2.

4 Culture

3.7.7 - Determine personal contributions to working with culturally diverse communities

and learners by reflecting on one’s own personal culture.

Over the many years, classrooms are becoming more diverse. It is the teachers

responsibility to create culturally responsive classrooms. They must be aware of their own

unconscious biases and prevent it from affecting their classroom and students. Teachers must

work hard to create a culture of acceptance in their classrooms. As a future educator, I must be

aware of my culture and how it will affect my students. I must also provide my students with a

fair education and expose them to other cultures and their own.

My culture has been shaped by my many experiences in my life. My family is a major

part of my culture. They have supported me and I can rely on them for anything. Some of my

culture comes from Utah. We have spent many vacations there, exploring national parks and

visiting family. Part of my life is there. I am very adventurous because my parents have taken us

hiking and camping all over the United States. I’ve lived in Lewis Center, Ohio since I was 6. I

have gone to high rated schools and have gotten a great education. My culture is similar to other

teens in rural places. Many of them attend high rated schools and live in a safe bubble, different

from the cities. Many people's cultures might not value Utah as much as I do but, some might

value exploring as much as I do. Music lessons are another part of my culture. My piano and

flute lessons have taught me how to become a hard-working person and that I can only grow if I

put effort into it. There are many people who take lessons for an instrument and have worked

hard to grow and become better. My culture is also affected by my religion. I make certain

decisions because of it. I have done many things and experienced so much (2.4.1). Although my

culture is unique, there are still some parts that make up my culture that are similar to others in
the United States. My culture will continue to grow and develop as I finish my education and

experience more of life.

Creating a culturally inclusive classroom can be difficult. I will have 20 students in my

classroom, all with different cultural backgrounds. It is difficult to know what students are going

through. I can only know certain things about my students such as facial expressions, food,

notions of modesty, and religious rituals. There is so much more that I cannot see about my

students like beliefs, concepts of beauty and self, values and work ethic (2.4.2). In order for me

to connect with my students and understand their culture, I must build rapport with them through

conversations with both the students and the parents. Teachers must be aware of their students'

problems and concerns and help them. Students can be going through so much more than I can

see. They could be struggling with anxiety, poverty, trama, etc. Being aware of their struggles

will help me know how to help them best. It is also important to be aware of the single story and

make sure to present all sides of the story.

As a teacher, I will work my hardest to create a culturally inclusive classroom. I will use

a multicultural curriculum and share world events. It is important for me to be aware of my

unconscious biases and not let it affect the way I grade or treat students (2.4.3). All students

deserve a fair education and if I am not aware of my unconscious biases, I might not make it fair

for my students. It is also important for my students to be aware of their cultures as well as their

peers. To address this, I created an assignment for my students to research their own culture and

present it to the class. The assignment requires students research a country that relates to them

and write a paragraph about why it is important. They also have to include facts from these

categories: important foods, important dates, and fun facts (2.4.4). This project allows students to

understand their own culture and become exposed to other cultures. When I teach, I will make
things culturally relevant and address current problems. I must be aware of my biases and be sure

to present only the facts (2.4.5). It will be my job and responsibility as a teacher to provide each

of my students with a fair education. I can only do this if I become aware of my students' culture,

burdens, and concerns and try my best to help them in any way that I can.

My culture will affect how I teach and my students' culture will affect how they learn. I

need to be aware of their culture to know best how to help them. I must be aware of my

unconscious biases and not allow it to affect my students or my teaching. Students must also be

aware of their own culture as well as their peers because it will help them to find similarities and

celebrate their differences. A culturally responsive classroom will help all my students feel

welcome and like they belong. Students deserve a fair education and culturally responsive

teaching will allow that. I want all my students to feel accepted and to get a fair education.