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My educational journey began in Nigeria, a country known for its rich linguistic diversity, with over 500 languages and dialects spoken across the country. I recall a moment of cultural disequilibrium from my primary school years. I was required to learn Yoruba, a language that wasn’t part of my native tongue, and teachers enforced it as if it were my own. This made me feel disconnected, as my personal linguistic background wasn’t acknowledged. According to Howe, Johnson, and Te Momo (2021), effective indigenization of curriculum requires recognizing and embedding diverse linguistic traditions in education rather than enforcing a dominant language. This realization deepened my understanding of what it means to foster inclusive learning spaces.
When I moved to Canada, I noticed a significant difference —people respected my accent and language without forcing me to conform. This shift made me realize the importance of understanding and appropriately including different cultural perspectives in education and life experiences. Framing this within Joanne Brown’s Circle of Courage, I recognize that a true sense of belonging was missing in my early education. The exclusion of smaller ethnic groups reinforced the idea that only dominant cultures were valued, undermining the principles of inclusion and cultural appreciation.
Nigeria has over 500 languages, more than 250 dialects, and a wide range of ethnic groups. But when I was in primary school, Cultural Day mainly focused on the Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa and Fulani traditions. If you were from a smaller ethnic group, teachers would simply tell you to ‘join the one that is available.’ As a child, I was happy to join any because I wanted to wear the attires and dance. At the time, I never really understood the disparity. However, now I see that culturally responsive teaching should be about acknowledging and respecting all cultures, not just the dominant ones. This aligns with Joanne Brown’s discussion of the Circle of Courage and “All my Relations,” which emphasize fostering belonging and unity in education. The absence of true cultural representation in my early learning environment illustrates the gaps that culturally responsive pedagogy seeks to address.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I had the opportunity to home-teach children online. It was challenging because of cultural differences—students came from various backgrounds, and their learning styles and expectations differed significantly. Initially, I struggled to bridge these gaps, but I learned to adapt by being more patient, incorporating diverse teaching materials, willingly to learn other cultures, and actively listening to their unique perspectives. This experience reinforced the value of culturally responsive teaching, showing me firsthand that education should not be one-size-fits-all. Howe et al. (2021) emphasize that culturally responsive pedagogy involves embedding Indigenous ways of knowing and teaching to create an inclusive learning environment. My experiences tutoring students taught me that recognizing their cultural backgrounds strengthens their engagement and learning outcomes.
As a future educator, I would introduce cultural literacy programs that encourage students to share aspects of their heritage. According to Howe et al. (2021), culturally responsive teaching involves more than just acknowledging diversity; it requires embedding multiple perspectives into the learning process. To achieve this, I would implement student-led cultural presentations, where students share traditions, songs, or stories from their cultures. Additionally, I would integrate group projects that highlight the diversity of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Regarding language learning, I would advocate for a more inclusive approach that recognizes the richness of all languages. This could involve allowing students to use their native languages in classroom discussions and even offering language exchange opportunities, where students teach each other basic phrases— just like Joanne Brown did when she shared how to say ‘thank you,’ ‘goodbye’ and ‘hi’ in her language.
Ultimately, I envision my classroom as a space where cultural diversity is not just acknowledged but celebrated. By using strategies rooted in culturally responsive pedagogy, I hope to foster a sense of belonging and encourage each student to bring their full, authentic selves into the classroom. Creating an inclusive environment where all cultural identities are valued and respected fosters a richer and more meaningful learning experience for all.
Reference
Howe, R., Johnson, P., & Te Momo, F. (2021). Effective Indigenization of Curriculum in Canada and New Zealand: Towards Culturally Responsive Pedagogies. Education Journal, 23(1), 21-35.
Thank you, Susan, for sharing your insightful reflection. Your experience in Nigeria, particularly the enforcement of Yoruba as a dominant language in your schooling, underscores the challenges of linguistic inclusivity in education. It’s powerful how you connect this to Howe et al.’s (2021) argument on embedding diverse linguistic traditions rather than enforcing a single dominant language.
I also appreciate how you frame your experience within Joanne Brown’s Circle of Courage, particularly the importance of belonging. The exclusion of smaller ethnic groups from Cultural Day reflects broader systemic issues in education that culturally responsive teaching aims to address. Your realization of these disparities and your approach to fostering inclusivity in your own teaching is truly inspiring.
Your experience tutoring students during the COVID-19 pandemic is a great example of adapting to diverse cultural perspectives. The strategies you propose—student-led cultural presentations, group projects, and language exchange opportunities—are meaningful ways to promote inclusion. I particularly love your idea of allowing students to use their native languages in classroom discussions, as it validates their identities and enriches the learning experience for all.
How do you think educators can navigate the challenge of balancing multiple cultural perspectives while ensuring no group feels overlooked?
Hi Vandana,
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! I agree that finding the balance between multiple cultural perspectives is challenging but important. As I mentioned earlier, one way educators can achieve this is by ensuring all cultures are not just acknowledged but respected. This can be done through thoughtful curriculum choices, classroom activities, and encouraging students to share their traditions. It’s also important to create opportunities for collaboration, where students can learn from each other in a way that respects everyone’s background. Listening to students’ needs and adapting to their unique perspectives, as I did during the pandemic, can help ensure no group feels overlooked. Ultimately, fostering a space where every student feels valued is key to true inclusivity.
Thank you Susan for sharing your story. You talked about growing up in Nigerian, where there are over 500 languages, but you had to learn Yoruba, even though it wasn’t your own language. It also reminds me of when I was in school, boys’ voices were always heard. It was unfair that girls’ opinions were ignored.
I also like how you shared your move to Canada. People here respected your accent and language, which made you feel better. This showed the importance of making everyone feel included. Then you talked about the challenges of online teaching during the pandemic, especially students came from different backgrounds and had different ways of learning. You tried to be patient and include different cultures, which I really admire. I think if teachers try to understand each student’s culture, the classroom will be better.
After reading , I hope schools can respect every culture, not just the mainstream one, as Susan said in her article.
Your story about having students join another ethnic group during Cultural Day seems to contradict the sense of belonging it is trying to enhance. It is a challenge to embed cultural responsiveness with 500 different languages and cultures, but having space for this diversity would enhance the classroom environment for all.