Communicating Cross-Culturally: What Teachers Should Know

After reading Communicating Cross-Culturally: What Teachers Should Know by Yvonne Pratt-Johnson, I began to think more about the importance of taking a step back and asking yourself questions about the students you may encounter in your classroom. In many instances, such as the example of the swastika, teachers and many people tend to jump to conclusions. I find that it is easy to do so because of the experiences one may have had encountered throughout their lifetime. For example, instead of jumping to conclusions that the drawing was a swastika, the teacher could have asked a simple question and gathered more information about the drawing. The student would have been able to explain the drawing leading to the teacher gaining new knowledge and the student feeling empowered by sharing something about their own culture. This would have allowed for the student and teacher to make a connection. Taking a step back can be hard and I admit that sometimes I find myself jumping to conclusions based on previous experiences. However, I believe that it is an important strategy to learn to use when connecting with students and connecting with people outside of our classrooms. My goal is that students are able to trust in me to take a step back, give them the opportunity to share their experiences, and learn to become a collaborative learning community together.