Pitfalls Peer Response:

By: Jaycee Hawks

One misconception I see in schools, from student teaching and substitute teaching, is not all cultures are acknowledged. When they are it's considered a holiday rather than something to implement in the classroom curriculum. The cultures inherited in the classroom and "celebrated" are only the cultures from historical events, like black lives matter. These cultures are very important and should be recognized more than just a day in the class, but other cultures should be recognized as well. Not being a teacher has made this quite difficult for me, but from my student teaching, this is the misconception I have noticed. 

It's clear in the reading that some of these practices can positively affect children when implemented in the classroom properly. Students feel seen and acknowledged. They feel important and can relate to the content that is being taught. This can result in them being more involved on their own rather than forced. It is important that when providing our students with activities to recognize culture, we think thoroughly about the effects that the activity can have. As stated in the reading, violence does not always have to be physical and for young children still learning about their cultures it can be detrimental to their learning if the activity has a negative effect. 

I am not a teacher yet, but for my future in teaching, I want to provide a positive culturally responsive classroom for my students to feel safe and heard. I can do this by doing personal research on all cultures, as well as being involved with the educators I work alongside. We can strive to help each other reach our full potential by giving ideas to one another, researching further together, and sticking to a plan. Becoming involved with my students outside of the class culturally and physically can have a huge impact on our relationships inside the classroom. I can build positive relationships by proving to my students that I care about them perosdnally just as much as I do about their education.