Brianna Bell

Culture Questions

1. You are a 4th grade teacher with a new boy in your class from an Arab nation. He speaks
very little English. He is having a problem getting along with the other students. He has fights
on the playground every day, which he seems to provoke by constantly touching the other
boys.
In Arab cultures it is common and very normal for boys to touch each other while playing, whereas
in America boys do not liked to be touched except for in sports and fighting. I would address it and
let the Arab student know that that is not always ok and liked by everyone here. I would also let the
other students know that it is ok and to help include the Arab student while helping set examples of
how friends interact.

2. You have a new Korean girl in your 4th grade class. The other students in your class don’t want
to sit next to her because they say she smells funny. You have a bad allergy and can’t tell. She
appears to be a clean, well-dressed child and you don’t understand your students’ objections.

Every culture smells weird, different, and possibly gross to other cultures. I would make it
apparent that we, Americans, smell funny to other people in the world simply because of our
diets.

3. You are a 3rd grade teacher who is having a parent conference with parents of an Asian
student in your class. You explain to the parents that the child needs to spend more time
working on his homework. The parents keep nodding and saying “yes” as you explain your
reasons. You are disappointed when there doesn’t seem to be any follow-up on the parents’
part.

In Asian cultures, parents and students highly respect their teachers along with elders. The
parents of my third grade student are saying yes to every request because they respect the
decisions of the teacher and what is best for their student. I would ask for them to participate
and help their child with homework instead of telling them their child needs to spend more time
on his/her homework. I would also make sure the parents understood what I was saying and
what we were communicating about, and if not I would accommodate them and get a translator
or have a written list and have it translated to where we all understood what was being
requested.

4. You are a 5th grade teacher who is using a lot of cooperative learning strategies in your
classroom. In the middle of the year you get a new Arab boy in your class. The student
doesn’t follow any of the rules you have explained through a bilingual classmate. He is very
disruptive in your class.

According to the reading, upon the arrival of the Arab boy I would limit my use of the cooperative
learning strategies in the classroom so he could focus primarily on adjusting to a completely
different culture in and out of the class. I would explain the rules in a different way or act them out
until the boy could understand them and we could verbally agree upon them. Sometimes, students
do not behave or follow rules correctly because they do not understand the requests of teachers and
others. For the student being disruptive, I would gain their attention in the class by using topics
from their culture for lessons, and I would engage the students in listening and speaking activities
since that is the primary type of teaching of their home countries.

5. You are a 6th grade teacher with your first student from China. She came with an excellent
report card from her school in China. She is outstanding in math but can’t seem to learn to
read.

The Chinese alphabet is different to the English in the fact that it is character and symbol based.
Because of this, it is difficult for Chinese students to learn how to read and create
correspondences between letters, words, and meanings in English. The student will need to learn
how to decode phonics while reading.

6. You are Ms. Smith, a 3rd grade teacher. You don’t think your new student from Egypt is
placed in the correct grade. You set up a meeting with the parents to discuss placing the child
correctly. The student’s father comes in to see you but doesn’t seem to take your concerns
seriously.
If the parents do not seem to take my concerns seriously after the first meeting, I would see if I
accidentally offended them by any actions I made or anything I said. I would then try again
making sure to respect any of their cultural norms and hope they would take my concerns more
seriously this second time around.
7. You are a first-grade teacher. A Korean student comes into your class in April. During a
discussion of age and birthdays, this student says that she is 8 years old. The other students
in your class are turning seven. The office tells you that she has been correctly placed.
In Korea, the Lunar Year is an important celebration. Everyone gains a year on the Lunar Year
even if they were born a few months before. When Korean children come the US, many lose a
year to their age because this tradition is not commonly practiced in the US. This tradition
should be explained to the class.

8. Guadelupe is a smiling 3rd grader from Argentina. She seems well-mannered and eager
to please. However, when you speak to her she refuses to look at you.

In many cultures around the world, as in Argentine, it is considered respectful to not look adults
and elders in the eyes. It can even be difficult for students to the manner because of how instilled it
is in them and their culture.
 9. You are a 4th grade teacher who wants to write a quick note home to an ESL student’s
family. You pick up the red pen that you use to mark papers and write the note. When you
hand the note to the student, she looks upset.
Not only does the student most likely associate the pen with corrections from assignments, in
many cultures, the color red is very significant and means death or bad fortune in some
cultures. I would apologize to the student and his/or parents and I would make sure it would not
happen again.

10. The Japanese mother of one of your 1st graders picks up her child every day at your door.
You are upset because this mother seems unfriendly. She never smiles at you and you wonder
if you have done something to offend her.
Japanese typically smile at friends and loved ones, and do not smile as a way to say hello. One
day I would strike up a friendly conversation to get to know her and introduce her to other parents.

11. Haitian brothers Jean-Baptiste and Jean-Pierre are often late for school. They are also each
absent about once a week but on different days.
The brothers’ home life could be very hectic, busy. They could be helping while their parents
are gone at work, and they may not be able to make it to school on time because of this as well. I
would check in on the students and see if everything at home has been ok.

12. Your new Kurdish student seems to be sick all the time. He is lethargic and doesn’t seem
to even try to learn what you are teaching him.
The student could be going through severe culture shock. Especially in cases like this, these
can be common symptoms when a student is trying to transition into an entirely different,
and backward culture to theirs. I would see if there was anything he needed and just give him
time to adjust to the American culture.

13. A Russian student, who has learned English and is able to do much of the work in your 4th
grade classroom, copies work from other students during tests. When you talk to him about
this, he doesn’t seem at all contrite. His parents act like you’re making a big deal about
nothing.
In other cultures around the world, copying is not frowned upon and is a common practice
because the end results are typically what matters. It would have to be very clearly explained that
in America, cheating is not accepted and is very seriously frowned upon.

14. You have a Puerto Rican student in the 3rd grade who speaks English fluently. She
participates orally in your classroom and socializes well with her peers. She even translates for
other students. However, she is doing very poorly in her content area schoolwork.
The student could have acquired her BICS skills already, which is typically learned before
CALPS, and needs more time to learn how to read in content areas and how to communicate
academically still. This is a common phase for ELL students to go through.
 15. Your 4th grade Malaysian student seems to be very good at Math. He gets “100” on his
spelling tests. No one in your class knows the names of the state capitals better than he does.
However, he seems to have a hard time comprehending a simple reading passage.

These skills the student is good at are systematic and easily remembered. In many cultures, this is
the information that is most important and focused on in schools. Because of this, many students
actually struggle with reading and interpreting their own ideas about what occurred or will occur.
I would help by doing many examples with the students and demonstrating how I comprehend
reading passages.

16. Some of your most advanced ESL students do not understand many of the geometric
concepts which are taught in American classrooms starting in kindergarten.

In many other cultures, geometric concepts are not taught typically until 5th or 6th grade at the
earliest. If they have never seen or thought about geometric concepts, it will be difficult to grasp
at first. I would have the students get familiar with the shapes, first, before teaching them
concepts.

17. Thi Lien is a new student from Viet Nam. She seems bright and alert but gets no help from
home. The papers you send home are still in her backpack the next day. Important
correspondence is never acknowledged. She doesn’t do homework and forgets to bring
back library books. Her home life appears to be very disorganized.
According the book, family is the center of Vietnamese life’s. If Thi Lien is appearing
disorganized and forgetful at home, there may be something going on her home life or with her
parents. It would be good to check up on Thi Lien and ask how everything is in her life. If there
is nothing major going on, I would try talking to the parents. Vietnamese parents have very high
respect for their children’s teachers and if asked would most likely participate more at home.
18. Pablo is a well-mannered boy from Colombia. He insists on calling you “Teacher”
instead of your name which you are sure he knows.
In South American cultures, children are expected to respect and obey their elders. It would
not be uncommon for a boy from Columbia to insist on calling you Teacher; there are even
students in the US schools who occasionally call their teachers teacher instead of their
name. In Columbian schools, as in other South American schools, students always refer to
their teachers as master/professor, never their names. For a situation like this, I would
correct the student when he calls me teacher, and tell him to use Ms. “Blank,” instead.
Before I began correcting him, I would address it with him and have a conversation about
using my name instead of teacher. I would explain that he isn’t wrong, it is just the
difference in cultures.

19. Hung is a bright ESL student in your 3rd grade class. He listens to you attentively and
 follows directions well. However, he is very rude when a classmate is speaking. He either
talks to his neighbor or daydreams. He never joins in any class discussions.

In other cultures, students highly respect the teacher and classrooms are teacher based, not student
based. It would have to be made clear that students have knowledge too and we need to respect
everyone. I would also encourage their participation in discussion.

20. You are a 3rd grade teacher. Your new student speaks Arabic. He seems to hold his pencil
in a very clumsy way and has a great deal of difficulty even copying work in English.
In the Arabic language, people read and write from right to left, the opposite of left to right here
in America. He appears clumsy literally because it is backwards to him. He will just need extra
time to grow used to writing and reading from left to right.

21. Maria is a Mexican student whose attendance in your 6th grade class is very poor. It is
affecting her academic performance. After an absence of several days, you ask her why she
was out and she explains that her aunt was sick and her family went to help her. Although you
explain the importance of good attendance in school, the same thing happens a few weeks
later. You wonder if Maria’s family considers education important.
Maria’s family most likely does consider her education very important as many cultures in
Mexico do. According to the book, family is a priority in most households and aunts and uncles
are to be well respected along with parents and elders. I the teacher would have to take my
student’s culture into consideration and the current situation of their family. Often times, parents
are not involved in their child’s learning outside of school because they simply can’t use
resources in the community due to the fact they may be illegal citizens. The parents may also not
be participating because in some Mexican cultures, teachers are seen as experts and the parents
leave the decision up to them. The parents should be asked for their input and they should be
shown how to be involved in their child’s education until they are comfortable with it.

22. Mei, a new student from China, is scheduled to begin your 4th grade class in the middle of the
school year. On the day she registers, she is introduced to your class and shown where she
will sit. She is to begin school the next morning. You arrive in your classroom at 7:45 a.m. for
a day that begins at 8:30. Mei is waiting at her desk in the dark. The custodian tells you that
she arrived at 7:00 a.m.
In China, it is typical for schools to begin earlier in the morning. I would have a translator tell the
family what time school actually starts, and make sure it is clear.

23. Korean parents bring you a gift because you have helped their child. You open it and thank
them profusely for their generosity. The parents look uncomfortable.
In Korean cultures, it is considered rude to open a gift in front the gift-giver. I would apologize for
offending them and explain how in America that is normal, however, I would make sure I would
always open their gifts until later.
 24. You notice that a Muslim child in your classroom refuses to take a sheet of paper from a
classmate. This isn’t the first time this has occurred.
The student most likely was passing the papers out with their left hand. In Muslim culture, the
left hand is seen as unclean and used for going to the bathroom and other un-cleanly tasks. I
would explain this and have the student use their right hand. If it became too big of a problem, I
could pass the papers out myself.

25. You have applied for a cultural trip for teachers to China. You know that you will be meeting
other teachers along the way. You buy small gifts for them and wrap them in white tissue
paper. At your first stop during the trip the recipients of your gifts upset.
The recipients seemed upset because in Chinese cultures, white is the color of death and is used
in funerals. I would re wrap the presents in a different color like red.

26. Thu is a 6th grade girl from Thailand. She becomes hysterical when the other girls tease her by
playfully mussing up her hair. Her parents have to come to school and take her home. While
you understand her need to look tidy, you think she has over-reacted.
In Thai cultures, as in many others, the head is very scared and is where the person’s soul is held,
or has another religious significance. It needs to be made clear that her head may not be touched
as it is highly offensive.

27. During a parent conference, you tell the parents of your Colombian ESL student that their
child is having difficulty in learning English. You suggest that they only speak English in their
home. The parents look confused. When you relay this conversation to the ESL teacher in
your school, she is very upset.
It is very good for the parents and student to still speak their native languages in their homes if
that is what they desire. It is much better to use a rich native language to communicate, than to
always be using a fragmented second language.

28. You are a 4th grade teacher. You have a friendly boy in your class from the Dominican
Republic. He speaks very little English in the classroom and doesn’t seem to be making
much progress. When you give him directions, he seems to be confused. You are sure he is
putting one over on you by pretending not to understand because you have heard him
speak with the other children on the playground.

This student most likely has only learned BICS. Give him time and he will learn his CALPS as
well, it just takes a little longer than learning BICS.

29. You are a fourth-grade math teacher. Ayumi is one of the brightest students in your class.
She has been in the country for 2 years and it is obvious her background in math is superb.
She cannot seem to understand the units on fractions. You don’t know what to think.

Most of the rest of the world uses the metric system where fractions are not important and are
not used. These are most likely a new concept and idea for Ayumi, and will need a little extra
instruction and practice to master.
 30. As a reward for good work in your class you give students a packet of 4 pencils with
decorative erasers. Your Japanese students take two and leave two behind.

In Japanese cultures, the number 2 is considered lucky, and the number 4 is considered
unlucky. I would not force them to take the four pencils, but give them something as a
replacement instead.
31. Jean Pierre is a 5th grade student from Haiti. Your class is studying long division. Jean-
Pierre hands in his completed paper in a short time. You are upset because he has not
completed the work. There is no work showing. You think the problem is written
backwards. Maybe the student has a perceptual problem.
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In South American cultures and other cultures around the world, students are expected to
mentally do math. In America, students are expected to show every stop of the process up to the
answer. I would explain this to him and show him how to show his thought process on paper.
32. An Egyptian student in your 3rd grade class is a good math student but becomes
disruptive when you teach a math lesson using math manipulatives.
Many other cultures do not use many manipulatives in their teaching, so students often do
not take the lesson seriously with manipulatives, and find it more as something as a game.
I would explain the lesson and give out the handouts, then when everyone understood
what would happen, I would give out the manipulatives and monitor the students.

33. You have a new 3rd grade student from Bosnia. During recess time, the child hides under
and bench and cannot be persuaded to come out.
The student most likely has PTSD that was triggered. I would comfort and calm the student and
explain to them that everything is ok and whatever triggered or scared them was ok too.
34. You have new sixth grade student from Asia. The student appears to have an attitude from
the first day. Now he is out of his seat fooling around and you’ve just motioned to him to
come over to talk to you. He glares at you and seems even more angry. What happened?
The student could still be going through culture shock and trying to adjust. If I used one finger
when I mentioned him to come over to me, I could have greatly offended him because that is seen
as offensive in many Asian and other cultures around the world.

35. As your second-grade class lines up for a field trip, you count your students as you walk
down the line touching each of them on the head. You notice that several students pull
back from you.
The head is viewed as very scared, personal, and is viewed as something that should not be
touched by others. Instead, count the students on their shoulders if you must tap them.

36. You take photographs of your students working in small groups for a Back to School Night.
The grandmother of one of your Chinese students is very upset when she sees your photo
of her granddaughter.
In Chinese cultures, it is considered very unlucky to take photos in odd numbers, and it is
considered bad luck especially to the person in the middle. I would apologize for the photo and
keep that in mind the next time I was making a display.

37. You signal “O.K.” by making a “O” with your thumb and forefinger to a student who has
done a good job. Your 8th grade newcomer from Brazil looks very shocked.

Even though that symbol is commonly used in America, in many other countries it is considered
highly offensive. I would apologize to my student, explain how it is used in America, and would
avoid using it in the classroom again.