Cultural Competency: Challenging Cultural Differences In The Classroom

An effective leader recognizes that every student is unique. Our students come from different backgrounds and cultures that affect the way they participate in their learning. That leader encourages students to share their cultural and ethnic differences with others. Exploring these differences can lead to better understanding of the student population as a whole and allows educators to build classrooms and school communities that are safe, while fostering great environments for learning. She (or he) also understands all students perform at different ability levels, some students need to be challenged academically and some need increased assistance to reach grade level standards. As an educator, I have continually worked to increase my understanding of how cultural differences can affect learning. Specifically, working with ELL populations and different cultural communities to improve reading and writing in the classroom, educating myself to better understand cultural diversity, supporting students that are at risk of falling below grade level expectations as the Manager of Issaquah School District’s Elementary Summer School program, and

I just completed a course offered through our district called: Cultural Competency: Navigating Cultural Differences in Our Schools and began reading Despite Best Intentions. This past year I have read Our Kids, Building Relationships in the Classroom, Lost at School, and Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew. I feel these are great professional development opportunities that have helped me gain a better understanding of and appreciation for our diverse student populations. As part of my duties as Dean of Students, I manage our building Educational Assistants. I have taken the knowledge that I have gained through these types of courses and my reading and have provided professional development for my EAs that work with these children every