Cultural Proficiency Assignment #2
To start with the “Over 50 Ways Culture Influences Us” was very interesting and yes;
very true! It was a quick read that helped me to remember and to continue to consider
all the ways we do things depending on culture. Even just the ways we greet each other
for starters! Well, I work with mostly Spanish speaking students who typically greet each
other with a kiss every morning which was not the way I grew up.
It is tricky with all the things going on. How do we decide what is acceptable in the
classroom as far as eye contact, touching, proximity, timeliness? How do we convey
what we want and believe is acceptable without cutting others out?
I think I could use some of the 50 ideas…to have prior knowledge checks, discussions or
reflections about how some of these things are done in their cultures while introducing
them to how things are typically done here in Boston, MA
Gay (2000) also describes culturally responsive teaching as having these characteristics:
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It acknowledges the legitimacy of the cultural heritages of different ethnic
groups, both as legacies that affect students' dispositions, attitudes, and
approaches to learning and as worthy content to be taught in the formal
curriculum.
It builds bridges of meaningfulness between home and school experiences as
well as between academic abstractions and lived sociocultural realities.
It uses a wide variety of instructional strategies that are connected to different
learning styles.
It teaches students to know and praise their own and each others' cultural
heritages.
It incorporates multicultural information, resources, and materials in all the
subjects and skills routinely taught in schools (p. 29).
Literature in the classroom would reflect multiple ethnic perspectives and literary
genres.