Culture Questions

1. You are a 4th grade teacher with a new boy in your class from an Arab nation. He speaks
very little English. He is having a problem getting along with the other students. He has fights
on the playground every day, which he seems to provoke by constantly touching the other
boys.

I would explain to the boys that he is having trouble getting along with that the
new boy is constantly touching them because that is what is customary in the
culture of the country that he just moved. In his country, it is polite to greet
people by touching. While they may find the touching annoying, he may just be
trying to introduce himself to you in order to become friends with you. He will
eventually stop doing this act because he will learn that touching people when
you greet them is not customary in the United States.

2. You have a new Korean girl in your 4th grade class. The other students in your class don’t want
to sit next to her because they say she smells funny. You have a bad allergy and can’t tell. She
appears to be a clean, well-dressed child and you don’t understand your students’ objections.

A lot of Korean food as a very fragrant smell that accompanies it, so chances are the girl
smells like the food that is being made at home. As a teacher, I would use this as an
opportunity to teach my students about the new student’s culture. Perhaps I could invite her
family to visit the classroom to share elements of their culture with the students and bring
some of their traditional foods. By doing this, the students may understand why the girl
smells the way she does. This would single the girl out, so instead of focusing specifically on
her, my class could have a “Celebration of Culture Day” in class where students bring food,
traditional clothing, objects, or whatever else represents their culture to class to share with
their students so their peers can learn about their culture.

3. You are a 3rd grade teacher who is having a parent conference with parents of an Asian
student in your class. You explain to the parents that the child needs to spend more time
working on his homework. The parents keep nodding and saying “yes” as you explain your
reasons. You are disappointed when there doesn’t seem to be any follow-up on the parents’
part.

It is common for Korean parents to consistently say “yes” or nod their head in response to
yes-or-no questions. This is because they want to be polite or to maintain respect for the
teacher or person they are speaking to. Because of this, questions other than yes-or-no
questions need to be asked in order to glean the responses I am hoping for. More specific
questions need to be asked. An example of a more specific question I could ask my student’s
parents is “What is the first thing your child does when he/she comes home from school?” or
“How much time does your child spend working on school work each night?” By asking
specific questions, I will be able to garner the responses from the parents I am hoping for
and will be able to devise a solution to my student’s homework problem.
 4. You are a 5th grade teacher who is using a lot of cooperative learning strategies in your
classroom. In the middle of the year you get a new Arab boy in your class. The student
doesn’t follow any of the rules you have explained through a bilingual classmate. He is very
disruptive in your class.

Generally, Arab students come from an oral culture (Shaban, Raddawi, 7 Tanner, 36).
Because he is used to an oral culture, it may be acceptable for him to talk a lot in class at
home, but this is not acceptable in the classrooms of the United States. As a teacher, you
could combat this issue by providing the new student with plenty of opportunities to talk.
For example, when you are teaching about topics that relate to the student’s culture and
experiences, give him the chance to talk about his experiences. Allow him chances to
speak, but continue to stress that in the United States it is very rude for students to speak
without raising their hand in class.

Shaban, A.E., Raddawi, R., & Tanner, J. (n.d) Gulf Culture. In J. Egbert & G. Ernst-
Slavit (Eds.). Views from Inside: Languages, cultures, and schooling for K-12 educators
(pp.28-39).

5. You are a 6th grade teacher with your first student from China. She came with an excellent
report card from her school in China. She is outstanding in math but can’t seem to learn to
read.

6. You are Ms. Smith, a 3rd grade teacher. You don’t think your new student from Egypt is
placed in the correct grade. You set up a meeting with the parents to discuss placing the child
correctly. The student’s father comes in to see you but doesn’t seem to take your concerns
seriously.

7. You are a first-grade teacher. A Korean student comes into your class in April. During a
discussion of age and birthdays, this student says that she is 8 years old. The other students
in your class are turning seven. The office tells you that she has been correctly placed.
After doing some research, I learned that Korean children typically begin Kindergarten at either
five, six, or seven years of age. This would mean that a Korean child would begin first grade at
eight years of age. Korean years and the Korean age system varies from the system that is used in
Western societies, so she is truly in the correct grade for her age if she was in South Korea. This
may be confusing for the first grade students, so this would be an excellent opportunity to explain
that some countries measure things differently like age and length (the metric system).

8. Guadelupe is a smiling 3rd grader from Argentina. She seems well-mannered and eager
to please. However, when you speak to her she refuses to look at you.

Eye contact is something that is highly valued and is considered respectful in American culture;
however, it is seen as disrespectful in other cultures. It appears that eye contact is disrespectful in
Guadelupe’s culture. I would address this issue by teaching Guadelupe that in the United States,
eye contact is something that is very important and practice making eye contact with her while she
is speaking to me or her peers. This could be done with subtle reminders or by coming up with a
gesture that only Guadelupe and I are aware of the meaning of so her classmates do not pick up on
her lack of skill and pick on her for it.
 9. You are a 4th grade teacher who wants to write a quick note home to an ESL student’s
family. You pick up the red pen that you use to mark papers and write the note. When you
hand the note to the student, she looks upset.

The color red has a negative connotation associated with it because it is often used to indicate
that something is wrong or to stop. When a teacher uses a red pen outside of utilizing it to make
corrections, students may think they are doing something wrong when they are right. This
negative connotation of the color red is placed into the minds of ESL students because they are
usually the students who often see a lot of red marks on their paper because of the all the
corrections they need to make while learning English as a second language. Next time, I would
use a different colored pen that is not associated with anything that has to do with learning so
the student does not get upset or confused.

10. The Japanese mother of one of your 1st graders picks up her child every day at your door.
You are upset because this mother seems unfriendly. She never smiles at you and you wonder
if you have done something to offend her.

In Japan, two religions – Shinto and Buddhist religions – have influence over the relationships
betwixt teachers and students, which in turn would affect the relationships betwixt parents and
teachers. The respect that students show their teachers is through silence. Because the child’s
parents was raised to respect teachers the same way, they probably still think this way. The
parent is only respecting me as their child’s teacher. I need to remember that the mother is still
adjusting to American culture, so it may take her awhile to warm up to me and interact more
with me. I just need to be patient and continue to smile and interact with her, rather than
getting frustrated with her.

11. Haitian brothers Jean-Baptiste and Jean-Pierre are often late for school. They are also each
absent about once a week but on different days.

12. Your new Kurdish student seems to be sick all the time. He is lethargic and doesn’t seem
to even try to learn what you are teaching him.

My new Kurdish student may not acutally be physically ill, but perhaps he is homesick.
According to the textbook, many Iranians (many Kurdish people originate from Iran) struggle
with homesickness and the culture shock that comes with moving to the United States. My new
student could be battling depression, isolation, and homesickness because of his recent
relocation. What I can do to help him is assist him in exploring American culture. This will
help him overcome his culture shock. Some things I could do to help him overcome his mental
battles are provide him with books full of pictures of things that represent “American culture”
that he can look at. I am not sure what his level of English proficiency is, so pictures would
probably work best in familiarizing him with American culture. If he is proficient in English,
 perhaps I could provide him with a history trade book that overviews the history of the United
States and its culture. This could further be supported by focusing on U.S. history in class.
Teaching him about a new culture will draw him away from his homesickness and the other
mental struggles he is facing because he will be so intrigued by the new culture he is learning
about. Being knowledgable about American culture will also help him better communicate and
sympathize with his peers because he will be more familiar with the topics they discuss, games
they play, food they eat, clothes they wear, etc.

13. A Russian student, who has learned English and is able to do much of the work in your 4th
grade classroom, copies work from other students during tests. When you talk to him about
this, he doesn’t seem at all contrite. His parents act like you’re making a big deal about
nothing.

14. You have a Puerto Rican student in the 3rd grade who speaks English fluently. She
participates orally in your classroom and socializes well with her peers. She even translates for
other students. However, she is doing very poorly in her content area schoolwork.

15. Your 4th grade Malaysian student seems to be very good at Math. He gets “100” on his
spelling tests. No one in your class knows the names of the state capitals better than he does.
However, he seems to have a hard time comprehending a simple reading passage.

16. Some of your most advanced ESL students do not understand many of the geometric
concepts which are taught in American classrooms starting in kindergarten.

17. Thi Lien is a new student from Viet Nam. She seems bright and alert but gets no help from
home. The papers you send home are still in her backpack the next day. Important
correspondence is never acknowledged. She doesn’t do homework and forgets to bring
back library books. Her home life appears to be very disorganized.

In Vietnamese culture, the parents of a child in school have a very high respect for their child’s
teacher. A teacher is a moral model to a student and is one of the most important influencers in a
child’s life. Perhaps, because of this value, they do not bother looking at the papers that are sent
home or take them out of their child’s backpack at home because they trust me. They have such
high respect for me that they trust me despite what any papers sent home say. This could also be
why Thi Lien is not bringing her library books back and does not do homework: it is up to me to
remind of her these things and instill these practices in her. What I would do is meet with the
parents and tell them that Thi needs to bring her library books to school and do her homework,
etc. I would also tell them that although you may not want to infringe on what I have taught Thi,
it is their job as her parents to support her and help her with school outside of the hours she
spends in the classroom. I will also not be stern with Thi when she forgets her supplies and work
at home. I will be understanding because I know Thi and her family are adjusting to the cultural
norms and expectations, but I will remind Thi at the end of every school day to bring back her
materials the next day. Perhaps, I could set up a reminder system of some sort with her and her
parents or a way for her materials to remain at school when she does not need them at home.

18. Pablo is a well-mannered boy from Colombia. He insists on calling you “Teacher”
instead of your name which you are sure he knows.
In schools in South America, teachers are called “maestro/os” rather than by their last name when
students are in elementary school. In Spanish, the word “maestro/os” translates to “teacher” in
English. Also, “maestra” has Latin roots; it means “magister” in Latin. This word is used to refer
to someone who has a lot of knowledge in a certain area. Pablo is used to calling his teachers
“maestra” (teacher) therefore, it is only natural for him to continue to call me “Teacher.” I would
talk to Pablo about how it is customary and considered polite in the United States to refer to
teachers by their last name. For example, he would refer to me as Ms. Gookstetter. However, I
would not be too concerned by his behavior. He is calling me “teacher” because that is what is
considered respectful in his culture. I would occasionally remind him of the proper name he is
supposed to call me; however, I would not be too concerned about it. Perhaps it would be an
opportunity to expose my other students to Pablo’s culture and to introduce them to some basic
Spanish.
19.Hung is a bright ESL student in your 3rd grade class. He listens to you attentively and follows
directions well. However, he is very rude when a classmate is speaking. He either talks to his neighbor
or daydreams. He never joins in any class discussions.
 19. You are a 3rd grade teacher. Your new student speaks Arabic. He seems to hold his pencil
in a very clumsy way and has a great deal of difficulty even copying work in English.

20. Maria is a Mexican student whose attendance in your 6th grade class is very poor. It is
affecting her academic performance. After an absence of several days, you ask her why she
was out and she explains that her aunt was sick and her family went to help her. Although you
explain the importance of good attendance in school, the same thing happens a few weeks
later. You wonder if Maria’s family considers education important.
Maria’s family does consider her education important; however, family is also very important to
Mexican families, too. According to chapter five of the textbook, education is more than just
going to school; it involves learning from the behaviors and actions from their elders. When
something comes up that involves family, Maria’s family may not consider her missing out on
her in-school education because she is going to go be with family where she will learn from her
elders. As a teacher, I would respect her family’s traditions, but I would also speak to her parents
about attendance at school. I would explain to them that I understand that learning from their
families is important, but going to school and learning academic content is just as important. If
nothing changes, I will be respectful of their choice to continue to pull Maria out of school
frequently for long periods of time and would create packets of work that Maria could work on
while she is away so she can stay caught up with the rest of the class.

21. Mei, a new student from China, is scheduled to begin your 4th grade class in the middle of the
school year. On the day she registers, she is introduced to your class and shown where she
will sit. She is to begin school the next morning. You arrive in your classroom at 7:45 a.m. for
a day that begins at 8:30. Mei is waiting at her desk in the dark. The custodian tells you that
she arrived at 7:00 a.m.

In China, school goes for eight hours rather than six like it does in the United States. Class
may start at 8:30 and ends at 2:30, but Mei and her family are used to the traditional Chinese
school system where school lasts for eight hours a day. So because school ends at 2:30, it
would have to start at seven o’clock to get in a full eight hours of school. I would set up a
meeting with Mei’s parents to inform them about school start and end times, making sure
they understand that the typical school day is six hours long rather than eight. I would also
ask if they are going to have trouble bringing Mei to school and picking her up at the correct
time. If they are, I will suggest that arrangements need to be made to accommodate Mei and
perhaps suggest some resources for them.

22. Korean parents bring you a gift because you have helped their child. You open it and thank
them profusely for their generosity. The parents look uncomfortable.

In Korean culture, it is proper etiquette to not open a gift in front of the person who gave it. Next
time my student’s parents bring me a gift, I will not unwrap it front of them to show respect for
them and their culture. Additionally, it is polite to reciprocate receiving a gift with a giving a gift
in return to those who gave the gift. The gift needs to be of similar value. They may have been
expecting a gift back when they have me a gift and were frustrated to find out that I did not have a
gift prepared for them. I should go out and buy a gift for them of similar value and gift it to them
the next time I meet with them or see them. In Korean culture, it is also impolite to say “thank
you” because it shows a lack of humility. I should not say “thank you” next time they gift me
something to be polite.
23. You notice that a Muslim child in your classroom refuses to take a sheet of paper from a
classmate. This isn’t the first time this has occurred.

24. You have applied for a cultural trip for teachers to China. You know that you will be meeting
other teachers along the way. You buy small gifts for them and wrap them in white tissue
paper. At your first stop during the trip the recipients of your gifts upset.

25. Thu is a 6th grade girl from Thailand. She becomes hysterical when the other girls tease her by
playfully mussing up her hair. Her parents have to come to school and take her home. While
you understand her need to look tidy, you think she has over-reacted.

26. During a parent conference, you tell the parents of your Colombian ESL student that their
child is having difficulty in learning English. You suggest that they only speak English in their
home. The parents look confused. When you relay this conversation to the ESL teacher in
your school, she is very upset.

27. You are a 4th grade teacher. You have a friendly boy in your class from the Dominican
Republic. He speaks very little English in the classroom and doesn’t seem to be making
much progress. When you give him directions, he seems to be confused. You are sure he is
putting one over on you by pretending not to understand because you have heard him
speak with the other children on the playground.

28. You are a fourth-grade math teacher. Ayumi is one of the brightest students in your class.
She has been in the country for 2 years and it is obvious her background in math is superb.
She cannot seem to understand the units on fractions. You don’t know what to think.

29. As a reward for good work in your class you give students a packet of 4 pencils with
decorative erasers. Your Japanese students take two and leave two behind.

30. Jean Pierre is a 5th grade student from Haiti. Your class is studying long division. Jean-
Pierre hands in his completed paper in a short time. You are upset because he has not
completed the work. There is no work showing. You think the problem is written
backwards. Maybe the student has a perceptual problem.
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 31. An Egyptian student in your 3rd grade class is a good math student but becomes
disruptive when you teach a math lesson using math manipulatives.

32. You have a new 3rd grade student from Bosnia. During recess time, the child hides under
and bench and cannot be persuaded to come out.

33. You have new sixth grade student from Asia. The student appears to have an attitude from
the first day. Now he is out of his seat fooling around and you’ve just motioned to him to
come over to talk to you. He glares at you and seems even more angry. What happened?

34. As your second-grade class lines up for a field trip, you count your students as you walk
down the line touching each of them on the head. You notice that several students pull
back from you.
In many cultures, it is impolite or unacceptable to touch each other without asking. Next time I am
counting my students, I will not touch them. I should come up with a different way to count my
students like having them count off number by number until they reach the correct number.
Counting my students by pointing at them may also be considered impolite in many cultures, so
this should be avoided as much as possible.

35. You take photographs of your students working in small groups for a Back to School Night.
The grandmother of one of your Chinese students is very upset when she sees your photo
of her granddaughter.

36. You signal “O.K.” by making a “O” with your thumb and forefinger to a student who has
done a good job. Your 8th grade newcomer from Brazil looks very shocked.

This gesture is considered offensive in Brazilian culture, that is why my new student from Brazil is
so shocked. No one would ever do this gesture in Brazil so he is surprised and offended that
someone would do it. It has a negative connotation in Brazil while it has a positive connotation in
the United States. From now on, I will not make this gesture . Instead, I can sign “okay” in
American Sign Language . This is done by forming the letter “O” followed by the signing the
letter “K.” By doing this, I will no longer