Prior to Wednesday’s seminar I did not have a good understanding of being a culturally responsive teacher. My idea of multiculturalism was having a fun, festive culture week or making students aware of different people around the world and their corresponding cultures. Now, after having a better understanding of cultural responsiveness, I believe my cultural perspectives naturally will and do influence my classroom practices. As I continue to serve as a student teacher in a diversely populated school, I am learning how to become culturally responsive to ALL students. As a future educator, my decisions and classroom practices will support and encourage culture diversity in every area of the student’s life. The ideology of being respectful and accepting of each student’s cultural background is contradicting to my cultural up-bringing; however, I believe my generation is (thankfully) becoming more respectful and accepting of America’s diverse population.

One area that may be impacted by my cultural background is behavior management. I believe that students should be respected and supported, and they should reciprocate that same respect to their classmates and teachers. I understand this viewpoint may not be accepted by ALL students or their guardians; however, I believe that it is a necessity in the school system. This is just one example of a cultural difference in America.

America consists of many diverse ethnicities but our school systems continue to conform students to a traditional American society due to uniformity of teachers. “Approximately 90% of K-12 teachers in the U.S are white” (Teaching Tolerance). It would be judgmental or bias of me to say that all white people have the same cultural background; however, I do think this statistic could have a staggering impact on cultural environment in the school systems.