Article Review #3
Communication between a classroom teacher and a student’s family is imperative to that student’s academic success. The article, Communicating with Families Across Cultures: An Investigation of Teacher Perceptions and Practices by Jody L. Eberly, Arti Joshi, and Jean Konzal is based on a study of a group of culturally diverse teachers and discusses methods they discovered to overcome common cultural misconceptions to facilitate improved communication with students and their families. Culture is not just based on race but also includes ethnicity, economics, religion, education of the parents, and many other variances. It is possible to have a culture within a culture. It is a people’s way of life. Keeping an open mind to cultural differences can help the relationship between the teacher and the student’s family evolve into one that creates an atmosphere conducive to learning at school and in the home. The first thing a teacher must do is understand his or her own biases towards a particular culture and learn how to
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When the teacher’s beliefs about child-rearing differ from the parent’s, passing judgement or facilitating negative interventions do not foster the open communication necessary for a successful academic partnership between the teacher and the family. For instance, when a student’s parents do not attend conferences or return paperwork as requested, the teacher may conclude the parents are unconcerned about their child’s education. In actuality, there may be many reasons the parents don’t comply with requests from the teacher such as, not having transportation, or not being able to read the messages sent home with the student. The article suggests phone calls or even home visits to attempt contact with the
The article talks about how teachers need to have cultural compatibility. While it might be difficult for some teacher to grasp and understand the different cultures behaviors and beliefs. For those teacher that can are more likely to provide a learning environment that is enriching and responsive to the children’s different cultures. Teacher should have “meaningful interactions with members of other cultures and promote cultural disequilibrium (Colombo, 2005, p. 2).” Activities that have this are more likely to increase cultural competence.
Family’s beliefs and values may be different for some and in other cultures they may not be accepted. As teachers, we have to learn about different cultures and expand our knowledge so families could feel more accepted. In the book, Anti- Bias Education for young children and ourselves by Louise Derman-Sparks & Julie Olsen Edwards, talks about how culture and fairness involves two dimensions, children’s development of a positive culture, identity, and their respectful interactions with other cultures. With these two dimensions, it will help the child to continue to express their home culture at school while learning the different cultures at school with their classmates. They learn about what’s right from wrong, how to dress, and talk
Albert Borgmann follows the general project by Heidegger to see how technology has harmful effects on humanity and to determine how it can be reformed. Borgmann shares Heidegger’s view that modern technology is starkly different from premodern technology in its pattern of disclosing the world to human beings. Borgmann agrees that a sort of ethical reform must be undertaken to limit technological ways of living from dominating the lives of individuals and to keep technology in its place. His proposal for a direction of reform first takes cues from Heidegger but then asserts the need for different tactics.
As suggested by Kaiser & Rasminsky (2003) “culture is like a second skin and it only becomes visible when we brush up against one that is different” (p.53).Culture is important part in our lives , it can include the food we eat , beliefs , values and the way we look at our world. As a teacher it is important to understand our own culture, before we try to understand children’s and families culture. The values, beliefs that teachers has developed from her/his past experiences has an influence on how and what they teach the children , so teachers should try not to let their personal views interfere with their teaching .Language is the way we communicate with one another around us, only through language we are able to convey verbal messages across. As teacher we need to have that openness, so that we can value the differences and make the families and children belonged at centres.
As an educator one must understand that the children you will be teaching will all come from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, different homes with different values. No one student will be the same, and no one student will learn the same. The role of a modern educator is to harness this idea of diversity and channel it into a positive learning atmosphere for children of all backgrounds. “I define culturally responsive teaching as using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them” (Gay, 2013, p.50.). The hope for all teachers is to capture the minds of their children, as educators we must learn how our students learn, adapt to their skill set and channel our curriculum to their strength.
Students who are enrolled in elementary schools with a diverse population usually develop an understanding of insights and perspectives of children from different backgrounds and learn to function in a multiethnic, multicultural environment (Morrissey, 2014). Therefore, students need to learn how to interact in diverse environments. Teachers face challenges of making lessons and instructions “culturally responsive” for all students to avoid favoritism (Griner, 2012). Some students’ cultural backgrounds may have a negative impact on them in a modern classroom (Burt, 2013). It is imperative for elementary school teachers to be knowledgeable of different cultural beliefs and practices to help students adjust to traditional classrooms (Nigma, 2015). Defining the
Helping with homework and discussing topics in which the child may be having difficulty with can help them perform better in school. Parents need to be more aware that the time spent at school may not be enough for students to receive proper teaching instructions. There should be some interaction with studies outside of school hours. Unfortunately, for students who are at a socio-economic disadvantage often struggle in school, particularly if parents lack higher levels of education. In the book, Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s school, Kozol (1992) believed that, “the poorest parents, often the products of inferior education, lack of information access and the skills of navigation in an often hostile and intimidating situation to channel their children to the better schools, obtain the applications, and help them get ready for the necessary tests.” While parents are receiving the necessary information regarding their child 's education, they are not responding because they either did not understand the purpose nor did they investigate it. It’s not that many parents don’t care to know, they just seem to lack the understanding or
At this center, the teachers have the tools to assess each child and the parents are interested in knowing the strengths and supports their child needs. The article Understanding Families, states that there should be “opportunities for families to discuss their beliefs about their children, what they want for their children, and how they support their children’s development” (Christian, 7). As conferences occur every 6 months, parents also communicate with the school and teachers via email and during drop off and pick up times. Another great example of parent communication is in the article Building Bridges from School to Home.
These beliefs can be inclusive and respectful, but they often create diversity and misunderstandings. Teaching children the facts about the cultures and people that surround them can help to eliminate that. The article “Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies: Importance, Benefits, and Tips” explains, “Culturally responsive teaching is not a secondary or supplemental approach to education. Instead, every learning opportunity and school activity should take the ancestral and contemporary cultures, beliefs, and traditions of students into account.” It is crucial that cultural learning is incorporated into every aspect of the classroom.
Learning about culture, language and fairness. It is important that educators must aware of the differences and similarity of the families and children. “Families communicate their culture’s values, beliefs, rules, and expectations to their children. What is acceptable in one culture may not be acceptable in another” (Edwards, 2010, p. 55).
A child’s culture influences how children make sense of the world. That is why a teacher must recognize and incorporate a child’s culture into the learning environment and lesson plans as it plays a key role in how a child learns. A study conducted by Calarco (2014) looked at how parents convey culture to children, how children respond, and how those responses affect their ability to problem solve in school. Through interviews and observations, the researcher found that the children’s parents’ beliefs about teachers’ behavioral expectations varied depending on their social class (Calarco, 2011). This led parents to adopt contrasting strategies for problem solving at school and teach their children to do the same.
What is Parental Engagement? Parental involvement is a mixture of commitment and active involvement on the part of the parent to the school, there child and the community where the school is located. Parental involvement requires for the parent to spend time volunteering and actively being involved in the school through events, parent meetings, policy council and parent classroom helpers. Parental Engagement is different because it requires for the school, the family and the community to engage in building a successful partnership in which meaningful experiences is the ultimate goal so that parents and children can thrive.
Culture is a powerful influence plays a big role in our interactions. Culture may also impact parenting style and a developing child. Having a strong sense of their own cultural history and the traditions associated with it helps children build a positive cultural identity for themselves. This also supports children’s sense of belonging and, by extension, their mental health and wellbeing. This class is crucial in understanding and working well parents, staff, and children. An effective educator understands how students’ cultures affect their perceptions, self-esteem, values, classroom behavior, and learning. As director, I need to use that understanding to help my students and staff feel welcomed, affirmed, respected, and valued. One way that I can do this is by using multicultural literature, especially children’s literature, to honor students’ culture and foster cross-cultural understanding. If cultural differences are not understood by teachers and management, it can lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings on both sides. It will be my job to do all I can to overcome both language and cultural differences to ensure a positive learning environment for
The article seeks to focus on culturally based orientations of teachers and families. This is done by time orientation and communications orientation which both fall on a spectrum. The article explains how discussing culture-based understandings and behaviors are related to time and communication that may present challenges for teachers that are trying to keep their families involved in their children’s education. There are factors that plays a role that must be considered in one’s beliefs, values, and behavior. These factors are occupation, education, income, personality, and personal experiences.
In the reading it brings up how most parents are only contacted by the school when it is something bad. This is not how it should be. Teachers should be sending home good news notes to the parents praising the students for their hard work in the class. Schools also need to be welcoming to the families and provide workshops to assist in the parent’s knowledge to allow them to help their children with their schoolwork. Having the parents involved and aware of the things that are going on in the classroom and the school are great ways to build that relationship and to enhance the student’s academic achievement and