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Cultural Sensitivity in the ClassroomCultural sensitivity in the classroom is more important than ever in today?s modern world. With the development of transportation and technology the world is a much smaller place in 2012 than it was even a decade ago. People can easily have a video conversation with someone on the other side of the world or travel from hemisphere to hemisphere without missing a night?s sleep. This being the case it is imperative that we are aware of the differences in cultures and celebrate each other?s beliefs and customs as our world continues to evolve in the 21st century. Doing so will only improve our communications and relationships with each other as we understand their point of view. Merriam-Webster defines culture as ?an integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations?. By definition culture must be passed down in order to live on. Education, therefore, is an important piece to keeping culture alive and relevant. As educators there is a unique opportunity to create an environment of one?s choosing. Teachers, through dialogue and demonstration, can foster a safe environment for students to be able to express their beliefs, share their customs and be exposed to new ideas. In a given classroom there may be students from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. It is imperative that all students feel equally comfortable participating and interacting with fellow students regardless of their situation outside of the class. Teachers living abroad should actively research and experience the local culture as it will certainly affect their jobs on a daily basis. Having knowledge of customs, traditions and political history, to name a few, will allow them to connect more directly with students. Understanding the cultural context in which students were raised will allow them to more effectively teach to them. A teacher could easily misinterpret behavior if he did not understand the cultural norms of the local society. It may not be polite to ask questions, for example, and perhaps students would be unlikely to do so even in a classroom setting. This could certainly effect how successful students are in learning new skills and language overall. If a teacher is aware of this he can communicate with his class or other teachers and find out the best way to address this issue. Family structure in much of the world differs from those in western countries. Often extended families live together in simple dwellings. Their socio-economic situation may be very different from anything a western teacher has ever experienced or even been exposed to. There may be a social hierarchy that affects students? lives as well. Religion may also play a pivotal role in their lives, something that is less common in western countries. Being sensitive to these differences will help a teacher develop a curriculum that is engaging, relevant and sensitive to the culture of his students. In conclusion, an educator who learns and acknowledges the differences in cultures will set an important and lasting impression on students. In the shrinking of our world it is important that we respect the things that make our cultures unique and celebrate our differences and similarities.
