Dubai is home to Expats from all around the world. And the best schools provide education to children from different cultures. In schools with many cultures, it's essential for teachers to have the right skills that allow them not only to connect with students not only diverse racially, but also from different ethical and linguistic backgrounds!
It's essential for students in Emirati schools to understand the differences between student backgrounds, and to bridge the gaps. The teachers themselves should be culturally competent too; only then can they help students become more responsive to other cultures.
The best schools in Dubai are doing an excellent job at ensuring acceptance for cultural diversity and competence. The best American curriculum schools in Dubai use their curricular and co-curricular activities to ensure students become culturally competent! Read on to know how to establish a culturally competent classroom.
Tips for a culturally competent classroom
The UAE is home to people from diverse backgrounds, and there may be cultural acceptance in all spheres. Similarly, it's important for educational institutes to be more accepting of diverse background students, and to allow every student an equal chance. Here’s how to promote a culturally competent classroom:
Allow critical reflection
A significant part of cultural competency is to take into account the cultural assumptions of children. So before going out to create a culturally competent classroom, it is important to ask students about their assumptions. This can help reduce any fallacies and stereotypes others may have about them. A teacher should be culturally responsive and can help shrug off any cultural misconceptions others have.
Teach them to respect everyone
In a classroom that’s dominated by one culture, the students of other cultures may feel scared or daunted, but the teachers can play a massive part in ensuring that students indulge in intercultural communication and create mutual respect between students. This way every one of the students has a platform where they can voice what they have to say.
Take them to the library
A library is an ideal place to take your classroom since it holds stories from all around the world. Include culturally diverse books in the class library and ask students to read something that they're not familiar with. Include the works of numerous authors from different backgrounds to broaden student’s horizons.
Talk about norms!
Talking about cultural norms is often an interesting topic among students! So it's essential to take time out and talk about cultural norms. Ensure inclusion in the discussion. Include discussions about other characters in the books you read. Use the internet to learn more. Examine the differences between the cultures of the characters in the books and your own.
Consider the individual needs of learners!
The best educators not only help their students learn, but they also try to learn more about them. Learning includes listening to them and interacting to develop a critical bond with them. If the students require extra time to interpret what they need to do, the best teachers help them out! Compassion and respect for diversity remain essential aspects that the teachers should show towards their students.
Nurture intercultural communication skills
In a multicultural classroom, intercultural communication remains extremely important. The teachers should not only be open to learning themselves but should also help other students become more comfortable with the different cultures in the classroom.
When students communicate with people from different cultures, they enhance important learning skills such as active listening, explaining, repetition and paraphrasing.
Conclusions
In order for cultural competency to work in classrooms, it should be included in individual-level practices and teaching methodologies. It's essential that teachers and students evaluate their cultural outlooks, clear out their misconceptions, and interact with diverse people!
The best schools tend to focus on multicultural issues, in an attempt to reduce issues between students and to ensure harmony. If you're looking for a culturally competent classroom, opt for the best American curriculum schools in Dubai that ensure that their students possess the required qualities to accommodate diverse backgrounds!
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