Addison Austin

Culture Questions
1. You are a 4th grade teacher with a new boy in your class from an Arab nation. He
speaks very little English. He is having a problem getting along with the other
students. He has fights on the playground every day, which he seems to provoke
by constantly touching the other boys.

The first thing to think about here, is the culture that this student is coming from. When you
have an understanding of Arab culture, we can better explain some of his recent behavior. In
Arab culture, it is not uncommon for people to be more affectionate and touch each other. So,
when we see him constantly touching other people, it is not out of disrespect or aggression. He
may even be trying to make friends and be social by having this kind of contact with his peers.
Another big part of this situation is the fact that there seems to be a lot of fights going on
between him and other students. However, I wouldn’t say that it is necessarily his fault or that
he his the one that is causing the fights. With that said, I think that the best way to resolve
some of these issues is to explain to him what kind of behavior is expected in this culture, and
also try to explain to the other children that he is doing this because that is the kind of behavior
that he is used to.

2. You have a new Korean girl in your 4th grade class. The other students in your
class don’t want to sit next to her because they say she smells funny. You have a
bad allergy and can’t tell. She appears to be a clean, well-dressed child and you
don’t understand your students’ objections.

A big part of Korean culture is having foods that is pickled. With that said, it is very likely that
her family has this kind of food around her house. So, I would say that what the other students
are talking about may be that she is smelling like vinegar or other foods that may be in her
house. I would make sure that I let the other students know that first, we need to make sure to
accept all students who come into the classroom and not treat them differently. Because there is
currently a disconnect between her and the other students, we could have each of them bring in
a dish that is common in their culture so that they can see that it is not her, but what she has
around her daily that is what they were smelling before. I think that sharing cultures in the
classroom is also another way to bring them closer together as a class and make them more
comfortable with each other.

3. You are a 3rd grade teacher who is having a parent conference with parents of
an Asian student in your class. You explain to the parents that the child needs to
spend more time working on his homework. The parents keep nodding and
saying “yes” as you explain your reasons. You are disappointed when there
doesn’t seem to be any follow-up on the parents’ part.

First, I think that it’s very important to not make any assumptions about the parents or think
that they do not care what you have to say. Rather, we need to understand their culture to see
where there may be a disconnect. In Asia, there are a lot of cultures where it is believed that
the teacher is the ultimate authority when it comes to the learning of the student. There can be
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very strict rules for how students are to act when in the classroom to show respect to the
teacher. With that said, it is possible that some parents may think that it is the teacher’s
responsibility to make sure that the students are doing the work and ensuring that they are
making progress in their learning. In addition, in some Asian school systems, such as the one
in Japan, most of the work done is in a group setting. With that said, this family may be more
accustomed to having their work done in the classroom rather than doing so much at home,
like we do here in the U.S. This is also like the education system in Korea where students are
much more comfortable working with others because individuality in the classroom is not
encouraged. I would say that because of the ways the two education systems vary, the best
way to make sure that this family understands how the school system operated here in the
U.S. One way that I could do this is to reach out to any other Asian families who have moved
to the U.S. and have become accustomed to how the school system functions. This way, they
can explain what is expected of both the students and the parents when it comes to learning. I
think that also introducing them to the Asian community in the area will make them more
comfortable with their transition. By putting forth the effort to try and help this family, I think
that not only will we see improvement and more parent involvement, but they will also be
more comfortable with their relationship with the teacher.

4. You are a 5th grade teacher who is using a lot of cooperative learning strategies
in your classroom. In the middle of the year you get a new Arab boy in your
class. The student doesn’t follow any of the rules you have explained through a
bilingual classmate. He is very disruptive in your class.

If I had this student in my classroom, I would do my best to first make them feel comfortable
with me as a teacher. I would try to show them as much respect for their culture as possible
and find some words in their native language such as greetings. I could also use his language
to express what rules and expectations I have for the students. I would also do my best to
teach him about the American school system in case the different environment and major
cultural differences are making him uncomfortable. In the text, it was said that Arab culture is
one where individuals are often encouraged to share and express their thoughts and feelings
with others. With that in mind, I would design some different activities that allow him to both
listen and speak to other people in the classroom, but also try to teach him the proper times
when speaking is appropriate, and when he should not disrupt the class. I think that if he feels
that he is often given opportunities to share with others, and can understand how the
classroom is run, then he would be less disruptive.

5. You are a 6th grade teacher with your first student from China. She came with
an excellent report card from her school in China. She is outstanding in math but
can’t seem to learn to read.

Sometimes it is much easier for ELLs to learn math because the symbols remain constant, whereas
words, sentence structure, and more are so much more different in languages. It may be easier for
her to understand numbers and symbols rather than language structure and grammar. The writing
system however is much, much different. When comparing the way that things are read in China,
they are read in the opposite direction, and the symbols are completely different. With this in
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mind, I could see how learning to read would be difficult for her. I would have to try and mind
some different methods that would help her learn.

6. You are Ms. Smith, a 3rd grade teacher. You don’t think your new student
from Egypt is placed in the correct grade. You set up a meeting with the parents
to discuss placing the child correctly. The student’s father comes in to see you but
doesn’t seem to take your concerns seriously.

I think that the most important thing for the teacher to realize in this situation is that the two
school systems are so different from each other. With that said, one of the reasons that the parent
may not realize the importance of the issue is the fact that they don’t really understand the major
differences in the systems. Some of the major differences would include the fact that religion
(Islam or Christianity) is still taught in the classroom and that teachers use physical punishment
towards their students based on actions and performance. Clearly, the way that things are done in
the school system are so incredibly different that I could understand why this parent may not
understand the importance of having their child in the right grade. One way that we could solve
this problem is by looking into the community to see if we could find other families that have
recently transitioned into this school system, and maybe some that are also from Egypt. I think
that by doing this they would have someone that they could be very comfortable with and could
guide them through some of the questions and concerns they might have. We could also set up
some meetings with the parents (with a translator as needed) and try to best explain to them how
our school system works. Of course, there could be many other ways for us to work through this
scenario, but I think that the most important thing would be finding a way to help the family
overall as they make this transition, through whatever resources are available. While it is very
important for us to get the child into the right grade, we should also make sure that we are helping
the entire family in any way possible.

7. You are a first-grade teacher. A Korean student comes into your class in April.
During a discussion of age and birthdays, this student says that she is 8 years
old. The other students in your class are turning seven. The office tells you that
she has been correctly placed.
The education system in Korea is very different from what we see in the U.S. The way that
they organize their grades and primary and secondary levels of schooling is not the same .
For instance, they have 6 years in primary school and them 3 years of middle school before
they reach high school and college. Because the number of years spent in each of these levels
is so different for how our system is arranged, allow this student is older than some of the
others in her classroom, she may be at the same level in comparison. Because of this, and the
fact that office told you that they have been placed correctly, and she appears to be at the
same level as the rest of the students in the class, I would not worry about her age.

8. Guadalupe is a smiling 3rd grader from Argentina. She seems well-mannered

and eager to please. However, when you speak to her she refuses to look at
you.
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The first thing that I would have to consider in this situation is that in some cultures, they have
very different ideas of customs that we would consider to be normal here in the US. One of these
would be eye contact. While in America we believe that making eye contact is very important
when it comes to showing someone that you’re listening, and showing respect, it can be the
opposite in some cultures. With that said, I would have to consider the fact that maybe in her
family or culture, making eye contact with people in high power roles implies that you are on the
same level as them when you should not be. Therefore, I would have to try my best to not be
offended by the fact that she was unwilling to make eye contact. Although I respect that this may
be part of her culture, I would do my best to build a relationship with her so that she feels more
comfortable with me as a teacher. Because in Argentina students and their families often have
very close relationships with their teachers I would try to make this possible with her and her
family (Mercuri and Musanti). I could try to incorporate her family’s culture into the classroom
by maybe having each student bring in a dish that is popular in their culture and share it with the
rest of the class. I think that this would show her that she is being welcomed into the classroom
and that her family is being represented and celebrated. This could bring us closer to having a
more close and comfortable relationship.

9. You are a 4th grade teacher who wants to write a quick note home to an ESL
student’s family. You pick up the red pen that you use to mark papers and write
the note. When you hand the note to the student, she looks upset.

I can see how this could be an issue for an ESL student, or any student really when you are
writing in red ink. Usually, when you use a red pen to correct mistakes that a student has
made, or when they have done something wrong. With that said, when you write a note for a
student to take home in this color, they may think that they have done something wrong and
you are telling their parents about it. Although you may be sending them with a note that has
nothing to do with disciplinary issues, I can see how a student would associate it with
negative connotations. I would do my best to explain to the student what the note was about,
that the color of the ink has nothing to do with what was written, and if it still made them
uncomfortable, I could even write another in different ink.

10. The Japanese mother of one of your 1st graders picks up her child every day at
your door. You are upset because this mother seems unfriendly. She never smiles
at you and you wonder if you have done something to offend her.

In a lot of Asian culture, the family sees the teacher as the Master of Education, and therefore
relies on them to help their student in learning. With that said, they may look at the relationship
between teacher and students, and teacher and parents, as a very professional one. With that
said, I would not be offended by the fact that the parent does not appear to be as friendly as
some of the other parents. This is a part of their culture and we cannot misjudge their behaviors.
Furthermore, in Japan one of the biggest values is harmony. To maintain this value, people will
not do anything that could disrupt it. This could be not raising your hand for answer because it
may make other people feel badly for not knowing it, or to have others think that they feel they
are smarter. These kinds of things would be avoided because they fear that certain acts would
disrupt the harmony that has been created. I think that this also applies to the parent in this
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situation. She may never smile at you because she doesn’t want to do anything that may make
you uncomfortable or offend you.

11. Haitian brothers Jean-Baptiste and Jean-Pierre are often late for school. They are
also each absent about once a week but on different days.

I think that as a teacher you must understand what students have gone through in the past, as
well as what they are experiencing currently. For these two, they may have lived in a
community where school was very far, and they had to travel long distances to get there.
These brothers may be used to that kind of behavior and have no other way to get to school
than by walking. They may also live in an area where they don’t have access to a school bus or
public transportation, or their parents cannot afford to have a car, or buy a bus pass for their
kids. When it comes to them being absent some days, it could be due to the fact that they were
just unable to make it to school. It could also be a cultural thing, where they have some
responsibilities at home that are valued much more to them than schooling. With that said, you
also have to consider that they may not have lived in an area where there was even a school for
them to attend, or that their culture didn’t see school as important for them to attend. Looking
at this, they might not have any experience with going to school, the school system, or what is
expected of them. As a teacher, one way to remedy this issue would be to meet with the
parents. I would find out what exactly the situation is so that we could find some solutions. If
it is a transportation issue, we could see if there was a school bus that would be able to add
their home to the route. If it’s the lack of experience with school, we could talk and explain
how the school system works, and that students are expected to be at school on time, and to
also come every day. Having this kind of meeting with the parents and students could help
clarify some things and make sure that they are on track with their learning.

12. Your new Kurdish student seems to be sick all the time. He is lethargic and
doesn’t seem to even try to learn what you are teaching him.

One thing to consider here, is whether you student has all of his needs being met at home.
His family may be struggling with being able to provide food, shelter, water etc. As a
teacher, I would try my best to talk to him and see what his home life is like. Asking
questions about where they live, if they are eating every day and what, and how safe they
feel in the home. This kind of information would tell me a lot and help me understand the
kind of environment that the child is constantly being exposed to. It could also help me
find ways to meet his needs as best I can while in the classroom. Things liking making sure
he always has access to water, having snacks around in case he is hungry and making sure
he’s getting lunch, and creating a classroom environment where he feels safe. In addition, I
could also arrange a meeting with the parents to see how they are doing. If they are having
any problems I could look into any resources that the community has that could possibly
help them. Making sure that a student is getting all their needs met is very important, and
anything we can do to help could change everything for them.

13. A Russian student, who has learned English and is able to do much of the work in
your 4th grade classroom, copies work from other students during tests. When
you talk to him about this, he doesn’t seem at all contrite. His parents act like
you’re making a big deal about nothing.
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One of the things that the Russian school system tolerates is cheating. In addition to that, students
spend most of their time passively learning more than anything else. Students are as engaged in
their learning, so they aren’t valuing the learning process as much students in some other school
systems do. Because this kind of behavior is so common is Russia, I’m not surprised that the
student sees nothing wrong with cheating and copying off other students during tests. In addition,
I can also see why the parents reacted in the way that they did. Because of the major differences
between school systems in Russia and the U.S., I think that the best thing to do in this situation
would be to have a sit-down meeting with both the student and the parents. I would need to
thoroughly explain to them the values that we have in the U.S. school system. They need to know
what is expected of their students, and what kind of behaviors are not acceptable for students.
Having them be informed could improve the situation.

14. You have a Puerto Rican student in the 3rd grade who speaks English fluently. She
participates orally in your classroom and socializes well with her peers. She even
translates for other students. However, she is doing very poorly in her content area
schoolwork.

Sometimes for students, being around others their age can allow them to pick up the language
very quickly. Based on the situation, I would say that she is also doing very well when it comes
to using playground language rather than academic language. This could be due to the fact that
so much of content that is taught has to do with the use of academic language. If she has a
harder time picking this up, it could make learning new concepts more difficult for her. As a
teacher, there are a lot of different ways that we could make learning content and the academic
language much easier. This could be done through the use of images, graphic organizers, and
activities that involve her working with a group. Because she is so good at communicating with
others, having to work with one of her peers could be really good for her.

15. Your 4th grade Malaysian student seems to be very good at Math. He gets “100”
on his spelling tests. No one in your class knows the names of the state capitals
better than he does. However, he seems to have a hard time comprehending a
simple reading passage.

I think that the biggest issue here is that he is very good at memorizing things rather than fully
understanding them. While he may know all of his spelling words, he may not necessarily know
what each of them means. As far as the capitals, he could know where they are, but not know
other vocabulary that is associated with geography. Because he may not understand the
language thoroughly, this could be the reason that he is unable to comprehend what is written in
a passage. I would design different activities that would help him go beyond simply
memorizing, to fully understanding the material.

16. Some of your most advanced ESL students do not understand many of the
geometric concepts which are taught in American classrooms starting
in kindergarten.
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This could be an issue that is related to culture, and where the students grew up. Many different
countries are going to have differences in their education system, one of them being the content
that is taught and at what grade level. The fact that some of these ESL students do not have the
background knowledge that others do, may be due to the fact that they have not been exposed to it
before. As teachers, we need to understand that while something may be done a certain way in
American schools, that is not always going to translate to other places around the world. When we
are put in a situation like this one, all we can do it make sure that we provide these ESL students
with the materials that they need to learn these concepts. It would not make sense for them to be
able to comprehend these concepts if they have no prior experience. Therefore, we need to find
different resources to help them learn, without making them feel less than their peers who do
know the material.

17. Thi Lien is a new student from Viet Nam. She seems bright and alert but gets no
help from home. The papers you send home are still in her backpack the next day.
Important correspondence is never acknowledged. She doesn’t do homework and
forgets to bring back library books. Her home life appears to be very
disorganized.

I think that one thing I could do to help solve this problem is to create a system of reminders for
Thi Lien so that she is able to keep herself organized and have all the important information that
she needs. One way that this could be done is by writing her reminders using sticky notes. The
bright colors and possibly different shapes would be meant to get her attention and remind her of
what needs to be done. When writing the notes, it could be helpful to not only use English, but
also try and translate some of it into her native language. That way, she or her parents will be able
to understand what needs to be done when they see it. These could be put in a planner or
homework folder that should be checked every day. As far as homework goes, I understand that
schooling in Vietnam involves a lot of lecturing from the teacher and students simply copying
down notes. Because the school system is so different here, I would do my best to explain the
importance of doing homework to Thi Lien. I think that something that would encourage her to do
her homework would be to create a reward system that includes all of the students. One of the
most important things for a teacher to know in this situation, is that in the Vietnamese culture, the
teacher is often seen as a “master” in their field. With that said, they have the authority when it
comes to educating the students. It is also believed that the teacher is the upmost authority when it
comes to the classroom but is also seen as a role model. Because of the cultural beliefs when it
comes to education, I would think that it is not Thi Lien’s home life is unorganized, but that she is
not used to having to include her parents into her learning. In the Vietnamese culture, learning is
primarily done at school and so I would think that most students and their families would not
think that their parents play a big role in their learning. In order to build a relationship with her
parents, I would invite them into the classroom to maybe show the other students something about
their culture. I would also want to give them an explanation of how things are done in the
American school system so that they understand that parents do play a big part in their child’s
learning and encourage them to be more active in Thi Lien’s education.

18. Pablo is a well-mannered boy from Colombia. He insists on calling you

“Teacher” instead of your name which you are sure he knows.
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Although Pablo may know my name, I would have to consider his culture and
background in this situation. In some cultures, in South and Central America teachers and
professors are regarded as very important leaders and are given a lot of respect by
students and their families. In Argentina for instance, teachers are called maestra/os
because these terms come from a word that means someone who has a high-level of
expertise in their field. This would indicate to me that maybe to Pablo, using the term
teacher instead of using the teacher’s name would be him showing a sign of respect.
Therefore, in his culture it may be appropriate for students, and even possibly other
family members to address their teacher with their title. I could try to explain to him that
in the US we usually address teachers using their last name, but also accept his way of
talking to me in his own way. Either way, I think that the most important aspect of this
scenario is to be more culturally aware so that when something like this happens in a
classroom, we can make sure that we are considering a student’s background and culture,
instead of getting offended.

19. Hung is a bright ESL student in your 3rd grade class. He listens to you attentively
and follows directions well. However, he is very rude when a classmate is speaking.
He either talks to his neighbor or daydreams. He never joins in any class
discussions.

Maybe the reason that he has a hard time listening to other students when they are speaking is
that his prior experience in school was one where the students were passively learning. There are
a lot of cultures where it is common for teachers to lecture most of the time, while students just
sit and listen to them. The teacher is often seen as the expert, and a person of high power who is
to be respected. This is probably why he has no problem listening to the teacher or following her
directions. When it comes to the other students however, he likely has never experienced having
to listen to other students are speaking. He may not see what they have to say as important as a
teacher, because he is not accustomed to how education works in the U.S. I think that the best
way to handle this would be to explain to him that students are very active in our education
system. There is a lot of interaction between students and teachers and is encouraged. It is
important that he understands this dynamic and feels that he is also encourages to take part.

20. You are a 3rd grade teacher. Your new student speaks Arabic. He seems to hold
his pencil in a very clumsy way and has a great deal of difficulty even copying
work in English.

Some countries where Arabic is the primary language, often have many issues to deal with
when it comes to the education system. Sometimes schools don’t have the proper resources,
and students don’t have the same kinds of experiences as those who are attending school in the
United States. When it comes to this student, the reason that he may not hold a pencil well
may be due to the fact that he has never had the ability to use one. And if he has trouble
holding a pencil, it is not surprising that he wouldn’t be able to copy things down, especially
when they aren’t in his first language. Because poverty and lack of teachers is very common,
he may have never been to school in his life before now. As a teacher, we have to take these
things into consideration before making a judgement about his abilities. We can take the time
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so give him more practice with these kinds of things and offer support in any way that we
can.

21. Maria is a Mexican student whose attendance in your 6th grade class is very poor.
It is affecting her academic performance. After an absence of several days, you
ask her why she was out and she explains that her aunt was sick and her family
went to help her. Although you explain the importance of good attendance in
school, the same thing happens a few weeks later. You wonder if Maria’s family
considers education important.

After reading the chapter in the Egbert text, it has become clear to me that for most people in
the Mexican culture, their families are their top priorities. With that said, if I were a teacher in
this situation, I would have to be understanding of the fact that in this culture it is expected of
family members to help care for those who are ill. With that said, when it becomes apparent
that Maria has not been attended school for some time, it is important for me to know that this
is based on her family’s values and beliefs. With that said, I would be as respectful as possible
and be sensitive to the situation. I would do my best to be very supportive of her family
situation and show that I do care for her and her aunt. At the same time, I would encourage her
to come to school because getting and education is very important. Looking at the Egbert text,
it was mentioned that those who belong to the Mexican culture do value education and strive to
do well, so I wouldn’t make any assumptions about Maria’s family not caring about her getting
an education. I think that I would try to reach out the parents and explain to them that it is very
important for Maria to be in school whenever possible, but I am also understanding of their
situation. With that said, I would also tell them that if they know that Maria is going to have to
stay home with her family for whatever reason, they should let me know and we could make
arrangements to get some work to her so that she is still learning and making progress.

22. An Egyptian student in your 3rd grade class is a good math student but
becomes disruptive when you teach a math lesson using math manipulatives.

The thing to remember here is that the school systems in the U.S. and Egypt are extremely
different. For one, the kind of instruction that they receive in general is much different. They
don’t do a lot of hands-on exploring when it comes to the content that they are learning, but rather
spend more time listening to the teacher. They have a lot of specific material that the government
decides they need to cover so a lot of time is spent reading or listening to the teacher lecture. With
that said, I think that the reason this student might be disruptive is that he is not used to having
time for experimenting with manipulatives to help learn new concepts. With that said, he may not
know what is expected of him at this time. As a teacher, you could have a little chat with him and
explain what your expectations are when it comes to working with manipulatives. You could tell
him that this is a fun way of learning concepts without having to read, or simply listen to a teacher
explaining them. Maybe allowing him to time to explore with them on his own would help him
gain an understanding or having him work with a partner or group.

23. You have a new 3rd grade student from Bosnia. During recess time, the child
hides under and bench and cannot be persuaded to come out.
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In this case, it is important to look at the situation from the child’s point of view. Knowing
that she is from Bosnia, I also know that she must have experienced at lot of violence and
war daily. With that said, she must have come to know that being outside where you are so
exposed and vulnerable can be very dangerous. Therefore, when she must go out to recess,
she doesn’t understand that she isn’t going to have to experience the danger and violence that
she may have associated with being outside. As a teacher, it’s our job to make sure that our
students feel safe and comfortable when they’re in school. I would do my best to explain to
her that when she is on the playground, she doesn’t have to worry about what she might have
had to back in Bosnia. I want her to feel that she is in a safe place and can enjoy spending
time outside. We could maybe have other students talk to and spend time with her, showing
her what they enjoy doing during recess and maybe invite her to play with them. Having this
kind of experience on the playground with create a more positive association with having to
go outside.

24. As your second-grade class lines up for a field trip, you count your students as
you walk down the line touching each of them on the head. You notice that
several students pull back from you.

There are many cultures in the world where this kind of behavior is not acceptable. While
some value the physical interaction with family and even teachers, it can make some
people very uncomfortable. Knowing this, I would take into account that not everyone in
the class is going to be okay with the physical contact, even if it’s an act as simple as
touching the top of a student’s head. I would try to use some other methods to help keep
track of all the students, such as having them count off as you move down the line. This
could be an effective way of keeping track while also making sure that none of them are
offended.

25. You take photographs of your students working in small groups for a Back to
School Night. The grandmother of one of your Chinese students is very upset
when she sees your photo of her granddaughter.

In some cultures, specifically Asian cultures, it is not acceptable to have photos taken of you.
It can appear to be disrespectful. With that said, I would not have just taken pictures of
students and hung them up around the classroom. I would’ve gotten permission from the
family in order to avoid doing anything that may upset them.