One of the many questions I have about my future classrooms is, how much cultural tolerance I can accept before that tolerance interferes with the overall student's progress.
It is clear that we were all created equal in the eyes of God, and in the occidental way of education. All the students should be afforded the same opportunities regardless their backgrounds, and most importantly, regardless their culture.
But, what if some of this cultural differences feel threatening or disrupting to others? Greeting people as enter a classroom might be a simple act of respect in some cultures, while in others it would feel meaningless. This is the kind of situation that might feel divisive in a classroom and the kind that we'll have to navigate for sure.
Should I look for a consensus and try to steer all the students to my cultural paradigms, or allow them to express themselves uninterrupted?
I went to school to a very diverse high school but, regardless who you were or where you came from, teachers would tell you that there was one way and it was their way. Some people struggled to adapt to new cultural and educational values and their capacity to do so was the difference between success and failure. Many fell behind. I know better than to try this eclectic approach and to sacrifice my students chance for self-expression for the sake of unifying school polities.
I'm all for inclusion in all the aspect of society, but I'm worried that by fostering inclusion improperly, I will create a confusing ambient in the classroom.
It is difficult for me, to imagine a future classroom when I'm not even a teacher yet, but I sure hope that all the information from this lesson will be close to mind when the time comes, to help me create the right conditions for learning and progress.
Hi Carlos
ResponderEliminarVery good question about tolerance in the classroom. I think that tolerance should be allowed until it does not affects the values and norms of other cultures. Respect is fundamental. We must all accept ourselves as we are having an openness to accept advice that can improve us.
In one of our readings from last semester, there was a commentary about this kind of situation and one of the things said was that we must teach the “dominant culture” and explains how it works while being lenient and incorporating other students’ cultures in the lessons. The thing is to help the non-native student feel part of the group, accepted , and promote appreciation for diversity avoiding judgment and biases.
ResponderEliminar