Cultural Sensitivity

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Cultural Sensitivity

• Presented by the
• Allegheny Intermediate Unit
• K-12 ESL Department
• Through the Title III Grant

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What does it mean to be culturally sensitive?

• Cultural sensitivity means being aware that
  cultural differences and similarities exist and
  have an effect on values, learning, and behavior.
• -Stafford, Bowman, Eking, Hanna,
• and Lopoes-DeFede (1997)

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Where do you stand in terms of cultural
sensitivity?

• Do you make assumptions?
• Do you have a conscious or unconscious bias?
• Do you form opinions about students or co-workers
  before really getting to know them?
• Do you have predetermined feelings or notions
  about a particular culture without truly having
  an understanding of that culture?

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Activity Pre-assessment

• What are some of the different cultures in my
  school? (List three to five on your paper.)
• What characteristics come to mind when I think of
  each group? (Write a word or two next to each
  culture on your list.)
• Where did these impressions come from? (TV,
  family, media, religion, travel, etc.)
• How do I treat people based on these assumptions?

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3 Minute Discussion

• With your group or someone near you, discuss a
  time when someone had made an assumption about
  you. This assumption might have been based on a
  group you belong to -ethnic, religious,
  professional, age, gender, or otherwise.
• How did it make you feel?

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The Statistics

• In 1984, approximately one in
• four school children were minority students.
• By 2020, that figure likely will increase to
  nearly one in two, and many of these students
  will be poor (Pallas, Natriello, McDill, 1989).
  
• In the 25 largest American school districts,
  minority students comprised about 72 percent of
  the total school enrollment in 1994 (National
  Center for Education Statistics, 1997).

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Scenario 1

• A sixth grade teacher in New York looks over her
  new class roster and sees that about half of her
  students have Asian last names. She says, Good,
  a smart class at last.
• What bias has she shown? Why are her comments
  inaccurate and inappropriate?

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Things to Consider

• The teacher is subscribing to the stereotype that
  all Asian students are smart.
• She is not considering the fact that all students
  are different intellectually regardless of
  ethnicity.
• She is also implying that if the students were
  not Asian that they would not be as intelligent.
• These are dangerous assumptions to make

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Scenario 2

• A 4th grade teacher is planning the yearly field
  trip that involves a one-night sleep over. She is
  confused when the parents of a child from El
  Salvador refuse to let their child attend.
• What should this teacher consider? Why might
  these parents be concerned about this trip?

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Things to Consider

• Is this an uncommon practice in their native
  country?
• Was there a history of violence or terror in that
  country that makes parents fearful of sending
  children to unfamiliar place?
• Would a trip of this nature be against the value
  system of the native culture?

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Scenario 3

• A mother comes to pick up her child from a
  pre-school class to find her daughter without her
  shoes. The mother is upset and tells the teacher
  that she wants her child to keep her shoes on at
  all times.
• What might be the issue here? What should the
  teacher do?

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Things to Consider

• There are areas of the world where people
  contract parasites through the feet. Is the
  parent fearful of this?
• Is it a sign of disrespect in the native country
  to be without shoes in a school or public place.
• The teacher should take the time to understand
  the parents concern and be sensitive to the fear
  or value that is behind this issue.

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Scenario 4

• A Hmong boy in Mrs. Langs class was having a
  great deal of anxiety. After some discussion he
  revealed to her the reason why.
• The boy told his teacher that in his native
  country that he was told that Americans get big
  by eating Hmongs and that certain races of people
  send Hmongs to Thailand as canned fish.

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Things to Consider

• We are often not aware of the beliefs and
  understandings that a child brings to this
  country.
• Had the teacher not spoken with the child and
  asked about his fears, she may have never known
  about the misunderstanding.
• What seems ridiculous to us, may be very real to
  someone in another culture.

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Be Aware of Cultural Differences

• Everything we do, regarding time, personal space,
  body language, voice volume, small talk, eye
  contact, hygiene, and eating is shaped by our
  culture.
• When you have a student and/or parent that
  appears to have a cultural difference take the
  time to understand the differences.

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Cultural Awareness

• Do not interpret the behavior of others through
  the eyes of your own culture.
• Do be aware of how much culture affects language
  acquisition and behavior.

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What Educators Can Do

• Teachers have the pivotal role in facilitating a
  childs adjustment to culture.
• The key to success encompasses the learning of
  behaviors, skills, and norms appropriate to
  function within the cultural paradigm.

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What Educators Can Do

• Express positive value in whatever appears
  foreign to the native English speaker.
• Demonstrate a positive attitude of new cultures.
• Plan instruction that includes the integration of
  cultural histories.
• Develop lessons that spark questions, discussions
  and critical thinking.
• Foster feelings of being at home

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What Educators Can Do

• Focus on the uniqueness of each person.
• ASK the student what he/she needs.
• Don't expect one minority student to speak for
  the entire minority group.
• Use a checklist for grading papers.
• Show samples of good work to the whole class.

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In Summary

• Creating a school and/or classroom environment
  that is accepting, appreciative of differences,
  and free of stereotypes and judgments will
  benefit ALL students.
• Knowing how to sensitively communicate with
  families will foster their confidence in the
  school system and benefit the student in a
  variety of ways.

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References

• Community Health Corp., (2009). Prescription for
  Success Community HealthCorps Member Training.
  Retrieved May 22, 2009, from Prescription 4
  Cultural Sensitivity Web site http//www.communit
  yhealthcorps.org/client/documents/Prescription-4-C
  ultural-Sensitivity-Member.pdf
• LoveToKnow, Corp., (2009). ESL classroom and
  cultural sensitivity. Retrieved May 22, 2009,
  from YourDictionary.com Web site
  http//www.yourdictionary.com/esl/ESL_Classroom-an
  d-Cultural_Sensitivity.html
• Ross, Linda (2009). Connect with kids and parents
  of different cultures. Retrieved May 22, 2009,
  from Scholastic.com Web site http//www2.scholast
  ic.com/browse/article.jsp?id4426

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Title III 2007-2008 ConsortiumKelly A.
NoyesK-12 ESL Educational SpecialistAllegheny
Intermediate Unit475 E. Waterfront
DriveHomestead, PA 15120412-394-5926