After listening brother Ivers on his lecture on "Cross Cultural Student in the Classroom", it makes me think on the challenges I may be facing in my classroom but I was not totally aware. The institute where I teach English, it is basically a private Institution, no more than the basic norms of social behavior and relationship between students and teachers, I have been noticing for quite a long time. Students come into the classroom and they usually enter without saying anything, I personally started to demand and teach them manners before entering into the classroom. They can open the door and look at my side and greet, "Good morning, or afternoon and asks: "Teacher may I come in" I do not expect them to apologize, I told them, the best way to apologize is not doing it again. I can not measure completely the actions and the impact it created in my relationship with my students, They pause and take their time to greet and to ask permission to come in.
There is another aspect on students behavior, I have noticed some students would enter the classroom chewing gums, I was getting along with it until one day I brought a resolution of not letting them do that. I decided to tell them to stop doing that, not as a matter of respect to my person but as an attitude to develop the ability of acquiring another habit.
I have noticed no much difficulty for for children to follow instructions was not that big a deal, they were actually willing to do it. When I tried to apply the same habit on a class of adult people, when they were asked to stand up and throw the cause of the distraction away, I have noticed how the face of embarrassment appeared on their face. Most of the students listening the instruction and paying attention and trying to avoid being seeing while the instruction was given.
There is also another situation I have noticed, they are afraid of making mistakes, so I decided to promote whole class participation and encourage the participation with the sole purpose of making mistakes, giving me that way the opportunity to correct them. After the activity was done, I would ask my students to pay close attention on how many words, sentences and things they have corrected from their own speech, telling them that mistakes, made possible that improvement, since the only way for teachers to correct a mistakes is by listening, So I taught them what the word "mistake" is, and I encourage them to make them in class where is, actually, the best place to make them.
These are probably some of the cross cultural situations I came across in my classroom, Students built believes on the idea, that in a private institutions you can do whatever you want, sit wherever you are and do whatever you want.
I always finish the month telling my students something, It takes a humble person to become a good learner, and also a humble teacher to teach that learner. at least, that is my conclusion after all these years, teaching a language that I am not even able to speak with a native fluency and whose grammar I am still working on to improve.
Marco Diaz. .
What are the ages of your students? Are all you students native to your country?
ReplyDeleteIn the United States, in a young classroom, you can see a variety of norms when students come to school. Some arrive and walk right into the room. Others line up outside the door and the teacher welcomes them and says "Please come in." Occassionaly, students will ask for permission, when it is their first time to that room. But this isn't the usual. In addition to general cultural norms, we as teachers also teach classroom norms. I see you are doing this with your students. Knowing your expectations will help your students in your classroom.
I like the example of the differences you shared between young and adult learners. And I also like that you are a humble teacher.