Susan Maricle wrote: > Maybe race matters, and maybe race doesn't matter. But > I can tell you, cultural awareness definitely does > matter. Not that acting a fool is part of anyone's > culture. But kids tend to act the fool when they feel > the teacher (or any other adult in authority) is out > of touch.
Jim Bernstein wrote: > How can we possibly expect teachers to "know the cultures" of the > students they teach. Last spring, at a class in the Lehman Center I > spoke to students who were born in: Russia, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Laos, > Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Philippines - > and those are only the ones that I know for sure! Not to mention the > "cultures" of native born students! In a funny kind of way I agree with both of these positions. First, as a teacher I know that understanding the cultural backgrounds (plural) of my students will help me be an effective teacher. On the other hand, the assumption of Institutionalized Multiculturalism that we have to carter to a multiplicity of individual backgrounds is impractical and ultimately not in the best interests of students. Functional literacy in the dominate culture is important for both academic and professional success. Speaking and communicating primarily in the parlance and perspectives of a minority cultural only insures that students will be dropped at the doorstep of estrangement. At the onset of the 20th century parents understood this and pushed children to conform to the expectations and mannerisms of mainstream America. Contemporary Multiculturalism misleads students into the idyllic misconception that Industrial and Cooperate America are accommodating to individual differences, when in reality their behavioral expectations and cultural mores are extremely rigid. Successful teaching requires both an awareness of both the thought processes of one's students and instruction in mainstream cultural literacy. Michael Atherton Prospect Park REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
