Sensitivity to sociocultural & linguistic differences

The culturally competent teacher communicates in ways that demonstrate sensitivity to sociocultural and linguistic differences, using a variety of verbal and non-verbal communication techniques that encourage positive social interaction and support learning in their classroom. How have you (or the classroom teacher) communicated in ways that demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to sociocultural and linguistic differences?

Several weeks ago, I was observing Ms. Rigby introduce an activity. The children were sitting on the rug, and she was asking each student to give an example of what they might ask to receive as a gift for Christmas. Most of the students were eager to share what they wanted, which significantly increased the noise level. Many were speaking without first raising their hand, despite knowing it was against the rules. Ms. Rigby turned to the class and rhetorically asked “How many times have I had to speak to you today?” The children fell silent, and one little girl raised her hand. Some of the children seemed appalled that their peer would raise their hand at such a time like this; others barely noticed. Ms. Rigby called on her. “Three times! You talked to us three times today,” she replied. Instead of getting upset or scolding her student, Ms. Rigby simply said “Thank you, Ramona. I have had to speak to all of you about the noise level three times today. That is three times too many!” I smiled to myself. I understood how such a situation could be frustrating to a teacher, but I was so happy that Ms. Rigby did not react the way some people might have. Instead, she realized that Ramona had asked a question, and that questions generally warrant responses. Ramona did not intend to be rude or funny; all she knew was that her teacher had asked a question to which she knew the answer.

This experience strongly tied to Lisa Delpit‘s article “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children,” where the vast cultural differences in verbal communication deeply affect the way children perceive and interpret instruction. It is highly probably that a white child raised by a middle class family is accustomed to commands given in question format. It is not quite as common for a black child raised in the the city to be used to such language. They are more likely to respond to “Don’t touch that stove!” than they would be to an adult asking “Do you think you should be touching that stove?” It is extremely important that educators are aware of the sociocultural and linguistic differences that exist in the classroom. It would be horribly unfortunate to punish a student for responding to a question or command “incorrectly” simply because they were not exposed to such language and usage. It is not something within their control; if they do not mimic or learn this behavior or method of communication from their family, they will not know how to respond to it in a classroom setting.

Environment & Values

When I first arrived at Lilac Elementary School, I was extremely apprehensive. I had not been in an elementary school since I was a student myself, and I had no idea how my experience would unfold. I was unsure of which door I should enter, so when I spotted a few students skipping toward an entrance, I followed them inside.

The exterior of the building was somewhat bleak and unwelcoming, so I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in; the walls were covered in bright hues and artwork. Whatever the building lacked in recent renovations and copious amounts of new technology it certainly made up for in character.

I checked in at the office and was instructed to have a seat and wait for the reading coach to come down. As I waited, I listened to the principal make the morning announcements, which included the word of the week. The word of that particular week currently escapes me- it was either “effort” or “respect.” She gave the definition of the word and used it in a sentence. I thought this was a fun way to introduce new and valuable words into students’ vocabulary; I always look at the word of the day online! The reading coach ended up being out that week (this turned into a frequent occurrence; she is expecting a baby in February), so an assistant showed us around the school. I thought it was great that most of the signs and posters on the walls were written in both English and Spanish- something I was not accustomed to at the elementary school I once attended. Whenever I spotted a class in the hallway, they were always perfectly lined up and quiet. Another thing I caught early on in this school is that the children were instructed to hold doors for other people. Whenever a child was in front of me (even if I was at the other end of the hallway), they would open the door and stand there until I passed through the threshold. It was evident that order and respect are two things instilled in this school.

For the first few days, I was assigned to Ms. Rigby’s room. She wore a scarf in her hair and was seemed relatively young. I was a little intimidated by her at first, because she managed to be direct/firm and creative/easy-going at the same time. It was clear that she preferred to exercise authority and instruction in an unconventional way, which is something I truly admired. After helping out there, I was able to peek into the other classrooms. Unlike the classroom I had been in, the others seemed more structured. The children were expected to sit neatly and keep from fidgeting. In one of the rooms, I noticed the teacher repeatedly commanded the students to “focus.” The set of values and expectations very obviously varied from room to room. I am hesitant to conclude that the school gives off any one particular vibe, simply for the fact that many people perceive the same environment differently. There is no way to compare certain values or beliefs, or to state that some are better than others; that they can coexist is amazing and humbling in and of itself.