1.2: Relate the importance of cultural perspective to the discipline.
What does this objective mean?
Cultural perspective is a fundamental understanding of the similarities and differences between two or more cultures, and how these components of culture shape an individual’s world outlook. It implies objective observations of norms, mores, and social constructs, as well as the tolerance to accept these differences as part of a balanced community. Cultural perspective is not the abandonment of one culture for another; it is the acknowledgement that, especially in America, any one group of people will contain many different cultures and therefore will approach situations through different lenses.
Why is this objective important to teachers?
Every classroom is a diverse classroom, and every student is a diverse learner. The current American demographic statistics, population growth, and constant movement of individual families are resulting in schools across the country that are consistently less homogenous than those of America 50 years ago. This is significant, because not only does culture impact the way students live at home, or how they interact in the community, but it is hugely impactful of how they learn. Therefore, it is increasingly important for teachers to have a balanced cultural perspective, particularly involving the cultures influential in the area in which he or she is teaching.
In my experiences, cultural perspective has involved an understanding of Hispanic immigrant and migrant families, adoptees from Asian orphanages, White suburban families, transplant families from New England, established families from the Deep South, very wealthy families, impoverished students without a concept of family, and students from single-parent homes. My cultural perspective in the classroom is very important, so I know how to teach students from all of these areas of life; the child coming from a wealthy, driven, home will react differently in a classroom than the child from a Hispanic migrant family. However, it is crucial to remember that all students can learn from the different cultures of their classmates, and as a teacher it is my job to promote this understanding so the classroom becomes a safe place to learn, rather than another obstacle for children to overcome.
Cultural perspective can be addressed directly, by explicit objectives in lesson plans, or even read-aloud books with explicit themes. It can also be made implicit, as part of general classroom instruction. For example, encouraging students to talk about important holidays, share parts of their native language, or bring in objects from home to show the class. Parent involvement can also be crucial for many cultures as a way to help a student succeed in the classroom; it is part of my job to understand these different components of the families within the community, and address my teaching procedures accordingly.
Supporting Documents
Example from my student teaching