Cultural Differences In NYC Public Schools

NYC public schools are extremely unique and diverse places. Every student comes from a family who has their own beliefs, values, and traditions. Today, the dominant culture decides what is “normal” or abnormal. The diversity in our schools causes many conflicts and altercations which often have negative impacts on the students, families, and teachers. The school community is part of our dominant culture; therefore, misunderstandings and different beliefs deeply affect parent-professional interactions and communication. Cultural dissonance often arises in these situations, and it is difficult for the parent and or teacher to understand the others culture and beliefs. During my student teacher experience in a 2nd grace ICT class, there was one male student who simply did not like girls. I witnessed several female students cry or became irritated by this particular student quite often. He would exclude the girls from “choice time” on Friday afternoons, exclude girls during recess, and if placed with a girl during group work he would ignore them as if they weren’t in the group at all. One day, he told another student she was stupid and “girls go to Jupiter to get more stupider.” The teachers constantly reprimanded him, …show more content…
The teachers were insisting the child be kind, fair, and unfavorable towards a certain sex, meanwhile the parents do not see an issue in their child’s actions. Every parent has their own values and beliefs on what is right or wrong for their child. On the other hand, every professional also has their own beliefs as to what is necessary to help the child grow, develop, and succeed. Cultural reciprocity helps avoid these conflicts. Being able to understand our own values and than negotiate is necessary when dealing with parents from other cultures. It is important to be equal with them, not