Course Reflection: Cultural Competence

      As part of the Introduction to Teaching class, I read several articles, participated in multiple class activities, and discussed ideas for becoming an educator in a diverse classroom. These activities emphasized program standard “8.2 Growing and Developing Professionally” as I collaborated and received and provided feedback to my classmates.

 

       One of the main themes in every module was the idea of culturally responsive teaching. I enjoyed the activity called “Frames of Reference”. The class ranked items like “education”, “money”, and “religion” from most to least influential in our childhood. Then we turned to our neighbors and discussed our lists. I had ranked education first, where my neighbor had ranked it last. I was surprised at what was emphasized as important to me was not as important to someone else. I learned that my future students will approach my classes differently because their frames of reference will be different from mine and each other’s frames. Different items will be emphasized in their homes and their cultures. Also, it was fun to learn more about my classmates without getting too personal.

      The weekly reading that made the strongest impression on me was Profoundly Multicultural Questions by Sonia Nieto (2002-03). I found the article shocking as it touched on race proportionality in academically challenging courses, public school funding gaps, teacher experience and training, and the out-of-the-way locations of language minority and special needs classes. I felt the point of Nieto’s finger when she wrote about teachers. She pointed to the increase of students of color and the decrease of teachers of color. From my frame of reference, I left my previous career where I was a discriminated minority so I could “fit-in” in teaching. Because of my race, socio-economic class, and mainstream American ethnicity, I realize I am like the majority of teachers. I recognize there will be a difference between myself and my future students. I will need to work hard to understand and include all students, and push through cultural sensitivity to be culturally responsive. Nieto’s article was an awakening and a challenge, to “develop skills to teach diverse students effectively”. (2002-03, p.7)

     

      My favorite activity was on Empathy. A video by Brené Brown stresses that to be empathetic, I need to find the feeling in myself to match how the other person is feeling. If I do not join the student by taking their perspective I risk being sympathetic. Sympathetic responses do not make connections with others. I want to connect because when I am engaged with what my future students have to say and who they are, then they will engage with what I have to say and the material I have to impart. Learning about empathy gives me a tool I can use to reach across differences between myself and my students. I look forward to gaining more tools in my future classes to help me be more culturally responsive.

Brené Brown on Empathy (2013). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw

Nieto, S. (2002-03 December/January). Profoundly Multicultural Questions. Educational Leadership, 60(4), 6 – 10.