A classroom without bias? Impossible.

The Culturally competent teacher is aware of the diverse cultural groups represented in his/her classroom, investigates the sociocultural factors that influences student learning, and is able to integrate this knowledge into his/her teaching.

Essentially everyone is different. Factors such as environment, background, education, and culture affect how a person views the world and how the world views a person. It is an undeniable fact that every person has a bias toward elements that they find in common with themselves. The goal as a culturally competent teacher is to acknowledge that these biases exist even within them self. If a teacher is aware of these bias' she or he can work to incorporate everyone despite their background and to work against ones that may deter a student from being successful.

My personal history and the personal history of the students in the school that I volunteer in probably have very little in common. I grew up in a suburban area not too far from the city and went to an elementary school that consisted of mostly of children from a middle class background. My middle school and high schools were pretty diverse and did not necessarily have the best of everything. I found however that having the best books or computers does not necessarily mean you get a better education. Throughout my schooling I had teacher who were wonderful and helped me to get the best education I could. The high school I attended was the most diverse high school in my town. I think I learned a lot by attending a school that was truly diverse and did not just claim to be. That would be one commonality between the students and I that we both have attended and are familiar with a diverse school environment. My cultural background consists of Irish, Swedish, and French-Canadian however there is no specific culture that is particularly emphasized by my family. I may not be able to relate to a student whose live is greatly influenced by a certain culture, but I can understand and look into that culture and try to understand that student. If I were a teacher at this elementary school one thing I would have in common with the students is my dedication to help them learn would be equal to their drive to want to learn.

Obviously a challenge that I would face walking in to a classroom or school like the one I tutor in would be finding that level where I could easily relate to students. That does not mean that I could not attempt to look into and understand a student’s culture and what is valued in that culture and how it might affect their schooling and find a way to relate to them, but it would not be an immediate connection. Ira Shor is a theorist who writes about how education is a political process and how teachers should encourage their students to think critically and challenge the norm. Ira Shor says "The contents included and excluded in curriculum are political choices while the unique outcomes of education are not neutral either. But even though the subject matter and the learning process are political choices and experiences, Apple also observed that there was no simple socialization of students into the existing order and no automatic reproduction of society through the classroom."(pg.12) Using the knowledge that education is a political process a teacher can help their students to realize this and to fight against and challenge these politics to better their education. Although many of the time these children fall into the unfortunate cycle that keep them at poverty level, there is always a chance and the hope that a great education will help to break the mold and succeed.

I cannot say that I have encountered misconceptions usually associated with certain ethnic groups. I feel that because the classrooms I was in consisted of 5 and 6 year old children that there was not much awareness of social categories and behaviors assumed to be associated with those groups. I did however notice that the attitude and behavioral problems that are usually assigned to children that come from minority and poverty backgrounds did to some extent exist within the classrooms. I feel however that this is both a cultural and a survival technique. I almost feel that the defensive attitude that I witnessed is a direct result of the difficult environment they live in. Overall, it is important for a teacher to understand his or her students as far as where they come from, what challenges they face, and how important school is to them. A teacher should incorporate the knowledge he or she has about their students backgrounds to greater improve their students understanding and success.