We all have a cultural heritage. It includes our race, ethnicity, native language, and a host of assumptions about life that we learn from our families. English leaners’ cultural identities often differ from that of their teachers and sometimes from many of their classroom peers. So, one of the most important things teachers can do to help their ELs succeed in school is to build a bridge between students’ home and school identities.
The question is…How?
What do you do to build cultural bridges for, and with, your students?
How do you demonstrate that who your students are, culturally, is important?
Read the article that inspired this Discussion – Building a Bridge to Your Classroom.