Chelsea Griffith

EDUG 501
September 6, 2016
Chapter 2: Knowing Your Students Reflection
Many classrooms have students from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. It is possible
that you will feel disconnected from your students because you have a different ethnicity or
different cultural background from your students.
1. What can you do so that you and your students feel comfortable with one another?
TPE 2.2 states beginning teachers are to create learning environments (i.e., traditional,
blended, and online) that promote productive student learning, encourage positive interactions
among students, reflect diversity and multiple perspectives, and are culturally responsive.
Teachers are to create and promote safe learning environments through encouraging their
students, and supporting the diversity of different cultural backgrounds. I will promote a safe
learning environment for my students through celebrating diversity, having high expectations,
encouraging students, responding to each student with enthusiasm, caring for them, and not
having a bias.
First, I will celebrate diversity from a variety of cultural backgrounds among all of my
students to help them feel comfortable. I will recognize and appreciate the rich variety of ideas
and actions that each of my students brings to the classroom (Burden, p.40-1). Showing my
students that I appreciate the variety of ideas and actions that each cultural brings to the
classroom will influence my students to reciprocate a similar perspective. As their teacher, I am
an example of how to accept and respect other classmates differences. Students who are able to
value and accept these differences will feel comfortable around their classmates. This will lead to
all students feeling comfortable in the classroom because their differences are valued and
appreciated.

Second, I will create and maintain high expectations for all of my students. It is important
to uphold high expectations for all students regardless of what cultural background they have.
Students will feel comfortable when they are being treated the same as the other classmates.
Diversity is not a source of cognitive ability (Burden & Byrd, p.41). If I were to lower my
expectations for students with different cultural backgrounds, they might think that I doubt their
capabilities. This will have a negative influence on their level of comfort in the classroom and
will impact their experience learning. Students will appreciate the challenge and find the
classroom more stimulating as compared to a classroom with lowered expectations (Burden,
p.41).
Third, I will encourage students of all cultural background the same. For students to be
comfortable in the classroom they need to hear that their teacher believes in them when they are
facing academic challenges. Encouraging words and guiding suggestions will help all students to
feel that they are being supported in their efforts (Burden, p.41). When it comes to
encouragement inside the classroom, the students cultural backgrounds will not be a factor of
who deserves to hear positive words. I will encourage all of my students of all different
backgrounds because I want all of my students to succeed.
Fourth, I will respond to all students with the same amount of enthusiasm. When students
see that their teacher is welcoming and enthusiastic towards each student, they feel more
comfortable in the classroom and more willing to participate full (Burden, p.41). Students will
feel valued through being responded to by their teacher with enthusiasm. I will do this through
warm greetings, conversations with individual students, and positive reactions when students
contribute to classroom discussions (Burden, p.41). These positive reactions and greetings will
help students feel comfortable in the classroom.

Fifth, I will show all students that I care about them equally. When students know that
you care for them and that you are looking out for them, it makes them feel valued and more
likely to participate (Burden, p.41). I will show my students that I care about them through
creating interpersonal relationships, speaking to them with positive and encouraging words, and
showing them I am concerned about their well-being. When students know that their teacher
cares about them they feel comfortable and understood. This will also encourage students to
perform at their best to avoid letting their teacher down.
Finally, I will create an educational environment that does not have any biases. In an
anti-bias classroom, children learn to be proud of themselves and of their families, to respect
human differences, to recognize bias, and to speak up for what is right (Burden, p.41). I need to
monitor the relationships of my students with each other to be sure that there are no biases
because of different cultural backgrounds. I need to be cognizant of my own biases towards
different cultural backgrounds. I will not allow any stereotyping from my students towards other
students. If there is biases in a classroom than the student that is receiving the bias will not feel
comfortable or safe in the learning environment.

2. What can you do so that the different backgrounds do not contribute to misunderstandings and
off-task behavior?
According to TPE 1.1, beginning teachers are to, Apply knowledge of students,
including their prior experience, interests, and social emotional learning needs, as well as their
funds of knowledge and cultural, language, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to engage them in
learning. This TPE is implying that as a teacher I am responsible for respecting and including
my students cultural backgrounds and prior experiences inside my classroom and lessons to best

help them engage in learning. One way I can be sure that having a variety of students with
different backgrounds will not contribute to misunderstandings and off-task behavior is through
culturally responsive teaching. The goals of culturally responsive teaching are to accept and
value cultural differences, accommodate different cultural interaction patterns, and to build on
students cultural backgrounds (Burden, p.36-7). By showing my students with different
backgrounds that I value, understand, and respect these differences
I will reach the first goal of accepting and valuing cultural differences by making an
effort to learn and understand my students backgrounds. I will do my research on their cultures
through technology, conversing with their parents, and by getting to know my students. Having
knowledge of my students cultural differences will help prepare and direct the way I will teach
my students. For example, if most of my students are part of a Hispanic culture than I will reach
out to their parents to learn more about the Hispanic community and their families. This will help
better prepare myself how and what to teach my students that are apart of this culture. Having
my students feel that their cultures are valued will lead to less misunderstanding and off-task
behavior.
I will reach the second goal of accommodating different cultural interaction patterns
through understanding that different cultures have different ways of interacting and learning.
Having students with various backgrounds also means that they will have various ways of
interacting with their teachers and classmates. Differences exist among cultures in the way
members conduct interpersonal relationships, use time, use body language, cooperate with group
members, and accept directions from authority figures (Burden, p.37). For example, students of
the Chinese culture typically do not like to look authority figures in the eyes when they are
speaking to them. In this culture it is a sign of disrespect. If I am not aware of this cultural

interpersonal interaction than I would assume that the student is being disrespectful or not
listening to me. By understanding how the cultures of my students conduct interpersonal
relationships, use time, body language, cooperate with group members, and accept directions
from authority figures I will be able to avoid any misunderstandings or off-task behavior.
I will reach the last goal of building on students cultural background by incorporating the
different cultural backgrounds in the lessons at appropriate times. Infuse the curriculum with
regular emphasis on other cultures, rather than providing just one unit a year or a few isolated
and stereotyped activities (Burden, p.38). I will do this through incorporating my students
cultural backgrounds in read aloud stories, lesson examples, cultural projects, and video
examples. Any misunderstanding or off-task behavior will be avoided by keeping students
engaged with the lessons through using examples from their own personal cultural backgrounds.
In a culturally responsive classroom, the students culture is seen as a source of strength on
which to rely, not as a problem to overcome or as something to be overlooked (Burden, 37).