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5/31/2022; WEEK 7; CROSS-CULTURAL STUDENTS IN A CLASSROOM

 CROSS-CULTURAL STUDENTS IN A CLASSROOM


    I believe this topic it's just a branch off what we have been discussing about cultural differences. What does CROSS-CULTURAL mean? It means dealing with or comparing cultural differences among two or more different cultures. In a classroom it means the variety and diversity the students bring to class.

    Brother Ivers gives great examples of cross-cultural differences in students in a classroom. He talks about how if we are not aware of those differences they can lead to misinterpretation. He talked about how education is valued differently in many if not most of the countries and teacher are seen as a figure of authority when in America it seems like it is the other way around. 

    In Mexico schools use uniforms and you most speak in usted-form to the teacher. You raise your hand when you have something to say but the teacher can or not call on you to share. My mom was a teacher so I remember she got to teach some of my siblings. One day my brother forgot his notebook and as my mom was collecting them to check the homework, he said "mom I forgot it at home". My mom called him by name and told him that in the classroom she was not his mom, she was his teacher so he needed to call her "Profesora Cristina". He had to miss recess to make up for the homework and he was so mad because he knew my mom knew he did his homework he just forgot to put it in his backpack. 

    I agree with Professor Ivers about how Americans are so relax about school and authority figures. There is so much equality that respect boundaries are almost not there at all. I think we need some boundaries and to understand each other but it is important that our classroom has some neutral boundaries that can be respected both by students and teachers. 



 



Comments

  1. AnaJune 2, 2022 at 2:15 PM

    I agree that there is some neutral ground where cultures can meet, like in respecting each other. Among the students in a classroom, addressing someone by name or not touching their belongings would be a good place to start. It is hard because there are so many ways, we can offend other cultures. I think if we invite our students to keep an open mind and understand that one thing that is offensive to one culture is not in the next, we will prevent negative feelings.

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