The demographics of America has and continues to drastically evolve. A fair portion of the population are POC (People of Color) and we have seen lots of interracial couples as well. With that being said, being culturally responsive is important as it effects all aspects of our lives. We come across a variety of diverse individuals in infinite situations. When working with someone’s child, this is something that educators and parents should consider.
What does it mean to be culturally responsive? According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, “Being culturally responsive requires having the ability to understand cultural differences, recognize potential biases, and look beyond differences to work productively with children, families, and communities whose cultural contexts are different from one’s own”
Here is an example:
Some teachers define the behavior expectation “Be respectful” as “Look at me when I’m talking.” However, in some cultures making eye contact with adults is considered disrespectful. In such cases, when the classroom rule clashes with the children’s cultural norm, the teacher can create a different rule that addresses the behavior expectation but also takes into consideration the children’s perspective (e.g., “Use listening ears”).
YOUR POST WILL BE:
Why is it important to be culturally responsive DIRECTLY relating to guiding child behavior? What are some challenges that you may come across? How do you plan on finding a solution/common ground? This post should be thoughtful and consist of at least 4-5 sentences. Remember, you are working with children and children need guidance in order to be safe, stay physically and emotionally healthy, develop social, intellectual and language skills, and develop self-concept and self-control.
