A Multicultural Classroom

I have been talking to a first grade teacher in my hometown. I really respect her insight because she has been teaching for about twenty-five years. She has pretty much seen it all. She has taught students from many different cultures and who speak different languages. She has also taught special education students. I asked her how she accommodates all of her students’ differences. She told me that the number one thing to remember is to always respect the differences. A teacher should not force student’s with different backgrounds to learn exactly the same. One example that she gave me was two Hispanic boys that were in her class. During reading time, most of the class sat on the floor. However, these two boys stayed in their desks and listened. Because of their culture, these two did not want to sit on the floor so she allowed them to stay at their desk as long as they were attentive.
I thought this was a very important concept that many teachers ignore. Some teachers make all of their students do and learn the same thing. They teach based on American standards which some students do not understand. It is important to incorporate all of the cultures in your classroom when planning lessons. For example, during something as simple as reading time, the teacher can read a book dealing with other cultures then American. The teacher can even teach the students about how people are different and that those differences are what make us special. This way the students will still be proud of their backgrounds and know that they should celebrate it, not hide it. I believe that doing this could help classroom unity and allow all students to know that their opinion is valued. As a teacher, I will do my best to make sure all of my students feel comfortable being themselves. I will also incorporate multicultural lessons within my lesson plans.