Challenges teachers encountered in teaching students from other cultures - this data was collected by Annie Lopez for her dissertation on teaching strategies used by teachers in multicultural settings. The open-ended question asked "What are the challenges in teaching in multi-cultural settings?"

A misconception on their part that they are not understood.

 A black student making fun of a Chinese student's heritage when she didn't get her way.

 A Chinese student dealing with remarks about her parents being Anglo, she gets frustrated explaining about her adoption.

 A black boy who made a comment that there are good black athletes (He was making a
general comment not at anyone in school).

 Acceptance of other students within the classroom just having students get along.

 Acceptance of differences

 Accused of showing favoritism to Whites.

  Acquiring sensitivity to issues affecting students, I have difficulty relating to the

  students with a different culture.

  Adventist lessons which remain culturally biased. School systems which do not provide finding to support current issues or trends in multiculturalism.

 African mother who thought I was prejudiced with her daughter when I discipline her for thesame things I discipline others. Mother came and visited the class and when I asked someoneto pray instead of her daughter, she was hurt. Her daughter had a turn to pray the day before.

Afro-American racism.

  Although the same language is used, the differences in terminology are evident.

 An American Indian child had very limited vocabulary because his parents didn't talk very much at home.

 Appropriateness-non-appropriateness of laughing. The effects of shame-embarrassment for errors.

  As a white male over 40 with some parents, not all, in the Black community, I have been said to be prejudiced when I had to discipline a black student.

 Asian students who are concerned about their success in the course work. They get frustrated
when other groups are not achieving at the same rate.

Asians are more demanding to excel

Associations: Idiomatic (some expressions do not mean the same things in other languages , and some translations give a totally opposite meaning. Usage ( some people use ginger for spice only, I use it for tea as well.

Assuming prejudice is a factor when they are disciplined.

attitudes of students toward tolerance of other races, cultures

Attitudes of parents and students.

Basic comprehension

Difference in the way they act towards other students.

Basically, the racial barrier put up by many Blacks. For some, and they are in a minority,
would not forget slavery and its problems for anything. Many come to school with he idea that every white person is at fault. This part of the past needs to die.

Because of the size of my school and its limited budget, I have to be responsible for purchasing multicultural materials.

Been labeled prejudiced by people before, when it was far from the truth. I was the only Caucasian in my class.

Being called a racist when disciplining other students.

Being a minority (real challenge for Caucasian Americans)

Being aware and providing for those differences.

Being able to relate my teaching skill so as not to offend either cultures.

Being to school on time.

Being able to adapt the curriculum to make it more relevant to them.

Being sensitive to their differences and needs.

Being misunderstood. Having them blame me and my culture for problems which are testable and identified by many sources including individuals of their same race.


Being sensitive to someone's feelings, I am afraid I will offend anyone.

Being aware of the lack of materials to address the multicultural needs of the students.

Being careful not use terms that will hurt their feelings.

Biggest ã vocabulary and general comprehension is very low until around 6th grade and continues to be a problem until parents speak English at home.

Body language differences.

Boys unwilling to help with classroom jobs because in their culture that is women's jobs.

Building on the low academics

Certain cultures don' t want to see other viewpoints at times, only theirs.

Child felt he was picked on because of who he wasãhis background

Child not willing to learn English

Children unable to work at grade level - often don't have reading skills and vocabulary to complete the work.

Children accepting one another's differences.

Children not able to relate to a topic because of lack of prior knowledge.

Children's lack of background in some subject areas.

Communication with Filipino parents seemed one way. They were very polite but said very little.

Comprehension problems.

Conflict with having students to understand other cultures because of different lifestyles and values.

Conflict between culture and behavior.

Convincing students that success in US required knowledge of English.

Convincing them that cultural heritage was valid.


courage to tackle tough things.

Cultural misunderstandings/social cues.

Cultural differences on behavior (eye contact, etc.) And differences in signs of respect, honor, etc.

Culturally related traditions or standards that prevent or hinder a student's compliance with class or school rules and regulations, religious and moral beliefs that might influence the child's behavior when playing with or relating to other children on the playground.

Culture Difference that impacts on learning.

Dealing with parents and their cultural ideas, expectations, acceptance of their children's transition time. Sometimes dealing with my being female to a certain male who find that a cultural problem.

Dealing with parents (communicating in a way not to offend them.)

Dealing with differing attitudes toward the value of education have participation in varying gender attitudes, acceptability of aggression in conflict resolution.


Dealing with learning disabilities in another language.

Dealing with the lack of motivation on the part of some Native American students.

Dealing with my own stereotype that Asian students have a stronger intrinsic desire to excel and then having these students underachieve instead.

Dealing with the bias I had and others had.

Dealing with the differences of students and parents.

Dealing with discipline differences. Knowing how to relate their culture to what they are learning.

Dealing with fights against each other culture.

Desire to help the students function within their present cultural environment.

Dialect Differences. Acceptance of strange customs. Dealing with superiority complex

Differences in importance of academic vs inter and intra personal development.


Differences in volume of tone and expression

Differences in the concepts of maleãfemale relationships, more use fund raising different awareness of room quiet levels, voice levels, more laid back attitude. Adjustment to this culture

Different levels of motivation

Different cultures react to certain situations in specific ways which if not understood can cause misunderstandings.

Different Learning styles.

Different methods in Math the children were taught in.

Different style of communication. What may seem aggressive to me, may not seem aggressive to them.

Different values regarding girl/boy relationships

Different ways of thinking. Indifference about other countries and cultures. They think the world revolves around them.

Different ways of discipline.

Differing expectations on part of parents.

Differing family religious standards, values, and expectations.

Differing interpretations of instructions.

Differing attitudes on part of students.

Difficulty with students having a firm grasp on English to do their work.

disciplinary methods.

Discipline, especially those that spoke Spanish and I could not understand what they were saying.

Discipline differences.

Doing different things that enhance the classroom environment without causing disharmony.


Educational expectations.

English skills are poor.

enough time for one on one with an urgent need of a child.

Ensuring all felt comfortable in my classroom.

ESL students have a hard time knowing how to use words in the right order when speaking. Their exposure to the spoken language is very limited so they have a difficult time compared to their English speaking peers.

ESL students, making a different program for them.

ESL students have a hard time keeping up in lectures sometimes because of the speed of the class and also because parenting skills, and techniques of studying are different.

ethics, standards

Ethnic pride in the expense of other ethnic groups.

Ethnically some students are not academically ready for the work in 3rd or 4th grade. African Americans are slow.

Ethnocentrism of cultures. Segregation within the classroom.

Expectation of (Asian) parents that I'm not demanding enough from their children.

Expectation of (Latino) parents that I'm demanding too much from their children.

Expectations that teacher is the sole authority

Exposure to sports that Americans play

Extending the day, time.

Families move so much, difficult for their children's learning.

Family practices and backgrounds.

Fear of difference felt by students


Felt that some students had a chip on their shoulder concerning life, society, authority and that we were out to make his/her life miserable.

Find systematic ways to include other languages in my educational daily schedule.

Finding teaching styles that reach all students, and finding examples that each culture can relate to.

Finding materials and books at all my students levels.

Finding examples of experiences that my students could relate to in order to enhance their learning experiences.

Finding people in the community from other cultures to visit the classroom.

Finding Christian balance in cultural understanding.

foods, diet difficulties

For the past two years, I have had Spanish only speakers in my classroom. As I speak Spanish myself, it hasn't been a problem for me. But other students have trouble relating to a student that they can't communicate with. I've also had difficulties in having to translate all materials, all conversations, and all curriculum. It has felt like I am teaching two distinct classes. Fortunately as the other students learned English this double class situation feeling is lessened.

Getting to understand sometimes why all cultures are equally important

Getting students to understand and accept students of other cultures.

Getting across abstract concepts.

Getting used to the way Caucasians respond to adults. They answer with words like Awhat and Ayep It seems disrespectful to me but that's just the way Caucasians have trained their children.

Getting children to see that we are all the same, we just don't speak the same language.

Getting other teachers to be understanding and accepting

Guiding to students to recognize differences as something to appreciate and understand.

Hard to get materials featuring all the diverse and numerous backgrounds to represent them all.

Hard to find aides and helps for units


Having students understand certain concepts when it isn't present in their culture. Also dealing within negative stereotypes in textbooks as well as other material

Having to use a translator for Parent/teacher conferences (Hispanic)

Having to adapt a lesson to suit the needs of all students.

Helping students maintain self-esteem as they have language and cultural experiences that are different from their background.

Helping deal with social misconceptions

Helping the students get along and working well together.

Helping students understand characteristics as personal identity, my biggest culture gap is not by ethnicity but rather religious rearing.

Helping them increase their English vocabularies, and be able to work on grade level.

Here are some areas where adjustments and compensation have been needed: Concept of time, method of showing respect, language and grasp of English, approaches to learning and personality.

High energy students, more vocal them their peers. With some parents the attitude that correcting their child had racial overtones.

Hispanic males, and Black males, don't achieve as well as their female counterparts.

Holidays important to cultures

honesty issues

Hostility, withdrawal

How not to offend racial differences.

How they relate to my own background and culture. Understanding the significance of expressions and or behaviors as reflecting either personal or cultural preferences.



I teach in the Woodland Cree Natives from the ----------- Reserve. There is delinquency in attendance, apathy of parents, heartache of dealing with suicides, drugs, abuses on a daily basis. Language very filthy. These are a predominantly visual people and do poorly in auditory skills. Teaching phonics is a challenge.

I have not had enough information on the expectations that various cultures have in terms of education and educating their child. I have not been able to fully identify if the child's non verbal communication is due to a lack of respect, or if that child does not understand me fully.

I encounter pronunciation problems with the black students. They also have problems writing correctly for language arts and other classes.

I have to be careful not to offend.

I have some students who think that I don't understand them because they are different from me. They feel I should let them act differently from other students.

I have difficulty finding material appealing to various races and cultures that would apply to the curriculum that I was required to teach.

I haven't experienced any challenge other than the Language barrier

I don't believe the challenges I meet are due to cultural differences.

I am experiencing that for Korean students, they know their Math facts, they spell well, they read any word, but the challenge is comprehension, following directions and abstract thinking.

I try to use multicultural stories of various ethnic groups, but I run out of ideas.


I believe that understanding different learning styles more prevalent in different cultures has been a challenge for me.

I left one school after only 1 year because of the problems stemming from trying to cope with parental influence and input..

Idea that they have to memorize the answers, idea that they already know it, idea that it's not wrong to cheat, only wrong if caught.

If I knew more about culture, what drives them and makes them tick would make me for effective.

Importance of education in general

Impossibility of getting more aides, no dollars.


In dealing with the parents women in some cultures hold no position in society. This comes through in dealing with the father and his attitude towards me.

In the American Indian school, my main challenge is to building self-esteem in these children. They believe they are an inferior people. We hope to help them change this belief and reach their potential.

In a culturally diverse classroom, some cultures tend to push their students harder than others. Other parents would rather not have their students pushed as hard. Thus, homework becomes a ticklish issue, since to assign a customized plan to each of my students would be overwhelming to them. I have 24 students, four of which are not considered minority. I have had some racial tension though it often springs up between my Mexican and Black students. I have little or no problem with my South American students. Additionally, my students tend to be highly vocal and somewhat rambunctious. My classroom is comprised of well-to-do minorities predominantly black and Hispanic, and are quick to blow up and just as quick to cool down thus discipline tactics need to be different.

Inability to communicate in another language is my greatest challenge.

Inability to write in English.

Inability of parents to accept their child's actual achievement. Concern of parents that in the multicultural classroom their child isn't getting a fair deal... lowering expectations. Too much time spent dealing with interrelationship problems ' decrease in academic performance.

Incorporating all the cultures in the curriculum and finding literature on those cultures.

Interpersonal/ cultural differences.

Invite influential people from other cultures to the school for a general assembly and have them talk to students and show them that not only Americans can be successful.

It is difficult to motivate parents of many Latino students in the inner city to urge their children to strive for excellence.

Judgmental and closed-minded students to accept other cultures.

Knowing the accepted behavior from other cultures.

Knowing what issues are sensitive to them. Understanding how they feel.

Knowing and observing mores of various groups, preventing animosities and strife between various ethnic groups.

Knowing the best way to reach each of them individually.

Knowing what customs are appropriate for that culture group.

Knowing what holidays are important to each culture.

Knowing what methods are successful

Knowing how, what to present as well as validity of resources.

Knowing how to reach each child at his point of need.

Korean students are frequently disciplined severely for lower grades. They are held to a different standards by the parents.

Korean father was dominating dictator of family with low regard for females. Maybe it was cultural, I don't know.

Lack of teaching strategies to help the child

Lack of interest in assignments.

Lack of academic skills.

Lack of role models in our schools.

Lack of room to have teaching aids organized, and room to move about.

Lack of available materials, most small schools do not have adequate library materials.

Lack of experience with other cultures.

Lack of understanding how to teach to diverse needs.

Lack of motivation, differences in cultural expectations, and lack of family support for the student (academically).

Lack of pictures in textbooks depicting multi cultures and handicapped (challenged) individuals.


Language barrier of parents in communicating progress reports

Language barriers and some math computation styles are different to others.

Language fluency is sometimes a problem.


Language differences causes problems communicating especially during parent/teacher conferences.


Last year I taught in a classroom of mainly Spanish speaking 5th graders. Much of the material I had to work with was written for students proficient in the English Language. I was challenging to provide students with more than the basics.

Learning their culture & their language and difference

Learning Spanish is a challenge for me.

Learning another language on part of both teacher and student.

Learning the structure of their language and the effect it has on the learning process.

Learning about and understanding their background without sounding ignorant and stereotyping

Learning about differences in learning styles. Having students work in cooperative situations.

Learning disabilities.

Learning how to cope with the different cultures in the classroom.

Learning styles

Life experiences of some of my students make it difficult to discuss certain subjects. They've never experienced some of the places or things to be discussed.

Limited resources

low self-esteem

Mainly understanding cultural courtesies.

Mainly prior knowledge-understanding what they know or don't know- experiences.

Making everyone feel accepted and wanted.

Making students realize that when speaking to them about some interpersonal relationship skills I only want to help keep a peaceful atmosphere, and not to stir up racial feelings.

Making sure that I am sensitive to the particular needs of an ethnic group and not making the children feel uncomfortable or unappreciated.

Making sure I am sensitive to their feelings.

Making sure that all my students are treated with respect.

Management (noise levels seem to be higher with Afro-Americans and Hispanic students.)


Many times I have had parents of black students bring up racial prejudice as a factor when discussing problems relating to their child. Not as relate to me, by the teacher or principal but from other students.

Meanings of words and expression vary greatly, traditions are very different.

Meeting the expectations of parents for their children

Mexican people seem to spoil their children worse than some other cultures.

Mindsets and lifestyle.

Misinterpretation of words and phrases

misunderstanding instructions


Misunderstanding your intent.

Misunderstanding body language.

Misunderstandings resulting from a lack of knowledge about other cultures.

Most challenges have been with parents, being accused of racism, when I wouldn't change a grade from S+ to E-. Being asked to submit lesson plans to parents. And being identified as black by students.

Most students I have now come from culturally mixed home, so it's hard to know what to expect from each parent.

Most students have poor reading skills.

Motivating learning

Motivating some students have been very difficult.

motivation, lack of home encouragement, special Ed needs, alcohol syndrome, no stability or continuity in their curriculum ( they move from school to school)


Multi-cultural ideas running out

Multicultural materials usually inconsistent with ________ beliefs

My problems relate to universal issues in which culture plays little if any part.

My biggest problem is disciplining students. Afro-American students did not accept discipline without reading prejudice into it.

My own lack of understanding of other cultures particularly at first.

My student population was mostly Hispanics, my challenge is to teach them tolerance, respect and openness towards other people in the US.

My Mexican _______ students go ballistic if they think someone is celebrating Halloween because it is pagan. My Black students sometimes think they are misunderstood by their whit teachers because their color.

Navajos have difficulty learning to read and pronounce the letter sounds correctly. They are very shy and don't want to be involved.

Need to spend one on one time as needed. Teacher has to prepare the materials

Ninth graders turning every disciplinary measure into a racial accusation.

No exposure to common objects displayed in textbooks.

No sufficient materials available to help with presentations.

No difficulties or challenges because I relate well with them.

Not enough resources.

Not being recognized as a profession, suggestions not followed

Not accepting someone who is different and befriending them.

Not knowing family customs and language.

Not being able to communicate effectively with he parents The students spoke and understood English well enough but the parents couldn't.

Not initially understanding enough about their culture to help them thrive.

Not enough time to work with students on an individual basis

Not enough personal knowledge about the cultures.

Not knowing what is taboo in other cultures.

Occasionally a problem will arise between several students and it may be interpreted racially. Often I feel it's more personality conflict and not racially motivated. Occasionally parents who disagree with my position with regards to their child's behavior will accuse me of racism. Once again in my opinion, I feel their assessment is incorrect.

One cultural group feeling they are more superior than other groups.


One time an African-American parent thought I was over emphasizing racial differences because I talked about Martin Luther King Jr.

One of the largest challenges I have had in the past has been the language. Students come to school knowing very little to none English.

Other children making fun

Overcoming the language barrier.

Overcoming insufficient knowledge of English language among non-English speaking cultures.

Paranoid parents who believe students from other ethnic backgrounds are being treated differently

Parent expectations regarding some values from their culture. Too aggressive or not aggressive enough on the part of the students.

Parental involvement in home work assignments

Parental prejudice

Parental interpretation of classroom activities, discipline and humor.

Parents push their children beyond what should be expected for their age. Punish them severely if they don't live up to expectations.

Parents who assume I will treat their child differently because they are not white.

Parents are illiterate in their own native language. The children are lacking in language development. It is also difficult to communicate through an interpreter.

Parents believing we are treating their children in a different way because they are from a different country.

Parents having different opinions on what is expected of the child.

Parents who attribute racism to every conflict disciplinary issues.

Parents concern that I am sensitive to their child's heritage.

Parents of students from other cultures concerned about their child's grades rather than if they understand issues and world views. Grade point average is more important along with receiving a high paying job when they're out of school than issues in multiculturalism.

Parents unable to assist their students with assignments.

Parents' lack of trust and cooperation.


Parent's expectations that children need homework every night.

Poor background in other cultures.

Poor learning skills and habits.

Prejudice or assumed prejudice

Preset idea that all whites are out to get anyone who isn't.

Problems in teaching reading with phonics and vocabulary development. Lack of experiences on the part of the students.

Problems with behaviors in class. The clashed with each other. Some said they were better than others.

Providing the ethnic students with the tools they need to succeed in today's information age.

Racial prejudice being blamed for every problem that turns up, in reference to Afro american students. Their parents blame other students, other parents, other staff members for being racially prejudiced against blacks whenever there is a problem stemming from any cause.

Racism from Blacks (mostly their uninformed parents).

Racism: I found more problems with blacks ganging together.

Reaching them in the ways of their culture. Teaching them cross cultural values, that apply to all cultures.

Recognizing their perceptions because of their upbringing. I am learning the hard way.

Recognizing ways of dealing with problem solving.

Relating lessons to their previous experience

Remembering that students are having a different environment as they grow when comparing to mine, so I must adjust my own thinking.

Saying things in such a way as not to offend anyone when issues in history come up.

Self-worth of students

Social interaction differences: example: laugh at things said, students an teacher felt they were laughed at but showing embarrassment for student.

Social differences

Social expression, discipline, and language

Some feel picked on when reprimanded.

Some students make comments about their hair, style of clothing, and food they bring in their lunches. Hurt feelings surface.

Some cultures solve problems by arguing and physically fighting.

Some children are very vocal.


Some Eskimo students had almost no training in education even in the fifth grade. Navajo students don't try much of the time and are frequently 5 grades or more off on their skills.

Some people have closed minds and they believe that there is only one culture in the world and everyone must fit into that culture.

Some people have a problem with me just because I am Caucasian.

Some of the challenges stem from students who are not accepting of others who are different.

Some students don't see the need of obtaining education.

Sometimes dealing with social acceptance

Sometimes discipline procedures in other cultures are different than what I use, can conflict.

Sometimes the student isn't as much as informed of their own cultural background and end up telling the rest of the class they're different but don't know why. This can cause misunderstanding among the students. It's important that parents tell their children about their culture and heritage.

Somewhat less of a rapport with different cultures.

Speaking Spanish- I've taken 18 hours of Spanish at the local community college.

Spelling and Reading deficiencies

Stereotypes of community words like _______

Strong home attitudes, students are unresponsive to world awareness and acceptance of diversity.

Structuring instruction to accommodate differing skill levels as a result of differing educational skills and backgrounds.

Student not knowing the language.

Students who do not want to obey, have laid back parents.


Students were more involved in homes with high rates of divorce and crime, and Anglo population has caught up with high rates almost.

Students who could not understand directions because they don't speak English

Students often form cliques of only those in their culture. Oriental males are often disrespectful of their female classmates. Black students often jive-talk and use words unacceptable in a Christian school.

Students misunderstanding one another. Forming ethnic groups within the school.

Students understanding my expectations. Students resistance to new methods of learning and teaching styles.

Students making unkind comments about others looks, accents, clothing, etc.

Subject verb agreement is difficult to master for the Vietnamese children in my class.

Suspicion that I could not understand and appreciate their culture.

Teaching students to be kind to others outside of their race.

Teaching right from wrong values.

Teaching English grammar to students who come from environments that encourage slang or regional dialects.

Teaching reading

Teaching respectfulness and tolerance for others different from them.

Teaching students from another culture is a challenge, we must be careful not to offend students when using examples or illustrations.

Teaching tolerance of others' differences

Teaching religion

Teasing by students of other cultures.

Tendency for families of African American students to assume that any incident stems from a racial motive.

Tension between the whites and the blacks. Whites did not allow any one from the black to be on the school board. The whites did everything possible to get every black student to leave the school. Unfortunately this year there is no black student in the school.



The only challenge I had was that not all cultures celebrate Christmas.

The challenge come when students insist on remaining separate rather than allowing themselves to become a part of the group.

The challenges involved helping Spanish background students learn English grammar.

The child explains things totally different to the parents. I find it hard to deal with Hispanic parents.

The varying degrees of value students/parents place on matters like time and responsibility.

The need for a lot of individualized help.

The level of respect I receive is often different from different cultures. Some levels are low, others are high. Students saying a teacher is racist when they are not. They use this term for everything. Understanding their habits, their parents' actions, intentions, expectations, etc.

The biggest challenge was motivation.

The lack of materials in textbooks to bring out the contributions of different groups to US history.

The language barrier is the most difficult to deal with in regards to reading, writing papers, etc.

The role of man is more important.

The attitude of unfairness, prejudice at the slightest enforcement of the rules of discipline.

The expectation and participation from the parents. I believe parent, teacher and students are to work as a team in the child's education. Parent involvement

The process of assimilation

The attitude problem among many African American students which is now popularly and mistakenly labeled as just a part of their culture.

The fear of the student that I might use his/ her culture against him or her.


The American culture is different from mine. I have difficulty getting used to their attitudes, and can't understand how much tv they watch.

The challenge of my own limitations is great. I often make wrong assumptions on how much background knowledge multicultural students bring into the classroom.

The way different cultures are affected by disagreements.

The differences in need to excel at all costs.

Their willingness to accept me as their (white ) teacher. Many feel that I couldn't understand their problems

Their concept of how and purpose of education and the educator were not what any book could prepare you for, or teach you how to deal with.

Their assuming prejudice.

Their perception of prejudice on my part.

Their attitudes toward the role of a woman.

Their odor and manner of speaking.

There aren't units prepared or available for the different cultural groups in my class. For example, Filipino culture.

There are some African Americans who are convinced that they need special treatment due to our nation's past.

These students seem to fall behind in all other subjects as well.

They don't always understand things, at some point, it is hard to think of another way to say something to make it understandable.

They thought I didn't like certain things because of my culture.

They wanted to be treated better than everyone else. It was a A no win situation!

They travel to their countries of origin for extensive periods during the school year, they tend to be cliquish and stick to their own culture.


To make students realize it is not the culture that is the enemy it is themselves. Anyone has the ability to rise above cultural differences, some may have to work harder than others.

Too intense / afraid of failure

Too much pressure placed on students by parents.


Trying to get students from other countries to participate in some of our American traditions without making our traditions such as flag salute seem more important than that of their country.


understanding them as far as language was concerned.

understanding personality

Understanding student's responses as they relate to their experiences.

Understanding why they react the way they do. Knowing what was the mind set of the culture in general would have helped to understand why the children behaved the way they did.

Understanding colloquialisms, frame of reference,

Understanding the home environment better and their importance ; working on homework and where they fell school fits into the big picture.

Understanding family structure

Understanding how they feel about certain issues, customs, understanding their loyalties to customs and ideals that seem to have little logic or reason.

Understanding the jealousy and discontent with other students against other students because of race.

Understanding their different ways of doing things.

Understanding their motivation.

Understanding their frame of reference

Understanding instruction and activities.

Understanding body language, eye contact, motivation

Understanding their parents, their accents and their expectations.

Understanding physical activity that these students would really get into.

Understanding the relationship between students and their families & the difference in the perception of rules and importance of the teacher in society.

Understanding culture and values without offending anyone in anyway. Helping students affirm their heritage without confirming something that is not good.

Understanding and relating to their value systems.

Understanding differences in various cultures and making subject matter meaningful to these students. Being tolerant of behaviors that differ from our cultural background.

Understanding each other's thought processes

Understanding the parents' value systems and how to keep communicating effectively the educational needs of the children.

Understanding where they come from and how family and guardians see life and transmit that to their children.

Understanding family structure, attitudes and expectations of education.

Understanding speech because of their accent.

Understanding the background and mentality of another culture.

Understanding parental child relationship

Understanding the different home standards.

Understanding the way they see things.

Understanding their perspectives based on cultural effects on their homes. Understanding or knowing about important things in their culture. Behavior problems or perceived problems based on mere differences from Anglo culture.

Understanding what another culture exhibits.

Understanding social etiquette.

Understanding someone's viewpoint and reaching them in a meaningful way. Help them to be understanding and tolerant of those who are different.

Unfamiliarity with traditional American cultural items.

Unfamiliarity with English

upbringing, social differences, different levels of cultural awareness

Using terms or expressions of speech they do not understand.

Using text books that are designed for students familiar with American A culture with students who are not familiar.

Using race as an excuse to not work.

Varied interpretations of my voice level on disciplinary tactics, different emphasis placed on individual vs. Family.

Various cultures expect various teaching strategies in my classroom. Some expect little work with little or no teacher assistance. Others expect little work with the teacher guiding every step. I have noticed that the above also applies to various socio-economic levels as well.

Vocabulary needs to be taught in almost every subject.

Vocabulary development, sentence structures/ patterns. Some cultures do not necessarily want to assimilate into American culture.

We have 90% Asian/ and Middle east people who wear a lot of expensive Jewelry for religious purposes.

Weak backgrounds of students who have been poorly motivated or even not attended school

What is acceptable in behavior of children in various cultures, ways that different cultures learn.

When behaviors due to their perceptions of the world or how they are treated crop up I try as hard as possible to reflect God's love. Trying hard not to tolerate prejudice. I try very hard to help each child get treated with respect, honesty, and trust.

When Black history was emphasized, all of a sudden the other children looked differently and acted superior to the other black students.

When discipline is necessary not having it become a racial issue. Keeping those lines of demarcation.

When I teach Phonics to Spanish speaking students some of the consonant sounds are difficult for them to say.

Whites being prejudices against my other students.

Whites are more sensitive than Blacks. Harsh tones offend White more than the Blacks.

Willingness to change ideas of concepts

With the students here the problems is mostly poor vocabulary and reading ability.

Word connotations, taboos and cultural perspectives foreign to me or my experience.

Working up to speed.

Working and reading in one language, thinking in another.

Worrying about offending when reading stories containing info about their culture.

Worrying about taking a stand on sensitive issues, example: illegal aliens

Machoism in Hispanic boys