Celia Leibow

Dr. Jonas
EDU 136, 11:30
Cultural Paper
Part A
This class has taught me how multifaceted a persons culture is,
and how it is the combination of different aspects of a culture that
make up a person. Prior to this course, I never took into consideration
all the different layers of culture that have shaped me into the person I
am today. As I look at each layer individually I understand the specific
impact it has made on me, and I am able to see what has made the
biggest impact on shaping me.
In class, we discussed different cultural layers as well as different
elements of culture that shaped each of us. There were seven cultural
layers we discussed in class. The first and innermost layer, essentially
being the core of who we are is ultimate allegiance, or where we most
identify ourselves. This layer of culture is not seen by outer
characteristics because it is deeper than that. Each layer after that
becomes less internal and more external. The other layers are
worldviews, beliefs, values, feelings, behaviors, and artifacts. Each
layer of culture is influenced by different elements as well as different
layers of acculturation, essentially making up who we are as an
individual.
After looking at these models, I would say the culture I identify
myself with is American culture, and even more so a Christian
American culture. I identify myself with this culture because I was
raised in home where my immediate family was Christian. My mother
is one of the strongest and most faithful women I have ever known and
it is because of her faith in God. I grew up constantly being poured into
by being taken to church and taught the Gospels from a young age. I

was influenced and molded by this culture that was created in my

home.
In high school, I was further impacted by the American Christian
culture through the relationships I had with my friends. All of my
friends were Christians so we were able to spur each other on, so to
speak. We helped each other grow in our relationship with Christ
because we were able to ask each other the hard questions and
encourage each other when necessary. Both my family and my friends
were two of the greatest influences. The culture and influences I
experienced greatly shaped my personal values and outlooks.
One concept I value in particular is honor. Growing up, my
mother always stressed the importance of honesty, and how honest
you are with people demonstrates how much you respect them as well
as yourself. I didnt take this concept seriously, until I got caught in a
lie I told to my mother. When she found out I lied, she filled with
disappointment. The first thing that came out of my mouth was are
you mad? and all she said was I am so sad because I have not lied to
you, and now I have to question whether anything you tell me is the
truth or another lie. Suddenly my stomach dropped because I hated
that I gave my mom a skewed vision of who I was. I didnt want to be a
person who was dishonest, but a person of integrity and truth. Ever
since then, I have valued honor because I saw how it made both my
mom and me view myself. As a result of family influences I value a
person of honor. I was further shaped by the Bible verse, Proverbs
31:25-26, which was talked about frequently in my home. Because of
the Christian culture I was raised in, I valued the Bible and believe it to
be Gods written word. This verse I hold onto so much. I value a God
fearing woman because that is the type of woman who raised me and
it is the type of woman God created me to be. An honorable woman
clothes herself with strength and dignity, and she is honest and

compassionate. This is the standard I hold for myself, as well as for

others because honor is something I value so much.
Another standard I value is the locus of control. Because I have
grown up in a culture where I have been taught to rely on the Lord, I
take things as they come, instead of always trying to plan and control
the future. I have come to value this more because of the influence of
my friends rather than my family. Whenever I would start to worry and
take control of my life, my best friend would always tell me to rely on
God. One phrase she used that specifically shaped me was that
wherever God puts me is where I will be safest and happiest. This
constant reminder was huge in shaping me, because it was constantly
being made vocal to me that Gods plan and His timing is better than
mine. No one ever told me it was a good idea to try and take control of
everything and plan for every aspect of my future, because we grew up
in a Christian culture where we value Gods timing. By seeing this
applied in the lives of my friends, and the way they would talk to me
when I was stressing out really shaped my value of taking things one
step at a time and not trying to control them.
A third standard I value so much is collectivism. I have always
valued relationships and being in community with others. Growing up
in a Christian household, my sisters and I were taught to value
relationships and be in community with one another. At home, my
mother made it clear that we were all a family-unit and not separate
people. We were taught each person plays a role in the body of Christ,
and each role is of great importance. This completely shaped the way I
view my relationships. For example, my sisters and I could not be more
different. However, we have always been taught that all of us are a
part of the body of Christ, and neither one of us plays a bigger role or
is better than the other. Another reason I value collectivism is
because of the way my mom would make decisions in our family. For
example, when my family moved to Geneva, my mom had the

opportunity to work full time at an advertising agency in Chicago,

which is something she had always been passionate about. However,
because my sisters and I were still in elementary school, she ended up
passing on that job so she could take a more flexible, part-time job at
our church so she could spend more time with us. The other job
opportunity would have paid a lot more than a church would, and in
some respects would have been more exciting. However, that was not
the best decision for our family as a whole, so she passed on that
opportunity and took the job that was best for everyone.
As I reflect on who I am and what different elements have
shaped me I see how much of it was done by spoken word as well as
actions. My mom not only acted out the values and standards she held
for herself but she also verbalized them constantly. One way she
vocalized these values was through the use of Bible verses. My mother
always incorporated different verses into conversations so that we
were constantly hearing them, and essentially embedding them on our
hearts. When I would do something that was not necessarily something
we valued, my mom vocalized that to me. She would tell me why it
was wrong to be dishonest or why I have to treat people with love and
respect. I was greatly shaped by the words my mom spoke to me as I
grew up. Reflecting on who I am I see that I was most shaped by
explicit teachings of values from my mom. I am living proof that
explicit teaching is an effective way to instill specific values into others
lives. Because I saw my mom live out the values she taught me, I in
turn began to value those very teachings as well.
Part B
I believe my schooling experience greatly enhanced the beliefs
and values I explained in Part A. Because I grew up in a Christian
home, I had a mother that both allowed and encouraged me to pursue
a Christian education. In elementary school through eighth grade I
attended a public school. After eighth grade, I chose to attend a

Christian high school, which further instilled these values and

standards in me.
My time where I attended public middle school was
probably the most counter productive time for these values. I was
taught by teachers that did not necessarily share the same views and
value as me, and was friends with people that definitely did not. At this
time in my life, any interaction I had with people outside my family was
with people who did not share the values I was raised with. Towards the
middle of eighth grade, I saw that I was not holding my self to the
standards or values that was brought up with and once cared about. I
witnessed how the abandonment of my values to fit in with my peers
dis appointed my mom, as well as my self. At this time I decided to
transfer to a Christian high school, which helped shape me in so many
ways.
In high school, the values and culture I was familiar with
was greatly enhanced. In high school, teachers who cared about their
relationship with God so much, and in turn cared about our relationship
with Him as well taught me. In almost every single one of my classes,
teachers would ask if we had any prayer requests. Teachers would also
make time after school or after class to talk with us individually if we
wanted. There were two teachers I would talk to almost every day after
school about life and what not, and the fact that they took time out of
their day to listen to me and talk with me further instilled the value of
relationships and caring for one another.
The character of my teachers was an element that also shaped
me. They were people who valued honor and integrity as well as
relying on God. The way they interacted with students was different
than the way my teachers in middle school interacted with us. In
middle school, my teachers talked to us in class and then that was it,
there was no level of compassion or care for that matter. However, my
high school teachers showed us they cared every single day when they

would not only pray for the class as well as individuals, but take time
outside of the school hours to talk and get to know us more in-depth. I
can recount several conversations with teachers over coffee just
talking to them about my life or things I was struggling with. It was
because of these conversations with my teachers, whom I looked up to
so much, where I grew most in my faith and in who I am as a person.
Being surrounded by adults where these standards were evident in
their lives by their actions as well as their language helped shape me
so much. Caring about my peers enough to pray with/for each other
became a normal part of life, and something I began to appreciate so
much. It further instilled the importance of relationships and roles each
individual plays in the body of Christ.
I loved my high school experience because I grew so much
and was shaped by the incredible teachers that were there as well as
my peers. We were taught to value each other and to grow in
community with each other. We were also taught that as individuals,
we are of value even though society makes high school students feel
insignificant a lot of the times. I was taught how to bring God into all
aspects of my life, even education. Most of all, I was surrounded by
teachers who were incredible role models and mentors. Had I not gone
to this high school, I would be a very different person today.
Part C
There are many different factors that influence the way teachers
teach. Some of these factors are incredibly impactful and effective in
the classroom. However, there are also some factors that are only
influential in a small way. There were several influences that were
discussed in class that are valuable, at least in some small way, in the
way teachers approach teaching.
One influence we addressed was past academic
experiences. Previous academic experiences influences the way a
person teaches. In general, people teach the way they were taught. For

example, if someone was in a class predominately comprised of

lectures, it is likely they would incorporate that same style into their
teaching. I look at this influence as a double edge sword, so to speak. I
think in some cases, past academic experiences should in fact
influence someones teaching because they have experienced this
style and know the strengths it has. For example, one of my teachers
would block out an entire class period or two so he could meet with
each student individually to see how they felt they were doing in the
class. This was so beneficial for my peers and me because we all got
our individual questions answered. In this case, I would say this
experience would be a positive influence in my future class. However,
when people do use their past experiences to influence their teaching
styles it can be a negative influence. If someone who was in a class
where the teacher talked the entire time, with no student involvement,
allowing this influence would not be very positive. Generally, students
are less engaged and focused when they have to sit and listen for an
entire class every single day. In this case, I would say past experiences
should not be a strong influence in the classroom. I think people should
take their past academic experiences into account and assess what
worked and what didnt and only use parts of their experiences to
influence their teaching.
Another influence that was discussed was through educational
training; teachers tend to teach how they were taught. I dont think
this should be a very strong influence in the classroom because I think
the teacher needs to assess how the students in their classes learn
best, and teach accordingly. If a teacher was taught to do a lot of group
projects in the classroom in order to engage their students, but their
class was primarily students who did better on individual projects this
would not be a beneficial influence. I would take into account the
methods I experienced in my educational training, but I will make sure
it is beneficial for the types of students I have as well.

The next influence we talked about was the influence from our
colleagues. The result of this influence is teaching the way others
teach or in a way that we are required to teach. I think this should be a
strong influence in the classroom because other teachers may teach
something in a way we never even thought of, and if they have been
teaching long they have a better idea of what works and what doesnt.
I think this influence can be very beneficial, especially for new
teachers.
Another influence we discussed was changing our teaching in
new situations. I think this should be a very strong influence. I think it
is important for teachers to be adaptable in their lesson plans. For
example, if a teacher gets switched from fourth grade level to
kindergarten they would have to adapt their teaching styles and
activities. If they did not adjust their teaching, they would not be
effective when teaching the kindergarteners because they would be
talking to them as fourth graders rather than five year olds. I think
being able to adapt in different situations or for new students is a very
important influence.
The next influence we discussed was teaching materials. I think
this is important influence because teachers have to be able to teach
with what they have available. If a school does not have a very large
budget, the teacher still needs to teach the children exceptionally with
the materials given to them. I think this definitely needs to play a role
in the classroom because teachers need to be good teachers with or
without advanced materials.
The next influence is one I believe should be a very strong
influence for the teacher. This influence is the students. I think it is
absolutely crucial for the teacher to teach based off the students
response. If the students didnt learn well from a certain activity the
teacher selected it is important for the teacher to take that into
consideration and come up with a new activity that the students will

learn from better. The teacher definitely needs to teach in response to

the students to ensure they are teaching in a way that is most
beneficial for them.
The final influence we discussed was legislation. I think this
should be a small influence because when it becomes too much of an
influence the teacher is only teaching so the students can pass a state
test rather than ensuring they are actually learning. I dont think this
should be a very big influence because I think the teacher needs to be
passionate about helping kids learn, and when they are only teaching
to meet the standards they are not providing the child with an
exceptional education.
After discussing these influences, there are a few that I would like
to shape the way I teach my future students. The two influences in
particular that I desire to shape the way I teach are changes in
teaching situations and students.
I desire changes in teaching situations to be an influence that will
greatly shape my teaching. I value this so much because I think it is so
important for the teacher to be adaptable. I think teachers need to be
able to be put in a new situation or grade level and be able to adjust
their lessons and style accordingly. This influence goes along with the
external locus of control. Teachers cannot control where they are
placed or the students that are in their class, so it is important for
them to be able to adapt within the situations that are given to them. I
will prioritize this influence into my teaching by not simply having a set
lesson plan for a specific subject, but having the guidelines of what
needs to be taught and then adjusting the way I teaching them
accordingly. I will make sure the activities or lessons I am doing are
appropriate for the level I am teaching as well as for any other given
situation.
Another influence I desire to shape my teaching is the students. I
think it is so incredibly important for teachers to teach in response to

their students. I dont want to teach my students in a way that is not

beneficial or interesting to them. I will always make sure to get their
feedback after lessons as well as ask them what their preferences are
prior to lessons. I want this to shape my teaching because I want my
students to understand what I am teaching and enjoy it as well. This
influence goes along the value of knowledge and learning. I want my
students to gain knowledge from my classes, therefore I will take a
longer time teaching a subject if that is necessary for them to do so. I
will teach in response to them to ensure they are getting the most out
of their education. This might be difficult to execute in a class because
no class is going to contain students who all have the same preference
or learn in the same way. I will have try different techniques in order to
reach all my students and not only take into account a few of my
students feedback.
The combination of these two influences will shape my teaching
drastically. I want to be a teacher who cares about her students and
will adapt to new situations so that they may be successful in their
educational career. I will always keep these influences at the forefront
of all my planning and teaching because I want to teach in a way that
is appropriate for the given level/situation I am in as well as in a way
that is beneficial for the students according to their feedback.