Author:
A cultural responsive classroom means that teachers respect and include different cultures. It makes students feel welcome and understood( Howe, Johnson, & Te momv, 2021). I remember a time when I felt a big different between my culture and what was taught in Canada.
When I moved from China to Canada, there was a huge educational difference between China and Canada. Back to my middle school, I only focused on memorizing important knowledge points, reciting all kinds of formulas, and doing massive practices, especially, in the classroom, our teachers engage in talking and we are responsible for listening. However, in Canada, the approach is quite different, students are encouraged to share their ideas and ask questions.
One day in class, we talked about the ways of expressing love, Western parents can tell their kids about their love and support. I tried to remember if my parents ever said they loved me, and the answer is no, but the actions they did showed the love. Everyone in the room was very active and thrilled to share their stories. I started to see that verbal expressions of love are very common in Western culture, but love in my culture is often expressed through actions rather than words.
As the discussion went on, I came to realize how eager my classmates were to share their experiences. They were open and positive to tell their stories and opinions. This openness was something I wasn’t used to, but this experience helped me understand the cultural diversity deeply. Our world is filled with different traditions and values, understanding and respecting these differences can help us connect each other well.
Reference
Howe, E. R., Johnson, S., & Te Momo, F. (2021). Effective indigenization of curriculum in Canada and New Zealand: Towards culturally responsive pedagogies. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education, 16(1).
Thank you for sharing your experience! Your reflection on the differences between Chinese and Canadian classrooms highlights the importance of culturally responsive teaching. It creates an environment where students from diverse backgrounds feel valued and understood. I appreciate how you connected this to expressions of love, highlighting how cultural perspectives shape communication and relationships.
Your story also emphasizes the importance of encouraging students to share their perspectives in the classroom. It’s great that this discussion helped you see cultural diversity more deeply. I agree that understanding and respecting different traditions allows for stronger connections. Has your experience in Canada shaped the way you express love and emotions?
Hi Weile,
I really love how you shared your experience moving from China to Canada and the cultural differences you noticed in the classroom. It’s so insightful how you highlighted the difference in how love is expressed through actions in your culture versus words in Western culture. I can totally relate to that feeling of being unfamiliar with new ways of thinking, and it’s great to see how this helped you understand cultural diversity more deeply. While your write-up is great, one thing I’d be curious to read more about is how educators can help bridge these cultural gaps in their classrooms to make everyone feel more included. It’d be interesting to hear how you think teachers can actively create a space where all cultural backgrounds feel respected and valued.
Your story about the cultural differences in parental expressions of affection to their children was insightful. At first you seemed to experience some disequilibrium as your parents did not show you their love in the same way that western parents do. However, you came to realize that this did not mean your parents don’t love you, but their expression of their love is different.