2/5/21; Week 05: Response to “Cultural Miscommunication”

After watching the video from Brother Ivers, I am reminded of a handful of differences in mannerisms from our culture to a few others that I have been told about. After thinking about how this will impact the classroom experience, I realize that I am going to have to work to help my students to not assume the worst when their natural instinct is to be offended. I would also need to work on recognizing the difference in our cultures and how my student’s culture is a part of my student's lives. Change comes slowly and some people are less willing to change. Not only that, but some change isn’t necessary. I think it is important that students be able to keep their culture as they adapt to a new culture. If I am teaching here in the US, I think it would be my responsibility to teach my students about the culture they are living in so that they can easily function within it. They would need to know things to avoid so as not to offend anyone. They would need to know how we use body language to convey good and bad emotions or feelings. They would need to know what body language they use that would be offensive to someone within our culture. I think it is important as their teacher that I learn the same about my students’ culture and what they find offensive, or what body language conveys what message. I can work to omit or implement certain behaviors that come from my student’s culture. The reason I think this is important is that it would help to build a good report with my students and help lower their affective filter. We talked about Paradigms, Monochronic/Polychronic cultures, and miscommunication between cultures. I think it would be good to have an open mind and think some things through. Just because we typically do things a certain way within our culture doesn’t mean it is the best way. By listening to my students, I can grow and become a better student. I think it is really important, more than anything else, to be patient and to try to be Christlike. I think it is important to teach my students this so that they can avoid hurt feelings or recognize when they have hurt someone’s feelings. Teaching students to rise above what comes naturally will save them and others a lot of heartache.