Teaching ELA: Reflecting on Culture

What is the role of culture?

• Culture is everything you believe or do to identify with people who are like you and what also distinguishes you from people who differ from you.
• Aspects, such as race, citizenship, dialect/ language, dress, customs/ traditions, habits, beliefs, class, education, and other experiences make up our view of self and perceived culture.

What are the effects of culture?

• Culture can help people feel safe or give a sense of belonging when included in a group. It can keep people working together.
• It’s generally easier to start from an inner perspective or cultural origins when interacting with others, but reflection questions can help expand our view to include others’ values.
• It takes dedication, education, and desire to learn to look beyond self-interest and lead by holding each other accountable for group values.
• We have the need to assess perspectives and beliefs so as not to silence other voices around. This is especially true in our position as educator in society.

What is the importance of culturally responsive teaching?

To benefit from language diversity by using one’s first language as a resource

To access. value an connect with our students background knowledge

To build off our collective strengths as a class by listening to our diversity of perspectives and experiences

To learn from one another so that we are more aware and mindful to respect others’ values

To break down the barriers between “us” and “them “to create a “we” consciousness of collective learning

To have norms and expectations present in the classroom (give the illusion of student brainstorm – ownership) to create an positive climate or open space where students feel comfortable enough to be themselves and share their thinking with each other

To have empathy and flexibility to change and adapt to needs of group

To have inspirational motivation to see what the community can accomplish together

To have intellectual stimulation

To be aware of linguicism  - ideologies and structures that are used to legitimate, effectuate, and reproduce an unequal division of power

To understand how language is learned, to be sensitive to the acquisition process