In Conversation With
style but for some reason the child kept denying
her ability and didn’t want to accept her mother’s
praise. But even this conversation ended with the
mother saying that the child should study harder
and pay more attention in class.”
Teachers Pay Attention
Whether a child has been socialized to think, learn
and believe they are smart no matter how good
or bad their performance is, is of less importance
to societal transformations or even a useful
assessment of any student; it may, however, be
crucial to modeling and evolving teaching styles
to varying cultures without judgment, without
stereotyping, and with an open mind.
More than similarities and differences, the
challenges of different learning approaches are of
Dr. Li Jin, Associate Professor,
Brown University, USA.
significance for every teacher today. For instance,
it is common to give open-ended assignments in
the western style of teaching. Dr. Li feels that if
a class of Chinese students were told to form a
group of 2-3 students to research and present a
report on a current developing global issue, they
would be lost. “Asian children are very methodical
when they approach learning. Anything that
deviates may throw them off. They don’t know
what to do.” Secondly, she highlights
the difficulty of challenging authority
in the true Socratic spirit within an
Asian culture. But these challenges are
what teachers must be most careful of,
says Dr. Li, “Teachers must be careful
not to rate or rank cultures as better
than or worse than. Teachers can help
Teachers must be
careful not to rate
or rank cultures
as better than or
worse than.
students become aware of cultural differences in
the right way without casting judgments. This kind
of teaching is the most demanding.” She narrates
the story of good teaching practice as cited in the
book Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in
the Classroom by Lisa Delpit. The author uses the
teaching method of a Native American teacher in
Alaska who is telling her students how different
cultures eat dinner. Once she introduces the
students to the European style of setting a table
and dinner etiquette, she asks her students if they
know another way of eating. After the children tell
her about their way of eating, the teacher asks
them how they felt about the different dinner
styles. The children felt that their own style was
better, and more natural. The teacher pointed out
that they need both. It is necessary that children
feel proud of their own ways and culture, but
they must also be open to understanding other
cultures. Another approach may be foreign to you
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The Keystone Magazine