Developmentally Appropriate Teaching Strategies

Developmentally Appropriate Teaching Strategies

SOC 312: Child, Family, & Society

Introduction

The demographics in the United states is changing, classrooms are becoming more diverse and it bring a lot of opportunities for children to learn about different beliefs and cultures. It can prevent lot of challenges for teachers to make sure their practices are appropriate for the children they are going to teach (Klen,2013)

This paper will discuss some of the challenges teacher faces when teaching culturally diverse children. It will also discuss Piaget preoperational stages of development. Finally, it will discuss how teachers use strategies in the classroom.

Challenges to teaching culturally diverse children

Culturally diverse classroom off teachers and students a fantastic opportunity to gain a variety of perspectives and experience it also provides teachers with lots of challenges in making sure the children is taught the correct way. Teachers involves in multicultural education report that they try to show their students as many perspectives as they can. Role playing has proven to be a particularly powerful technique to help students gain understanding of a different culture experience. (Ern web)

According to New York University Steinhardt school (2008) stated that teacher face other challenges. In a culturally diverse classroom. It is becoming knowledgeable about the student cultural background. So, they will have a better understanding of the cultures view on behavior learning styles, and communication. During this process it is important that teachers do no depend on cultural stereotypes and instead get to know their students and their abilities as individuals (Teaching Tolerance, n.d.) Goldstein (2012) stated children from different back ground will have different skills.

Another challenge teacher face when teaching in a diverse culturally class is honoring their culture language. According to per Saravia shore (2008) in the Unites States 9 million children from age 5 to 17 speak a language other than English at their home and over 2 million of them have trouble speaking English.

Symbolic Interaction Theory and the challenges of cultural diversity in the classroom

According to the symbolic interaction perspective, interaction between students and teachers help each develop set of expectations for that student performance both in academic subject.

Symbolic interactions theory relates closely to one of the challenges teacher face with having a culturally diverse classroom. Barkan (2011) states how studies have shown that teachers view on students can affect how they learn. When teachers think a student or cultural group is clever they always spend more time with them, and want them to do well, for that students will receive better results. This example is how teachers cultural bias could attract their approach to teaching and that can have a divert approach on students results, whether the biases are true or not.

Piaget Preoperational stage and the challenges of cultural diversity in the classroom

The preoperational stage is the second stage in Piaget theory of cognitive development and it goes between the ages of 2 to 7. This is the stage that symbolic using symbols. (Bojczyk, Shriner, Shriner 2012).

The key element of the preoperational stage is it relates to cultural diversity in the classrooms. During this stage children develop different attitudes and beliefs and it is influences by the classroom environment, home, and community the child lives in. At this stage of development children are award of cultural differences and this presents teachers with the better opportunity to teach children in a culturally diverse classroom (Bojczyk, Shriner, Shriner 2012).

Addressing the challenges teachers face a culturally diverse classroom

The first challenge talked about understanding our own cultural biases, the New York University Steinhart school (2008) suggested that the teacher see where they fit on the cultural proficiency receptivity scale, which is designed to help with self-reflection. Through self-reflections teacher will be able to identify their own cultural biases in teaching. Then teachers will become aware of themselves as cultural being and they will understand the cultural values of their students (Tyler, Stevens, Ugdah 2009).

The second challenge talks about understanding cultural stereotypes and understanding the unfamiliar cultural background of the children in the classroom. When children do activity where they talk about their background it will be a clever way to find out more about one another and share their information.

The third challenge talks about how being respectful to a child cultural language. Some children were able to speak English language, and some was unable to speak the English language. Teachers can address this issue by learning some of the children cultural language. Dealing with children who do not speak English as their primary language, it is very important for teachers to look at their attitude and behavior to be able to communicate clearly with the child.

Reference

The challenge of Multicultural education (1994) Retrieve From: Ernweb.com/educational-research-articles-the-challenge-of-multicultural-education

Barkan, S. E. (2011). Sociology: Understanding and Changing the World. Creative Commons Licensed Edition, Flat World Knowledge, ca. 2011

Bojczyk, K. E., Shriner, B. M., & Shriner, M. (2012). Supporting children’s socialization: A developmental approach. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc

Tyler, K., Stevens, R., Uqdah, A. (2009). Cultural Bias in Teaching. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/cultural-bias-in-teaching/

Goldstein, D. (2012). An Interview with Lisa Delpit on Educating ‘Other People’s Children’. Retrieved from https://www.thenation.com/article/interview-lisa-delpit-educating-other-peoples-children/