Amanda Patrick

Teaching and Learning 339, Moua

4/19/2017
Culture Quiz
1. In Arabian culture, it is not uncommon for men to greet each other with a handshake but
also a kiss on the cheek. This may be the way he is trying to engage other boy’s in a social
situation. The boys in American are very different, a kiss on the cheek or any touching is
out of the norm and may cause them to feel uncomfortable and lash out at the Arabian boy.
Because he cannot speak English very well they are probably having a problem explaining
their feelings to each other. I would address the whole class and remind them that violence
is never the answer and if they are uncomfortable with something they can come talk to me
individually and I can help them solve the problem. I would also sit the Arabian boy down
and talk one on one trying to explain that in American culture touching is uncommon and
ask him to refrain from anything more than a handshake unless the other boys say it is ok.
2. The children may be smelling some kind of food on her. Because of the drastic difference
in typical American cuisine and Korean cuisine the children may not be used to the odor of
the different food and think she smells bad when in fact it is just different from what they
are used to. I would try and incorporate cooking and food from different cultures into some
lessons so the students smell and taste the different food and notice this may be why she
smells the way she does without drawing attention to her and embarrassing her.
3. Asian parents put a huge amount of their time, money, and energy into their students
learning. School is of a huge importance so any lack of follow up by parents would not be
for a lack of caring. The problem here would mostly likely be a lack of understanding.
While they kept nodding, and saying yes I doubt they understood what was being said.
Asian cultures value politeness and would have found it rude to question me so they simply
said yes instead of asking for more clear instructions. Many Asians have a higher level of
reading and writing comprehension than oral. For this reason, I would send a written letter
with all the information I just gave them home with them after the conference so they have
the chance to read it as well as just hear it. I would also encourage them to ask me any
questions they have emphasizing I wanted that and would not consider it rude.
4. Like mentioned before in class and in the reading a lot of schooling for children in these
regions is all lecturing from teachers and students listen and take notes on everything on the
board. If you are doing a different style the student may be confused on their role in the
classroom. If you are not specifically lecturing from a book which they are used to they
might not know how to behave and may not understand what is being taught. Most Arabian
schools are also still segregated, if you are a woman the student may not know he must
listen to you as much as a male teacher, as well as if you are asking them to interact with
the other genders they may feel uncomfortable and not participate. Another situation may
be that he simply didn’t understand the rules explained to him so he is behaving how he is
used to or what is being portrayed by other student in the class.
5. This is most likely due to the amount of diversity between the Chinese language and
English. They have very few similarities and even the grammar is completely different.
 There is much more slang and language rules in English. It would be hard for a Chinese
student to read and write but that does not mean they are not smart. To help combat this I
would spend time one on one with my student helping her with her reading and going over
the English language. I would also send home more assignments with pictures or other
clues so she can show her understanding of the subject despite her struggle with the
reading.
6. It is not uncommon for a parent to only consider their child’s final grade when assessing
their ability. They see the final grade as a big deal and the determining factor of their
success and placement in school and society. For this reason, if you have no final test
scores to show the parent they might not take your concerns seriously simple because they
don’t think the everyday class work is indicative of much.
7. In Korea, it is common for students to attend a preschool and kindergarten before
beginning their formal education. This formal education does not begin until age 7. So,
while most of our student begin first grade at age 6 in Korea they begin at age 7 so it makes
sense that the student would be a year or so older than most of the other students in first
grade. This does not mean the student was held back or in need of any extra help, in fact
school is so important in Korea the student may be working harder at home with their
parents than your other students. This means they may be very smart and at a higher level
than some of your other students and could eventually jump up to the grade level of those
their age.
8. This is her way of being polite. In her culture, it would be seen as rude to look at an adult
straight in the eye. She would have been taught to look down when talking to an adult or
person of higher status. I would try and explain to her it is ok to look me in the eye and I
don’t find it rude. However, she may be so used to this it would be a hard habit to break so
I wouldn’t let it bother me and let her do whatever makes her feel most comfortable.
9. In some cultures, red is an inappropriate or bad color. This is because it is seen as the color
for “evil” or “death”. Therefore, I would try to only use black or blue pens when writing a
note to a student or parent as to not upset them.
10. In Japan being respectful and polite is a huge factor of their culture. This means respecting
elders and those of authority. This applies to the school atmosphere as well because the
teacher is older than the students and in a position of power. Showing affection in public is
also not a part of Japanese culture. This may be why the mother never smiles at the teacher,
she is simply being polite. In Japan, it would be very uncommon for her to show any
affection to you and it makes sense that she picks up her child and leaves. This is her way
of showing respect for your authority at the school.
11. In Haiti, it would not be uncommon for a student to stay home and take care of a sibling.
This may be why they are each missing at different times and late. Their parents may both
be working so one of the boys has to stay home with a younger sibling and babysit. Or on
the days they are late they are helping their parents get the younger child ready, they may
also be walking to school if both parents are working and are therefore late many days of
the week.
12. This could be a sign of culture shock. Because the US is so different from his home country
he may be experiencing these symptoms. I would tell his parents what I’ve noticed so they
 can try and assimilate him outside of the classroom. At the same time, I would try to
incorporate more of his culture into the class so he feels more comfortable and at home.
13. In Russia copying another students work would not have the stigma around it that it does in
America. Many countries do not see copying as bad, so I would explain American
standards for copying and cheating to the student and parents. I would also let the parents
and student know there will be consequences if it continues, but I would emphasize how
well he is doing in the class and the fact he does not need to copy others to succeed.
14. This is a student who has learned how to communicate and speak English at a
conversational level. The student has not learned academic English nearly as well and
therefore her content area work is struggling. I would try to help one on one as much as
possible on academic English and also put up a word wall with this type of language to
help her while she is working.
15. This could be two different things occurring. It could be that the student has a high content
area knowledge but very low language skills. This would mean he knows a lot of
information and can show you that but has a hard time reading and comprehending English.
Or it could be that the student is only used to memorization learning. He can remember
facts and explain them to me but he has a low level of comprehension when it comes to
analyzing complex texts or abstract thoughts. I would spend time with him going over
English and reading and ask his parents to spend time reading with him at home to try and
boost his comprehension.
16. This may be because of the difference in schooling throughout separate countries. In other
countries, geometric concept may not be taught until later years. I may find that my
students understand different math concepts much better than the other students their grade
because that’s what they started with. I would try and work with my ESL students either
one on one or in small groups to try and catch them up on geometric ideas and any other
math they might not have received in their home countries.
17. This behavior is unusual for a student from Vietnam because they take education very
seriously and have a lot of respect for teachers and education. But because of the Confucius
background that the student would be used to, the problem may be in doing the
assignments alone at home. I would try to do more of the assignments in a big class or
group setting to help her be more comfortable. I would also look into the time of year and
see if I am asking a lot of her during the time of the year that Tết falls on. This holiday is a
big deal for her and it would be hard for her to focus during this time, and that may be why
these behaviors are happening. I think the most important thing would be to reach out and
make sure everything is ok and see what I can do to help. I would have to approach it
delicately because she may be shy around me and nervous to voice her opinion out of fear
of being disrespectful.
18. This is simply his way of showing respect. It is common for students to call educators
teacher or professor. Students are taught to respect elders and teachers and this is his way
of doing so, he is not trying to be rude or offend in any way. I would talk to Pablo and
explain to him that I understand he is showing me respect but in America it is not impolite
to call me by my name and encourage him to do so. If he is not comfortable with that for a
 while it is ok and I will give him time to adjust.
19. In many cultures, especially Asian countries, the teacher is the only one who talks during a
lesson. The students sit quietly and focus on the teacher and rarely ask questions or have
discussions. Hung may not see his peers as sources for information and therefore doesn’t
listen when they are speaking. He also wouldn’t feel comfortable participating in big class
discussion because he is not used to that. I would start doing small group discussions first
to try and ease Hung into the idea of talking in front of the class. I would also remind the
whole class that their peers are sources of information and we should all listen and be
respectful when they are talking. I would also start asking one student what the other just
said and see if they agree or disagree and why, this way I am not singling hung out but also
forcing him to pay attention to his peers in case he gets called on.
20. In some Arabian countries, they read and write in the opposite way of Americans. So, he
would be used to reading and writing right to left. Therefore, it would be hard for him to
understand the reading and even to copy it down. Holding his pencil in a clumsy way may
be because he held it differently to write right to left than we would to write left to write. I
think he would need one on one help with reading because it will take him longer to adjust
to this style.
21. It is not untypical in Mexican culture to put family first. They normally have large families
and are very involved with each other. Mexican families also put a lot of emphasis on
education and are not doing this because they feel education is not important they just put
family first. Because Mexican culture puts all their trust in the expertise of the teacher it is
up to you to make sure your student is staying up to date in class and help her succeed. I
would meet with Marias parents and try to explain to them why missing school can affect
her grades but not try and embarrass them for their culture. I would put in extra effort to
make sure she stays up to date and make a system so I can send work home to her if she is
absent.
22. In China school starts with self-study time at 7 am. If the student is going to boarding
school, it is even earlier with study time beginning at 5 am and school beginning at 7. For
this reason, it is easy to see why she thought she needed to be at the school at this time. Her
family would not be used to school stating so late, and even if they knew class didn’t start
tell 8:30 they may have believed there would be a study time before and sent her early at 7.
I would send a note home and try and get in contact with Mei’s parents and let them know
that she does not need to be at the school until 8:30 or a short time before because there is
no self-study time. I would also try and get to the school at about 7 for the next couple of
weeks in case her parents still send her early, that way she is not alone in the dark if she
comes.
23. The parents may be uncomfortable because to them this is a normal gesture. In Korea, the
parents are very involved with their student’s education and take it very seriously. It is not
uncommon for them to ask for extra assignments to go over with their student or to
constantly try and be more involved. For this reason, when you helped their child they
would feel the need to thank you by giving you a gift and would not expect you to be so
grateful for it. I would tell the parents gifts are not necessary when I help their student and
explain in America most parents aren’t so grateful and thank them for being so involved in
their student’s education.
24. If the children are of a different gender this could be the problem. Many Muslim children
have grown up in schools that are still segregated. In countries like these it is culturally
unacceptable to mingle between the genders, for this reason even if woman are aloud to be
educated they may not be permitted to work because the work place might be mixed race.
This may be a reason for the student not feeling comfortable taking paper from a child of a
different gender. I would handle this by meeting with the student individually and asking
them why they won’t take the paper from another student. If the reason is gender I would
let them know in America it is not considered inappropriate to mix genders and encourage
the student to work with those of other genders.
25. It is not the gift that is upsetting them. It is probably the fact the gift is wrapped in white
tissue paper. In China white is the sign of death or funerals so the gift being wrapped in
white would upset them. For this reason, I would rewrap my gifts in a different color to try
and avoid offending or upsetting my hosts.
26. This is much more than just wanting to look tidy. In Thailand, it is believed that the soul
resides in the head. When the children started playing with her hair she would feel the need
to protect her soul causing her to be very upset. For this reason, I would explain to the
whole class we do not touch others without their permission and I would make sure to
never pat her on the head.
27. It would be rude to ask a parent to completely ignore their culture and language and only
speak English at home. The parents may be unable to do this because their English isn’t
proficient yet and then their child might not understand them. I should go back to the
parents are apologize and tell them that it actually would be better for them to speak their
native language when helping the child. If the child is having trouble with English, I will
try and encourage them to speak English as best as they can at school and do a lot of
partner work so they can practice speaking with another student and also get help if they
can’t read some English words.
28. He would not be putting one over on me. The problem is probably because he learned
conversational and communicative English but has not yet reached academic English.
Therefore, he can communicate with other students on the playground and me in a social
setting but would be confused when I gave him instructions or assignments. I would try and
create a word wall with academic language to help him when I’m giving instructions or if
he is given a written assignment.
29. She is obviously very intelligent and her knowledge of math is high. Therefore, I
would assume she doesn’t know fractions because she comes from a country where
they use the metric system. I would ask her to do the same problem but use decimals
instead of fractions and see if she understood that problem. If she did than my guess
was probably correct. To help get her up to speed on fractions I would try to explain
the similarities to fractions and decimals so she can try and use her background
knowledge to help her. I would also send her home with a conversion sheet from
metric to the US system so she can practice at home.
30. In Japan and other Asian cultures the good of the group comes before the good of one
person. The Japanese culture would condemn selfishness and the student would be more
inclined to share than to take them all. The student may think they are being selfish by
taking all four and wants to leave some for other students. I would explain to my student
that everyone who is good gets four and they don’t have to leave any behind. But if this
makes the student uncomfortable I can come up with a different reward, such as extra time
outside so they don’t feel like they are not giving to the good of the group.
31. In Haiti and other countries in that region the students learn to do this kind of math in their
heads, this is why he is not showing his work. It is also written in this way not because he
has a perceptual problem but because this is the way division is written in Haiti and many
South American countries. I would try and help him figure out how to write the problem in
 the American way and encourage him to write down the steps he is doing in his head so I
can see them.
32. In Egypt they would not be used to this type of teaching. The student would be
used to teaching out of the book alone and would be confused by this method of
learning. They may be disruptive because they don’t realize this is part of the
lesson and are assuming it is free time. Explaining to the student that even though
we are not using the book anymore we are still learning and they need to be giving
their full attention to me as a teacher should help. If they are still disruptive I
would explain to them after class that I know the style of teaching is different but
this is one of the ways we do it in America and it could help them understand
better. The students from Egypt are very respectful of elders and teachers so I
would do this is a way that would not make them feel bad because I know they
would not have meant to offend me.
33. The child may have some social anxiety because she does not know the language well and
is scared to socialize. This could also be because Bosnia does have a background of being a
war infested country. The child may be scared to be outside with big groups of people
especially with all the bells and whistles. It may be triggering scary memories from her
previous country. I would try and explain this to the other teachers so they use their
whistles less often. I would also explain to the child exactly when the bells will go off and
what they mean so she is not as frightened of them. If it is still too much for her I will allow
her and other students to have recess inside where the bells won’t affect them as much.
34. The gesture I have given for him to come over to me may have been offensive. In Asia
using one finger to call him over is a signal used to call animals and would have upset him.
He may also be angry and have an attitude because he didn’t want to move here. If
everything in this country is different and causing him difficulty, then he may be upset with
the move and this is coming out in his attitude at school. I would first sit him down and ask
him how the transition is going and see what I can do to help make him happier. If his
behavior continues to be bad I would have a meeting with him and his parent to try and
find a solution.
35. Many students from other countries, especially Asian countries, believe their soul resides in
their head. Some countries also wear headdresses and would not want these disturbed. It
would upset the students from any of these areas to have their head touched. Therefore, to
avoid upsetting them I would count them without touching their heads, if I needed to touch
them to verify I would touch them on the shoulder or ask them to keep their hand out for a
“high-five” when I mark them off. This way I am not upsetting them or making them feel
uncomfortable.
36. Even in America some families don’t like their child’s picture taken without permission. In
Chinese culture, it could be seen as even more of a problem because some Chinese families
see it as unlucky to have a picture with an uneven number of people in it. This is especially
true for conservative Chinese which is why the grandmother is the one who was most
upset. If the picture is small groups of uneven people, the Chinese may be worried the child
now has bad luck. For this reason, I would always ask for permission before I took pictures
 of the children and would always try and have an even number of people in it so I don’t
upset families.

37. In Brazil, this hand gesture may mean something different and could be seen as crude. I
would explain to my student what it means in America so they know I didn’t mean to be
offensive and then try and refrain from using the gesture anymore in my classroom.