new language learning process. The Culturally Responsive  Pedagogy is central to learning. It is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspect of learning. It is an approach that empowers students intellectually, socially,  emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Landson-Billigs, 1994). 

Some of the characteristics of culturally responsive pedagogy are:

• Positive perspectives on students and their families.
• Communication of high expectations.
• Learning within the context of culture.
• Student-centered instruction.
• Culturally mediated instruction.
• Reshaping the curriculum.
• Teacher as a facilitator.

Culturally Responsive Teachers have...

• Sociocultural Consciousness
• A respectful attitude toward students from culturally diverse classrooms
• ...Commitment and skills to act as an agent of change 
• A constructivist view of learning
• a passion for learning about students

Students with different background could be in our classroom. ESL/ELs teachers, we need to focus in to integrate their funds of knowledge in the classrooms. What we can do? We need to understand that exposure is very important to understand different cultural backgrounds. 

1) it is an opportunity to exposure to a new culture. Teachers need to understand that they do not everything and students can bring enrichment to the classroom. 
2) Recognize others culture, values, and beliefs. (see racial diversity in the classroom as an educational opportunity).
3) Build a positive relationships with your students and their parents.
4) Promote good values in your classroom.
5) Communicate high expectations.
6) Feel empathy for your students and empower students to drive their learning.
7) Respect, tolerate and love your students. 
8) Teach by the spirit
9) Consider all the strengths and weakness of your students and  work with them to be more proficient and find new opportunities to learn.
10) Be humble and ready to learn from your students. (Learn from their cultures, traditions and their interests).
11) Be prepared (find the right strategies to help your students to enjoy their journey in their process to learn a new language.