Running head: A CLASSROOM THAT EMBRACES ALL CULTURES

Going Beyond the Obvious: How Educators Can Commit to a

Classroom that Understands Students on a Deeper Level and Embraces
All Cultures
Barbara Caroline Tritschler
The University of Georgia
Department of Language and Literacy Education

A CLASSROOM THAT EMBRACES ALL CULTURES

When I decided to go into the field of teaching during my

undergraduate classes at UGA, I was not quite sure about what being
an educator entailed. I first began hearing about becoming an
ethnographer and understanding my students on a deeper level in my
education classes. I remember hearing from professors about the
importance of understanding our students, such as where they come
from, their families, and their likes and dislikes. When we understand
these pieces of their identities, we can reach and engage them in their
learning, specifically through their literacy journey. I knew I understood
what this meant, but I dont really think I was able to grasp exactly
how to go about this task.
However, now that I am in my fourth year of teaching, I know
there is always room to grow as a teacher. My journey only continues
as I strive to understand how culture transacts with teaching and
learning in the classroom. Yet, through my experiences in the
classroom, discussions with my peers, and the powerful readings from
this semester, I have come a long way in this exploration of
understanding exactly how to get to know students on a deeper level.
It is when we know students on a deeper level in our classrooms that
they can develop their own literate identities in the classroom and
beyond.

A CLASSROOM THAT EMBRACES ALL CULTURES

When I first started Shirley Brice Heaths (1985) Ways With

Words, I was reminded of the ways that all of our students and their
families have different viewpoints on the purpose of school. As
teachers, most of us believe school is a place for students to begin
their journey of lifelong learning, so that they can be prepared for their
futures. When reading about the residents of Trackton and Roadville, it
was easy to see how people can have a variety of different viewpoints
on the purpose of school. Heath explains that both communities saw
school as a promise to good living and getting ahead, gaining a new
life, and expanding the world of their past (Heath, 1985, p. 29). Many
adults in these communities had little schooling themselves, which
may have played a role in their belief about the purpose of school.
Trackton adults saw school as a way for their children to get out of
their current situation in Trackton. They saw school as a way for
children to move on to better opportunities. They told their children
to learn to talk right, to read and write, and you can get outta here
(Heath, 1985, p. 29). Additionally, Roadville parents emphasized the
success in education they expected their children to have and their
assumption that education would carry their children away from the
mill (Heath, 1985, p. 36). Heaths work opens our eyes to the varying
viewpoints that parents of our students can have when we read about
the different communities in her study. Thinking about the different

A CLASSROOM THAT EMBRACES ALL CULTURES

viewpoints our students parents have on the purpose of school can

really help us gain insight in our teaching as a whole.
When thinking about this idea on a personal level, I began to
reflect on the ways that I seek to find out what the parents of my
kindergarten students expect from their childs education. As
teachers, we must cater to our students individual needs throughout
the year in order to enhance their learning experiences. Learning how
we can best accomplish this goal takes time, effort, and understanding,
as we listen to our students and their parents about their unique
desires and needs.
One way that I accomplish this goal is by inviting my students
parents to come into school at the beginning of the school year. It is
during this time I make sure to ask the parents about their specific
goals for their child. It is also through these conferences that parents
share their own experiences in school. I have found these meetings
give me much insight into the lives and backgrounds of these families.
Offering to meet with parents to give them a chance to talk to me
about their goals for their child opens up an environment of
understanding and acceptance. When I know the family on a deeper
level, it helps me get to know that student on a deeper level also.
Then, I can make sure that I cater to their individual needs, being
sensitive to the goals and perspectives of that family.

A CLASSROOM THAT EMBRACES ALL CULTURES

In addition, through my discussion with peers this semester, I

was able to see how other teachers have also found the true value of
inviting parents to come and have open discussions with the teacher.
In September, classmate Kemper Peacock (2014) commented that her
mentor teacher welcomed each parent at the beginning of the year
and found time to sit down and interview them to learn about their
cultures and interests that she could include inside her classroom.
She commented that these interviews were a great way to hear the
parents' perspectives and immediately get them involved in their
child's schooling. Furthermore, when we know the perspectives of our
parents and families, we know how to cater to their individual learning
needs on our classrooms.
Heaths (1983) Ways With Words also challenged me to think
about what we can do as teachers to empower all of the learners in our
classroom. Mrs. Gardener was one teacher mentioned in the book that
really stuck out to me as a reader. She visited the communities from
which her children came, in order to create lesson plans with which her
children were familiar. Her students had success in learning, even
when others around them failed because she took the extra steps to
help connect their learning to their real lives. Heath explained that
when teachers took interest and understanding of a students home
life, it improved attitude and enthusiasm, and transformation of
knowledge (Heath, 1983, p. 292). If something is interesting and

A CLASSROOM THAT EMBRACES ALL CULTURES

relevant to someone, adult or child, that person is going to want to

learn. The same idea applies in our classrooms. When students feel
that they are valued and accepted for their different identities,
backgrounds, and experiences, they will be deeply engaged in their
learning.
As I was thinking about my own Kindergarten classroom, I
reflected on some of the ways that I help students understand that
they are valued and accepted in my classroom. One activity we do is
an actual study of our communities in which we live. When we explore
our community through authentic reading and writing tasks, studying
where they live makes the learning relevant and exciting for these
young students. We read about places in our community, visit places
around our community, and write about the various communities to
which we belong. Our community study is just one way that we try to
make learning exciting and relevant to our specific students.
Another idea that we spend a lot of time on in our Kindergarten
curriculum is understanding the idea of self. My students write about
what makes them unique throughout the year. We talk about the
differences among us, and the way that these differences should be
valued. We also read books and talk about the connections and
disconnections we make to the characters. For example, I shared one
experience in a previous discussion in this class about a book that we
read when we were talking about our families. Here, we studied our

A CLASSROOM THAT EMBRACES ALL CULTURES

family communities as we read Hanoch Pivens (2007) My Dog is as

Smelly as Dirty Socks, which is about a little girl who describes the
members of her family.
Before we wrote about the members of our families, we
examined the differences within our own families. We discussed how
all families look different, including the ways that their families looked
similar and different compared to the members of the family in the
book. Students understood that just because one family is represented
in a book, it does not mean that all families must look like that
particular family. Setting up a classroom environment where students
feel like they can be confident in their individuality is just one way that
teachers help students learn to value themselves. In October,
classmate Crystal Beach (2014) commented that maybe its through
these, every day interactions that we learn the most about others and
ourselves. I have to agree that it is these simple, every day
interactions our students have with each other in an accepting
environment that help them to feel valued for their individual
identities.
As I continued to think about my personal journey in creating a
classroom that accepts all cultures, my favorite reading that influenced
my thinking this semester was Stephanie Jones (2006) Girls, Social
Class, and Literacy. I still remember the exciting discussions about
teaching from my undergraduate courses with Jones. Jones states that

A CLASSROOM THAT EMBRACES ALL CULTURES

getting to know the community in which you work is imperative for a

more in-depth understanding of the social and cultural lives your
students and their families live (Jones, 2006, p. 29). When we get to
know our students community, we can use our students funds of
knowledge to connect to them in a positive and productive way. We
never want school to be a place where students feel disconnected.
Instead, when we get to know our students and their communities, we
show them that their backgrounds are valued. When thinking about
how we take knowing our students to a new level, Jones (2006) states:
This kind of knowing about a students life cannot take place in
a classroom alone, it takes time, patience, and energy beyond
the four walls of the institution called school-and beyond ones
identity as a traditional teacher within those walls, as teachers
work in humble ways with families to share power and
knowledge (p. 64).
Understanding our students is not something that can happen in the
time we have teaching in the classroom alone. Instead, we must
become ethnographers, take extra time for our students and their
families, and really dig deep to understand their backgrounds. As we
get to know our families on a deeper level, student learning can be
taken to a different level.
One of Joness suggestions was to make positive phone calls
home often (Jones, 2006, p. 110). After reading about this idea, I

A CLASSROOM THAT EMBRACES ALL CULTURES

decided to try it more often with my own students parents,

communicating more positive news via phone call or email. I have to
admit that when I first started calling parents to report something
positive, they always seemed to be a bit worried when they first
answered the phone call. However, I always finished each phone call
with a smile. One of my main goals as a teacher is to help parents see
that no matter what, I am on their team to do what is best for their
child. I think that positive phone calls or emails is just one way I have
made a personal commitment to know my students and their families
on a deeper level.
Another way that Jones book challenged me to think about my
students and their unique identities is through her explanation of being
sensitive to disconnects that our students may feel and encouraging
them to always read critically. She explains that readers of all ages
need to understand how power, perspective, and positioning operate in
all texts-but most definitely in texts that promote unitary versions of
successful lives and those that perpetuate stereotypes of any kind
(Jones, 2006, p. 127). Setting up a classroom environment where
students are encouraged and guided to read critically can make this
goal a reality. Whether a child is reading a book, a song, or an
advertisement, reading with a critical eye is a skill that must be
practiced.

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As Jones explained the way she helped her students critically

read Henry and Mudge, I began to think about the books that my
students encounter each day. Reading about the ways she encouraged
her students to challenge what they read, both in words and in the
world, has made me do the same in my classroom. I often find myself
asking my students questions that I would have never thought to ask
before, as we critically examine what we read. For example, some that
come to mind from the past week are the following: Is it ok for a boy
to like?, How is your home different than the one in this book?,
Do you agree with?, Is it ok to think differently than this
character?. As I have become more conscious of the ways we can
read critically with young students, I have made more room for
discussions in my classroom to help students value and understand
their thoughts and beliefs.
As we read and think critically with our students, our classrooms
can become places where uncomfortable topics come to the surface.
Through Jones book and discussions with my classmates, I have
become more understanding as to why classrooms need to be places
where students can discuss all kinds of issues, despite how
uncomfortable they may be. Jones explains that when we silence
childrens experiences we are shutting off growth of our society and
the real possibility for critical consciousness and social change (Jones,
2006, p. 43). As I read her work this semester, I made a promise to

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myself that my students will always understand that they are able to
make decisions about how they read the world. Additionally, I want
them to understand that through their words, both spoken and written,
they have the power to make change and influence others. I want to
create a classroom where students know that they can ask questions
and share thoughts comfortably in a place where their voices are
valued.
Before this semester, I will admit that I was more likely to try to
keep uncomfortable conversations from happening in my classroom.
However, I now understand that silencing these conversations is not
the right answer. Reading Jones work helped me see that when we
know our students and families on a deeper level, we can make better
decisions about how to handle these types of conversations in our
classroom. She explains that we must get to know our families and
students on a deeper level so that we can approach and guide these
discussions with care and understanding, when she says that getting
to know the community in which you work is imperative for a more in
depth understanding of the social and cultural lives your students and
their families live (Jones, 2006, p. 29). Personally, I have been able to
see how knowing my students and their families has allowed me to
make my classroom a place for more open and honest discussions this
year.

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Finally, Bob Fechos (2004) Is This English?, continued to

challenge me to think about my role as an educator to foster a
classroom environment that accepts, engages, and challenges all
students. As a teacher of literacy, his book encouraged me to think
about the ways that my students use the words they read to create
meaning for themselves. Although Fecho taught high school students,
I was able to apply his insight into my work with elementary students
too. He explains that, This making of meaning goes beyond decoding
and comprehension because it expects students to come to
understandings of themselves as individuals occupying a range of
social spaces (Fecho, 2004, p. 96). Yes, students must learn to
decode and make meaning of the words they read. However, teaching
reading is much more than just that piece. When we know our
students personally, we can make decisions in the classroom that
encourage authentic reading and writing tasks. When our students are
reading, we want them to make meaning of their world, question their
world, and think critically. This kind of thinking can happen in
elementary school reading just as much as it can in high school
reading.
For these reasons, Fechos book challenged me to think about
what this would look like in a kindergarten classroom. I think the first
thing a teacher must do is get to know his or her students: their
background, their personal struggles, their likes, their dislikes, their

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fears. When a teacher understands these deeper pieces of his or her

students, he or she can make decisions to create a classroom of
engaged learning. Thus, creating a space where students know their
opinions and ideas are valued and accepted is critical.
For example, one of Fechos students described what made him
such a remarkable teacher: Its like you allowed us to get into the
conversation. You talked about things that we were interested in,
things that had to do with us. And you made it interesting, because
you allowed us toexpress ourselves (Fecho, 2004, p. 123). Clearly,
Fecho showed his students that he cared about them as individuals,
and he wanted to embrace their unique identities.
Furthermore, in November, classmate Cortney Seaborne (2014)
commented about her thoughts on the importance of building a
classroom where students feel comfortable in discussions. She said, I
think having discussions is important as well because students will
become more comfortable expressing themselves and talking in class.
Perhaps this could help to build a community in class. It is my hope
that since reading this book and reflecting on what powerful teachers
do, I have helped create the same type of environment for my
students. I have become much more intentional about the books we
read, the things we write about, and the questions I ask to encourage
critical reading and authentic, engaged learning that matters to my
students. This type of learning environment comes from knowing our

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students on a deeper level in order to provide them with authentic

learning that is relevant to their lives.
Through my experiences in the classroom, my readings from this
semester, and my discussions with peers, I have grown personally and
professionally as I continued to think about the ways to create a
classroom environment that embraces all students. As shown through
the previous examples, students develop their unique identities
through their unique literacy practices. As teachers, we play such an
important role in helping them to embrace who they are as individuals,
through the reading, writing, and speaking that occurs in our
classrooms each day. We must never forget that their time in our
classrooms is critical, and knowing our students on a deeper level so
that we can make learning relevant to them is essential as we help
develop lifelong readers and learners.

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References
Beach, Crystal (2014, October). Re: Bringing the Outside In (Online
Discussion Group). Retrieved from https://uga.view.usg.edu
Fecho, B. (2004). "Is this English?": Race, language, and culture in the
classroom.
New York: Teachers College Press.
Heath, S. (1983). Ways with words: Language, life, and work in
communities and classrooms. Cambridge (Cambridgeshire):
Cambridge University Press.
Jones, S. (2006). Girls, social class, and literacy: What teachers can do
to make a difference. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Peacock, Kemper (2014, September). Re: The Purpose of School (Online
Discussion Group). Retrieved from https://uga.view.usg.edu
Piven, H. (2007). My dog is as smelly as dirty socks: And other funny
family portraits (1st Dragonfly Books ed.). New York: Dragonfly
Books.

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Seaborne, Cortney (2014, November). Re: Making School Relevant
(Online Discussion Group). Retrieved from
https://uga.view.usg.edu

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