Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom

One of the things that my Stake President has often taught is the phrase "Assume positive intent."  It is something that has resonated deeply with me and that I have shared often.  I think it can also be applied to teaching students from a variety of cultures within a TESOL classroom.  In fact, I think it is something that I would mention from the very first day of class.  Each of us comes from a culture with certain rules and norms that are deeply embedded into our subconscious minds.  We make observations about what is right and wrong, sometimes without even thinking or considering the other person's perspective.  I live in the United States and do not have plans to teach in another country, so I will not need to adapt fully to another culture.  However, I will have students from many different cultural backgrounds and life circumstances.  They may have different ideas on what is respectful and what is disrespectful, or what is appropriate and what is inappropriate.  It will be my job as the teacher to not only seek to understand where each student is coming from, but to also share those cultural differences with the class.  It takes patience and a desire to learn to be an effective teacher in a cross-cultural classroom.  Leading with empathy and the assumption that students’ actions are coming from a positive place is a great way to start.


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