February 15, 2022 : Week 07 Response to “Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom”

 

               When I was young, my mother with the help of her sisters struggled but had endured to put me in a private school during my primary years. Despite the lack of so many things, I have enjoyed being in a circle of offspring from average to rich families. My classmates were mixed of reserved to assertive speakers who thought they could rule the world but still within the Asian norm of putting high regard for teachers’ expectations and space plus the imposing of correcting a mistake as soon as possible. We were shy to the extent of being fearful of approaching our teachers and we couldn’t even go near their desks or tables. Some would have the guts to do so but only for a while then went back to their seats as quickly as the teacher raised her eyebrows or called everyone to sit. The routine or perception toward the teachers was regimented. During our time, I still see teachers giving one tap on the hand with a ruler when one committed a big mistake or act of disrespect, standing up or squatting for a few minutes were the worse forms of punishment. But still considerably light and acceptable compared to the horror and worse stuff depicted in the movies. Teachers were still loving explaining why things turned out that way and reminded of the consequences of one’s action. Neglecting to correct a mistake is a sign of misconduct and sin of omission. More so, Asian learners do not usually butt in when the teacher speaks because it is a sign of rudeness. They considered their teachers as high and almighty. That was why I was surprised when I worked in Mozambique as a teacher. Prior to my lessons, I have arranged my classroom and placed extra pencils and erasers on my table, as a preparation for my class the next day. Primary students comprised of Mozambicans and Zimbabweans were some of my students at that time. I was surprised, my students were ahead of me and the things on my table were already distributed among them. Yes, it seemed everything was normal because for them they were happy and appreciative. So I have explained to them that the table is the teacher’s personal space and those things should not be touched unless with permission. Another thing that I have also noticed was they were comfortable approaching the teacher and would normally touch anything on the table while passing their works. Although, I have noticed that they are warm, confident, forgiving, and sweet learners who can easily let things pass even when a teacher gets angry or raises her voice. Normal things can differ from one culture to another that is why we need to research and study more about these things. I also came across students from Europe, I was called in the office by my supervisor because these are the type of learners who won’t tolerate seeing themselves and others being scolded or reprimanded for their actions. This is an act of violence for them. They are young and should be given sufficient opportunities to explore, enjoy life, learn with fun and let life’s lesson takes its course later on. I have learned that as a teacher with cross-cultural students in the classroom, one should have a wide knowledge of each culture and be careful in how things should be dealt with in the class. However, I should also explain things to them in order for them to comprehend the diverse culture in which they should also learn to adjust and understand others. They couldn’t always push their limits at the expense of stepping on other cultures or demeaning others. One should learn to be tolerant and not to be highly sensitive by dwelling on emotions of negativity or being highly offended by others’ actions. Having classmates from New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia would mean confident and assertive learners that would probably shun away or intimidate the learners who are Asians or Wyoming, Idaho, or Utah. But it is on the teacher’s part to give these learners each an opportunity to express themselves and inculcate tolerance plus respect for one another. But there should be respect for one’s culture too, we can’t be so loose on accepting others’ insults or misconduct over our culture. We need to draw a line which is acceptable and not. We need to remember that what we sow, we reap. That is a general core of statement that we can always rely upon. Respect begets respect, as a person, learner, and teacher, we need to seek to understand and then be understood. Keep on learning, keep on understanding, keep on respecting but we need to open ourselves for respect in return. It will never be one road but two ways road. We need to understand and respect one another!