Courtney Dickinson

The Cultural Iceberg

As a teacher, it is very important to be aware of the cultural iceberg. The cultural iceberg is the idea

that like an actual iceberg, where only 10% is visible above the waterline and the majority is hidden below

the surface, culture is the same. The external, visible surface of culture is only a very small part of it.

Beneath surface things like behavior, traditions, customs, and anything easily observable with touch, taste,

smell or sound there are many other important things about culture. These other internal things can be core

values, beliefs, attitudes, priorities, assumptions, perceptions and other things more difficult to observe.

As a teacher it is important to know these things. It is important to know that the most important

things about a culture are the deeper things below the surface. It is important not to assume anything about

your students just because you know that they identify with one specific culture. When an assumption is

made about a student because of their culture it can do a lot of damage to any relationship with that student

and can really hurt the student.

It is also important between the students, and among the students. As a teacher it is your job to

stop bullying and prevent it. When you teach the cultural iceberg, or promote learning about the parts of

culture that are below the surface, you prevent bullying. Often bullying occurs because of ignorance and

ignorance of things that are different. When students are taught to embrace these differences, they learn

that everyone is different and that its ok. When students embrace their differences, they get along better

and the classroom is a much safer, more comfortable place for the students.

As a teacher it is important to know the details of the cultural iceberg, what it means, and the

impact teaching it can have on students.