02/16/2021 - Week 7: Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom

Visiting an American High School a few years ago, I notice some things that vary from my experience back in Brazil. The books stayed in the classroom after the lecture, and sports were such a big deal. I already had expected some of the things, like changing class constantly, but it didn't shrink my surprise.

I just visited it twice, and I was still confused with so many class changes and new subjects I would never expect in Brazil. Just two days left me confused, and I was not even required to do the homework or participate. So imagine how confusing it must be to an Asian student who just moved to the US. and it is still learning the language must feel on his first day of school.

Cross-cultural students may face confusion or chock not only on the first day but also during a long period of time. No matter if they are immigrants or from an exchange program, teachers and classmates must understand the differences and include them in the class.

An Asian student may not look the teacher in the eye when talked with because in his culture looking in the eyes means defy their authority and would be disrespectful. While on most Western cultures, this means that the student is not paying attention.

There may be habits that they won't be aware of, as they may act differently from you. We need to check their understanding of some principles and help them to adapt to the new environment. Having an understanding friend can be of great help.

This video has some great tips to better interact with cross-cultural individuals that you may want to apply in your classroom:

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