# data[].attributes.body
In this blog, a teacher reflects on her experience to provide tips for becoming a more culturally responsive educator, including steps that can be taken to embrace the cultures of all students and build a sense of belonging in the classroom for all learners. This resource provides an explanation of culturally responsive teaching and several strategies to promote inclusion, specifically regarding the physical environment (setup) of the classroom.

Age Group: Grades PreK-12

Why I Chose This Strategy: Culturally responsive teaching depends on a learning environment that affirms our students and helps them feel included, validated, valued, and safe. An important aspect of this is the setup of the classroom which should include materials, displays, bulletin boards, and any other decor that accurately reflect diversity - such as people of different races, ethnicities, religions, and those with disabilities. There should be different languages and countries displayed and holidays/special events of various cultures should be acknowledged.

Source Citation: Marshall, T. G. (2022, February 3). How to Build a Culturally Responsive Classroom. TeacherVision. https://www.teachervision.com/blog/morning-announcements/how-to-build-a-culturally-responsive-classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I remember it like it was yesterday.

As I set up my Black History Month bulletin board, one of my precious students walked by and asked:

"Is this just for Black people?"

I could see the look in his eyes. A look of fear mixed with a lot of curiosity and a little sadness. His simple question brought tears to my eyes.

My response: Of course not. This is a celebration for all people.

This incident heightened my awareness of the importance to include all cultures in my class, but it goes beyond just mentioning other cultures.

Culturally responsive teaching is about embracing all cultures of students and building a sense of belonging in my classroom for all learners.

What is Culturally Responsive Teaching?

Culturally responsive teaching goes beyond just racial ethnicity. It is a set of intentional teaching methods, lesson plans, activities, and attitudes that include students from diverse backgrounds equally.

Helping students to connect learning to their own backgrounds continues to be one of the top ways to engage all learners.

So how can teachers build a more culturally responsive classroom? The tips below feature strategies for becoming a more culturally responsive teacher.

"Culturally responsive teaching is about embracing all cultures of students and building a sense of belonging in my classroom for all learners."

Showcase Learning Materials that Promote Diversity

The first way for teachers to build more culturally responsive classrooms is to showcase diversity through all aspects of learning.

Promoting diversity through the learning materials in your classroom shows that you are aware of who is in your room. This makes students feel important and included.

Take a tour of your classroom. Notice the following:

Library Books - are all of the characters the same race, culture or gender? Do you feature a diverse selection of cultures in your classroom library?

Bulletin Boards - do these reflect your students' work and cultural significance?

Posters & Other Pictures - are these a reflection of the diversity in our world today?

Students are visual learners. They notice even the clipart on worksheets that we give them!

One way to build a more culturally responsive classroom is to have learning materials and even class décor that reflects a multicultural presence.

Hightlight Holidays and Special Events That Appeal to All Learners

The second way teachers can build a culturally responsive classroom is to highlight holidays and special events consistently. Whether nationally recognized or not, holidays and special events offer great opportunities to infuse cultural significance in the classroom. These special events do not have to subtract from your objectives and learning standards. In fact, include your standards with the cultural celebration.

For example, I love small group rotations and literacy centers in my classroom. Each month, I feature at least one learning center that promotes traditions and holidays of different cultures.

For these centers, students are still completing activities that are aligned with our learning standards. However, they are also gaining information about different cultures.

There are so many ways to highlight holidays and special events in the classroom!

The goal is to find ways to include students' culture in all aspects of learning.

Make Cultural Education Mandatory, Yet Fun

If cultural responsiveness is treated as an option, it will become easy to dismiss. It is key to be intentional about multicultural education.

Make it a non-negotiable for your teaching

Yet, multicultural learning should not be treated as a chore or obligation. A teacher's attitude towards cross-cultural teaching is a key way to build positive cultural responsiveness.

Our attitudes impact emotions, and emotions can influence student motivation.

Promoting all aspects of a child's culture should be a fun and uplifting experience, which creates a safe learning environment.

Here are a few ways to make cultural education fun:

Field trips that engage with cultural learning outside of the classroom.

Accodomations and modifications that build equity.

Bringing in diverse guest speakers.

Inviting parent collaboration with classroom events and holidays.

Make your students' experiences of diverse cultural activities in the classroom consistent and fun.

Include Student Perspectives & Values in the Learning Experience

When students feel a sense of connection and belonging, they tend to be more involved in their own learning.

One key way to help students feel connected is to include their perspectives and values in the learning experience. This step to being more culturally responsive is simple yet yields powerful results in the classroom.

Ask students for book and music recommendations. Then be sure to include those ideas somehow in the classroom if they are appropriate for the lesson or activity.

Learn to accurately pronounce all students' names. Look for worksheets that allow editing to include names that reflect various cultures.

During parent night or open house, find ways to gather information about any cultural sensitivities of students that will be important to note throughout the school year.

Bonus Tip & Disclaimer about Student Inclusion

As you seek to include student perspectives and values in the classroom, be careful not to put students on the spot in uncomfortable ways.

One thing to avoid is asking a student (in the middle of a class discussion or lesson) to speak on behalf of their entire race or ethnic group.
Ex: "So, Hernando, how do your people feel about this issue?"
This assumes that every single person of a cultural group is exactly the same. Not only is this offensive but it's counterproductive to learning. Furthermore, it may cause students to feel isolated based on their race or culture.

Including student perspectives and values in the learning process can build community and make the classroom a safe place to learn.

"One key way to help students feel connected is to include their perspectives and values in the learning experience. This step to being more culturally responsive is simple yet yields powerful results in the classroom."

Avoid Making Judgements & Cultural Comparisons

Teachers can build a more culturally responsive classroom is to eliminate making cultural comparisons. It is dangerous to highlight one culture as being better than another. Classifying certain traditions as right or wrong, better or worse, can provoke anger and hurt. It is also important for teachers to be aware of their own cultural identity and how it impacts others.

Must-Have Resources & Tips on Culturally Responsive Teaching

Building a culturally responsive classroom can cause amazing growth in student learning.

It can also lead to more positive student behavior and classroom community.

Here are additional resources to continue growing as a culturally competent teacher.

How do you build a culturally responsive classroom? Share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Author Bio:
Tanya G. Marshall is a busy mama to a bouncy and bright little boy named Caleb. She is also a teacher, blogger for The Butterfly Teacher, and curriculum designer for her Teachers Pay Teachers store. When she isn't doing these things, she is somewhere eating good food, reading a good book, or having a good time with family and friends! Her favorite phrase comes from Pete the Cat: "It's all good!" Be sure to connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Build a Culturally Responsive Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I remember it like it was yesterday. As I set up my Black History Month bulletin board, one of my precious students walked by and asked: "Is this just for Black people?" I could see the look in his eyes. A look of fear mixed with a lot of curiosity and a little sadness.

# data[].attributes.body
This website provides a description of cooperative learning and its components as well as examples of cooperative teaching strategies. There is also a link to The Peace First Digital Activity Center, a resource that allows teachers to generate cooperative games paired with skill building, and download complete PDFs of rules, purpose, skills, materials, and directions for each activity.

Age Group: This strategy can be used with students in grades K-12 depending on the selected activity.

Why I Chose This Strategy: Cooperative techniques can help eliminate stereotypes and reduce bias. Working together toward completing a task opens lines of communication between group members regardless of race, sex, age, or religion.

Source Citation: Zezima, A. (2017, October 10). Best Practice Classroom Activities for Improving Students’ Cooperative Skills. SCSD Behavior Matters. https://scsdbehaviormatters.weebly.com/blog/best-practice-classroom-activities-for-improving-students-cooperative-skills

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Some children experience more challenges than others when they enter a school environment. Cooperative learning strategies have been developed to help children overcome educational barriers by improving skills in their social-emotional learning (Mitchell, 2008). Cooperative learning which includes play and activities, are a best practice intervention strategy to improve engagement and accessibility to academic goals to benefit them later in life (Mitchell, 2008).
​
Cooperative learning comprises of academic and social learning experiences within the classroom, where students are taught to complete tasks as a collective group towards a common goal. Cooperative learning is said to promote positive interpersonal relations, produce motivation to learn and enhance self-esteem (Creighton & Szymkowiak, 2014). They support positive social outcomes including positive inter-group relations and the ability to work collaboratively with others as a team (Horner, Carr, Strain, Todd & Reed, 2002).

Maintaining social competence allows students to achieve a balance between meeting their own needs while maintaining positive relations with others. Learning cooperative behaviors enables students to negotiate with others, have creative problem solving strategies and value each person within the group (Creighton & Szymkowiak, 2014).
​

1. Individual accountability to maintain student responsibility and appropriate behavior

2. Engagement and outcomes

3. Positive interdependence relating to each group member learning to depend on the rest of the group while working with others to complete the task

4. Positive face to face interactions involved with listening, encouraging shared decision making, personal responsibilities and teaching how to give and receive feedback

5. Group processing to allow time for the team to discuss how well the group achieved their goal and maintained an effective working relationship

​When teaching academic and/or behavior expectations, teachers can use the platform of cooperative learning strategies. This can be used as a class wide intervention or strategy used on students ISP's or ISP-B's. A large portion of behavior difficulties are a result of lagging skills. The website below targets cooperative learning activities to support growth in lagging skills.
​

The Peace First Digital Activity Center is a great resource that allows teachers to generate cooperative games paired with skill building, and download complete PDFs of rules, purpose, skills, materials, directions and debrief for each activity.

Choices can be filtered by:

Skill: Communication, conflict resolution, cooperation and empathy.

Grade: Early Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle/High School.

Theme: Civic engagement, compassion, courage, feelings, friendship, inclusion/exclusion, taking a stand.

Below are effective strategies that can conveniently teach important behavioral lessons without taking time away from academic instruction.

Think-Pair-Share
Also called turn & talk. Teacher poses a question to the group, and each student has a minute or two to think about the question. Then, they turn and discuss with someone sitting next to them, and then share with the whole class (Teed, McDarvis, Roseth, n.d.).

This is a useful cooperative learning strategy because it engages all students in their learning and it can be done quickly during almost any lesson.

Jigsaw
Students are placed into "home groups" and "expert groups" and are each assigned a different topic within the same general topic. Students work on researching their topics with others who have the same topic (their expert group) and then return back to their home group to teach them about their topic. Together, all the pieces come together to form a complete product (Reading Rockets, 2015).

This is useful in that it helps to get students engage with one another and hold them accountable for their learning. It is truly cooperative in that every student needs to put work in so that all group members become informed on the topics. This can be used across content areas and with a variety of topics, allowing students to become the teachers.

Numbered Heads Together
Students are placed into groups and given a number in their group. Students are asked a question and discuss it with their group members. When time is up, the teacher calls a number and all students with that number stand up and take turns sharing what they discussed in their groups. The students are able to build on and connect similar ideas among the groups and broaden the conversation. (Colorado, 2015).

This strategy is useful because it allows students to discuss in small groups before going into a whole class discussion. Additionally, it makes it so all students have to contribute and listen to the conversation, so they have something to share if their number gets called. It helps to get each student engaged and involved in their learning.

Tea Party
Students form two circles facing each other (one inner circle and one outer circle). The students are given a question and they are to discuss the the question with the student they are facing. The students on the outer circle moves in one direction, so they have a new partner to discuss with. Another question is asked, and more discussion is created with a new partner (Colorado, 2015).

This strategy is useful because not only does it allow for all students to get a chance and share with another student, but additionally, it allows for students to work together to come up with a solution. If a student isn't talking, sharing, or discussing, then they are losing valuable learning time. It is important for the teacher to be circulating to ensure that engaging conversations are occurring, and prompting those who need extra support.

Round Robin
Students are sitting with groups (3-4 students), and they teacher asks them a question or gives them a problem to solve. The questions or problems are deliberating chosen, in that there are multiple ways to solve the problem and multiple points for discussion. Students in their groups take turns answer and sharing their ideas with each other, working together to come up with an answer that they all agree on (Colorado, 2015).

This strategy is important because it gives students the opportunity to work together to solve a goal or come to a joint understanding. It requires the participation of each student in the group, and ensures that students are sharing their ideas. During this activity, students work on taking turns, supporting one another, and sharing their ideas.

Write Around
Students are placed in groups with 3-4 students and the teacher gives each group a topic or idea. Once again, it is important for the topic/idea to have multiple answers or understandings. Students take turns writing their response to the question or idea on a piece of paper, shared by the group. After a certain amount of time, the teacher tells the students to pass the paper to the next group member, who then takes the time to read over what the other group member wrote and add to it, explain it further, or clarify what was written. The process repeats throughout the group (Colorado, 2015).

This strategy is useful in that it allows for all students to demonstrate their contribution and knowledge surrounding an area or a topic. It necessitates that students are paying attention to what their group members are writing, and helping one another by adding on or clarifying their ideas. This helps to ensure that each student is learning and contributing to the group's ideas to come to a complete understanding.

Carousel
In this activity, students are broken into groups of 3-4 and the teacher places chart paper around the room with different questions on them, related to a certain topic. This lesson can be done before starting a new unit to activate prior knowledge, during the unit, or at the end of review. Each group starts at a different poster and is given a different color marker to write with. The marker travels with the groups around the rooms, and each group has 1-2 minutes to answer the question on the chart paper. They then rotate around the room to the next poster and repeat the process. You may want to try to get each group member to write their ideas down on the paper so that each student's ideas are evident on the paper. When every group has written on each piece of paper, the class comes together for a whole class discussion and shares what is written on the posters (Gray, 2016).
​
This strategy is useful because it causes students to work together in their groups but also within the whole class. Students have to ensure they are reading what other students wrote and coming up with new ideas, rather than copying what is already there. It helps to hold all students accountable because they have to write their ideas down, and help their group members who are struggling to come up with something to write down.

Albany, R. (2016). Examples of Cooperative Learning Strategies. New York: Knowledge Network By and For Educators.
​
Center, D. A. (n.d.). Activities and Games. Retrieved from http://www2.peacefirst.org/digitalactivitycenter/resources/search

Creighton, S., Szymkowiak, A. (2014 The effects of cooperative and competitive games on interaction frequencies. Journal of Social and Behavioral Sciences 140(2014) 155-163.
​
Horner, R. H., Carr, E. G., Strain, P. S., Todd, A. W., & Reed, H. K. (2002). Problem behaviour interventions for young children with autism: a research synthesis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32, 423-446.

Mitchell, D. (2008). What really works in special and inclusive education; using evidence based teaching strategies. Routledge, Abington, Oxon: Routledge.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Best Practice Classroom Activities for Improving Students' Cooperative Skills

# data[].attributes.body
This website provides a list of culturally responsive books and identifies the appropriate grade level for each book. There are also many other resources available to find quality books featuring diverse characters.

Age Group: This strategy is appropriate for students in grades PreK-12 depending on the selected book.

Why I Chose This Strategy: Selecting books with characters of different cultures, races, religions, genders, and other identities reflects the diversity of people and exposes students to cultures, perspectives, and experiences other than their own. "This allows teachers to model respectful questioning and guide classroom discussions and activities that teach students to better understand themselves, each other, and the people in our increasingly diverse society" (Howard, 2022).

Source Citation: Howard, J. M. R. (2022, June 23). Embracing Inclusivity with Culturally Responsive Books for All Students. https://www.hmhco.com/blog/culturally-responsive-books-for-students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Culturally Responsive Books for Students | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers should read or assign culturally responsive books with characters of different cultures, races, religions, genders, and other identities to help them understand themselves and each other.

# data[].attributes.body
PBS LearningMedia has videos, lesson plans, and resources devoted to teaching about bias across many subjects and grades. This link is specific to one of the many materials provided on the website. It is an interactive video lesson that provides the opportunity for students to explore the extent to which society (and they themselves) may discriminate based on factors they’re not even aware of.

Age Group: This lesson is specifically designed for grades 9-12 but the website provides resources and materials for all ages/grade levels.

Why I Chose This Strategy: This resource provides an example of explicitly teaching about bias. Although these discussions may be difficult to have, it is crucial that these issues are openly discussed with students. These real-world topics can also be easily tied into typical content-specific lessons/instruction and promote students' understanding and awareness.

Source Citation: PBS & GBH Educational Foundation. (2021, January 11). Who, Me? Biased?: Understanding Implicit Bias. PBS LearningMedia. https://wosu.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ilpov18-soc-il-ilbias/who-me-biased-understanding-implicit-bias/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Who, Me? Biased?: Understanding Implicit Bias | PBS LearningMedia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this interactive lesson, students explore the extent to which society (and they themselves) may discriminate based on factors they're not even aware of, implicit biases. Why haven't laws been enough to eliminate discrimination? After all, most Americans oppose explicit discrimination based on race, nationality, gender, or religion.

# data[].attributes.body
This article describes five culturally responsive core strategies to promote positive teacher relationships with young children in preschool and minimize challenging behavior.

Age Group: Preschool (ages 3-5)

Why I Chose This Strategy: "Although challenging behavior can occur in any classroom, research indicates that some children in urban communities experience conditions that contribute to risk factors for social and emotional delays. In addition, there is a specific need to support children who live in poverty, as children in poor families are twice as likely to be at risk for developmental, behavioral, and social delays. These relationship-building techniques are particularly relevant for teachers as they reflect on their own practices and biases in early childhood classrooms." (Price & Steed, 2016)

Source Citation: Price, C., & Steed, E. (2016). Culturally Responsive Strategies to Support Young Children with Challenging Behavior. Young Children, 71(5). https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2016/culturally-responsive-strategies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mrs. Green leads the children in her preschool classroom in their morning song: "The more we get together, together, together, the more we get together the hap-." She stops abruptly to run after Miles, who has left morning circle to play with the musical instruments. As Mrs. Green approaches him, Miles folds his arms across his chest, then kicks his legs and screams. Mrs. Green gently places her hand on Miles's arm and looks him in the eye. She says, "Miles, I see that you are upset because you don't want to sit at morning circle and want to play with the musical instruments instead. Should we take the instruments to the circle and play with them after we've finished our calendar activities?" Miles smiles. Mrs. Green notes his response and says, "OK. First, please sit calmly at morning circle for three minutes; then you can play with the instruments. Is that a deal?" Miles nods. Mrs. Green responds, "Give me a high-five!"

Miles's actions are clearly a source of frustration for his teachers. Although teachers will want to evaluate whether they are planning activities that require children to sit for an extended time and ensure that the activities they offer children are active and meaningful, it is also important for teachers to understand how to support children who exhibit challenging behavior. Challenging behavior is defined as "any repeated pattern of behavior, or perception of behavior, that interferes with or is at risk of interfering with optimal learning or engagement in prosocial interactions with peers and adults" (Powell, Dunlap, & Fox 2006, 26). Challenging behavior can signal difficulty with social and emotional adjustment-foundational competencies that are linked to children's school readiness and later school success (Fantuzzo et al. 2007).

Although challenging behavior can occur in any classroom, research indicates that some children in urban communities experience conditions that contribute to risk factors for social and emotional delays (Fox, Dunlap, & Powell 2002). In addition, there is a specific need to support children who live in poverty, as children in poor families are twice as likely to be at risk for developmental, behavioral, and social delays as children in families earning 200 percent or more of the federal poverty line (Children's Defense Fund 2014). That is, while 10-21 percent of all preschool children show challenging behaviors such as aggression, noncompliance, defiance, tantrums, and property destruction, 30 percent of children who live in poverty exhibit such behaviors (Voorhees et al. 2013).

In this article we describe five culturally responsive core strategies to promote positive teacher relationships with young children in preschool and minimize challenging behavior: learn about children and families, develop and teach expectations, take the child's perspective, teach and model empathy, and use group times to discuss conflict. As African American boys experience a much higher rate of suspensions and expulsions from preschool settings than do other children (Gilliam 2005), these relationship-building techniques are particularly relevant for teachers as they reflect on their own practices and biases-especially toward African American boys-in early childhood classrooms.

Learn about children and families

A core consideration in developmentally appropriate practice and cultural responsiveness is that practitioners learn about each child and family and intentionally adapt and respond to each child's strengths and needs (Copple & Bredekamp 2009; Derman-Sparks & Edwards 2009). Culturally responsive practice is often defined as using the experiences and perspectives of children and their families as a tool to support them more effectively (Gay 2002). As this approach is child and family centered, it sets the stage for critical relationship building (Ford & Kea 2009).

Teachers can partner with families by inviting them to visit the classroom and participate in activities with their child. Teachers can also arrange to visit children at home, where they may engage in informal discussions with family members about what children enjoy doing for fun and learn about their favorite food, toy, or song. These interactions can reveal cultural values and norms in the home environment. Families may also share information about their child's temperament, primary play partners, and home language (NAEYC 1995). Meetings at school with families might address family routines, religious holidays and traditions, and activities the families enjoy in the community. Teachers can use information they learn about a child and family to support the child's social and emotional adjustment to the early childhood environment. Further, these conversations can demonstrate that not all children and families within a particular racial or ethnic group display similar characteristics, which is a potential teacher bias (Ford & Kea 2009). Sharing a short, warm anecdote with families, in person or in a note, about something their child did that day assures parents that the teacher cares about their child and makes an effort to know the child individually. This further connects families to their child's classroom community.

During a recent conversation with Miles's mother, Mrs. Green learned that Miles's father is a musician and that Miles really enjoys music. Miles's mother explained that Miles likes to dance and sing to his favorite songs, moving vigorously around the house. Mrs. Green used her knowledge about Miles's interest to plan music and movement activities for future morning circles to engage Miles.

Pyramid Model Framework

The five core strategies we suggest are informed by fundamental principles of the pyramid model (Fox & Hemmeter 2009)-a comprehensive framework for addressing the social and emotional outcomes of young children (Hemmeter, Ostrosky, & Fox 2006). The pyramid model includes three levels of support: universal prevention strategies for use with all children; secondary social and emotional approaches for children at risk for social and emotional delays; and tertiary individualized and function-based interventions for children with persistent challenges (Fox & Hemmeter 2009).

Develop and teach expectations

The second culturally responsive strategy in the pyramid model framework is developing and teaching two to five classroom expectations that are linked to the values and cultures of the children, teachers, and families. Expectations should be positively stated and developmentally appropriate, and should apply to both children and adults (teachers and families) (Steed & Pomerleau 2012). After cultivating a better understanding of children and families, early childhood teachers can base expectations on shared values and connections to cultures. Young children should be included in forming guidelines for behavior, as they are more likely to understand and follow them when they have input. Examples of expectations for preschool children include "Be a Friend, Be Safe, and Be a Helper" and "Use Listening Ears, Use Gentle Touches, and Use Walking Feet."

Expectations need to be consistently emphasized to prevent challenging behavior. In addition to responding to opportunities that arise during the day, teachers decide how and when they will teach, model, and positively reinforce the expectations across environments (circle time, music and movement activities, recess, lunch/snack) so that the guidelines and associated behaviors become part of the program culture (Benedict, Horner, & Squires 2007). Many teachers develop songs and hand movements to go with their expectations. Other approaches include modeling, using puppets, reading stories, and role-playing. Pictures of the children, teachers, and staff demonstrating the expectations can be posted in classrooms and common areas for further encouragement.

To reinforce positive behavior and to bring the actions to children's attention, it is important to verbally acknowledge children and adults when they demonstrate expectations. When a child's behavior reflects a great example of an expectation such as "Be a Friend"-like helping another child clean up a spill at lunch or inviting a new child to build a block tower-teachers can write a note of thanks or give the child an opportunity to wear a "Super Friend" cape. A bulletin board in a common area provides a public place to post notecards recognizing adults who demonstrate examples of meeting program expectations ("Miss Wilma was a helper today when she fixed Erin's hearing device!").

To be culturally responsive, it is important that expectations reflect the values and cultures of families and teachers and other staff in the school. For example, in the African American culture, in which community is valued over independence (Ford & Kea 2009), guidelines for some activities (like snack) may emphasize relationship-building behaviors-passing the food bowl-over independent adaptive skills-taking an appropriate portion of a self-serve snack.

Develop and teach empathy

Another culturally responsive strategy for supporting positive relationships is empathy-concern for others arising from an emotional connection. Empathetic individuals apply interpersonal sensitivity to understand the experiences of others in order to provide support or assistance (Berliner & Materson 2015). Researchers have long theorized that empathy is a critical component in teacher effectiveness in urban settings, positively impacting teachers' dispositions in interactions with students of color (Warren 2014). Thus, it is important for teachers in urban settings to model and encourage empathy to foster a culturally responsive classroom environment.

To develop and teach empathy, teachers first have to know themselves (Derman-Sparks & Edwards 2009). It is necessary for teachers to engage in critical self-reflection to uncover implicit personal biases and assumptions, and bridge understanding across cultural groups (Cooper, He, & Levin 2011; Price 2015). Whether subconscious or explicit, teachers' negative perceptions about children who differ from them in terms of culture, race, or ethnic identity can impact the teachers' ability to teach effectively and create empathetic classrooms.

Teachers can help children learn empathetic behavior by modeling warm and responsive actions, like anticipating and responding promptly to children's needs and worries, and greeting children with a smile (Twardosz 2005). Using storybooks, games, and music is another way to teach empathy. Teachers can create lessons and activities that highlight respect, kindness, compassion, and responsibility-and help children discover similarities with peers from different backgrounds (Berliner & Materson 2015). Teachers can ponder reflective questions, such as, What are my initial reactions to this child and her family?, What do my reactions tell me about my personal beliefs and assumptions?, and What can I do to build the child's and family's trust? (Collins, Arthur, & Wong-Wylie 2010; Price 2015). Although there is work to be done to unpack the contextual factors that may explain why African American boys are expelled and suspended at a higher rate than other preschool children, self-reflective questions like these and those offered throughout Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves (Derman Sparks & Edwards 2009) are one place to start.

It is necessary for teachers to engage in critical self-reflection to uncover implicit personal biases and assumptions.

Historically, picture books have featured mostly white characters (Larrick 1965). When choosing high-quality books for the classroom, make sure that the characters reflect the ethnic makeup of your classroom (Larrick 1965; Koss 2014), as it is important for all children, and particularly those of color, to "see themselves" in books. During these lessons, teachers can teach relevant emotion vocabulary (Joseph, Strain, & Ostrosky 2008), read books, and sing songs that reflect the children's cultures. According to the tenets of Afrocentric teaching-which harnesses the skills African American children bring to schools to engage them in the classroom experience (Ford & Kea 2009)-combining music with creative movement, mime, and dance is a form of expression for many African American children and engages them in shared affective experiences that are useful for empathy development (Boykin 1994; Laird 2015).

For example, in a jubilant rendition, Miles and Carmen share a toy drum and a tambourine as they dance to a popular song heard in their communities. The song promotes unity, friendship, and love. Through group music making, children can express feelings and connect with the feelings of others, promoting positive social and emotional development.

Additional Resources

Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL)- http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu

Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI)- http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu

Pyramid Model Consortium- www.pyramidmodel.org

Perspective taking

A fourth culturally responsive strategy, perspective taking, has been defined as the capacity to understand another's thoughts, feelings, or internal states (DeBernardis, Hayes, & Fryling 2014). Through the use of affective statements, teachers can reframe a child's challenging behavior and focus on the child's internal state. Affective statements are "I" statements that express a feeling, precisely describe a child's behavior, and make the child aware of the positive or negative impact of the behavior (Costello, Wachtel, & Wachtel 2009). Take, for example, a child who often transitions from lunch to outdoor time by pushing his way through classmates to discard his trash and dash to the playground door. A teacher might say, "Stop running in the classroom. When you run in the classroom, our friends are not safe." To reframe the child's behavior, the teacher might consider that the child is excited to play outside. From this perspective, the teacher could rephrase her statement: "I see that you are really excited about going outside. Thank you for putting your dish in the trash, but please remember to use your walking feet and move around your friends." When teachers use affective statements to reframe a child's challenging behavior, it demonstrates their understanding of the child's perspective. Miles's teacher used an affective statement that considered his perspective about morning circle when she stated, "Miles, I see that you are upset because you do not want to sit at morning circle and want to play with the musical instruments instead."

Using group time to discuss conflict

The final culturally responsive strategy drawing from the pyramid model framework is using group time to resolve conflict. This allows for a restorative justice approach, which offers those involved in the conflict an opportunity for reconciliation. Although many children benefit from the use of group time to address conflict and this approach can promote inclusion, as opposed to exclusion (e.g., time out), as a response to challenging behavior, it is important to develop methods and awareness so children do not feel shamed during the process but rather part of a trusting community of problem solvers. When done well, problem solving as a group can foster active engagement and learning and enable children and adults to build strong relationships. The teacher can establish the tone for the group by reading a poem about friendship or sharing a culturally relevant and familiar quote from a song, movie, or book. Next, it is helpful to remind children of the expectations for the discussion: "We've been practicing how to listen and how to talk at group time. Let's remember to wait calmly for our turn to speak, make eye contact with the person to whom we're talking, and use kind words." In some cases, teachers can minimize challenging behavior by conducting group time prior to situations with potential for challenging behavior (before a field trip, in the beginning of the school year, prior to implementing a change to the environment) (Costello, Wachtel, & Wachtel 2009; Pautz 2009).

Conclusion

Young children with challenging behavior are often rejected by their peers and receive less positive feedback from teachers than their peers do (Hemmeter, Ostrosky, & Fox 2006). Early childhood classrooms are a primary setting for teaching skills that are critical for young children's social and emotional development. Given the large amount of time many children spend in these settings, it is important that strong, positive teacher-child relationships be nurtured to ensure that children receive the support needed to promote positive social and emotional development (Bronfenbrenner 1977) and school readiness in general (Williford et al. 2013). Practitioners in urban settings play a valuable role in young children's social and emotional development by providing supports that are relevant and appropriate.

The five culturally responsive strategies described in this article can guide teachers in creating a classroom atmosphere that not only responds to children's challenging behaviors but also anticipates their needs. Implementation of these strategies helps teachers initiate sustainable relationships and nurturing classrooms where all children are valued and have opportunities to grow and develop. The more children get together and engage in prosocial interactions with teachers and peers, the happier everyone will truly be.

References

Benedict, E.A., R.H. Horner, & J.K. Squires. 2007. "Assessment and Implementation of Positive Behavior Support in Preschools." Topics in Early Childhood Special Education 27 (3): 174-92.

Berliner, R., & T.L. Masterson. 2015. "Review of the Research: Promoting Empathy Development in the Early Childhood and Elementary Classroom." Childhood Education 91 (1): 57-64.

Boykin, A.W. 1994. "Afrocultural Expression and Its Implications for Schooling." In Teaching Diverse Populations: Formulating a Knowledge Base, eds. E.R. Hollins, J.E. King, & W.C. Hayman, 243-56. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Bronfenbrenner, U. 1977. "Toward an Experimental Ecology of Human Development." American Psychologist 32 (7): 515-31.

Children's Defense Fund. 2014. The State of America's Children. Washington, DC: Children's Defense Fund. www.childrensdefense.org/library/state-of-americas-children/2014-soac.pdf.
Collins, S., N. Arthur, & G. Wong-Wylie. 2010. "Enhancing Reflective Practice in Multicultural Counseling Through Cultural Auditing." Journal of Counseling and Development 88 (3): 340-47.

Cooper, J.E., Y. He, & B.B. Levin. 2011. Developing Critical Cultural Competence: A Guide for 21st Century Educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp, eds. 2009. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children From Birth Through Age 8. 3rd ed. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Costello, B., J. Wachtel, & T. Wachtel. 2009. The Restorative Practices Handbook for Teachers, Disciplinarians, and Administrators. Bethlehem, PA: International Institute for Restorative Practices.

DeBernardis, G.M., L.J. Hayes, & M.J. Fryling. 2014. "Perspective Taking as a Continuum." Psychological Record 64 (1): 123-31.

Derman-Sparks, L., & J.O. Edwards. 2009. Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Dixon, H. 2016. "Making Peace in Kindergarten: Social and Emotional Growth for All Learners." Young Children 71 (4): 57-66. www.naeyc.org/yc/pastissues.

Fantuzzo, J., R. Bulotsky-Shearer, P. McDermott, C. McWayne, D. Frye, & S. Perlman. 2007. "Investigation of Dimensions of Social-Emotional Classroom Behavior and School Readiness for Low-Income Urban Preschool Children." School Psychology Review 36 (1): 44-62.

Ford , D.Y., & C.D. Kea. 2009. "Creating Culturally Responsive Instruction: For Students' and Teachers' Sakes." Focus on Exceptional Children 41 (9): 1-16.

Fox, L., G. Dunlap, & D. Powell. 2002. "Young Children With Challenging Behavior: Issues and Considerations for Behavior Support." Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions 4 (4): 208-17.

Fox, L., & M.L. Hemmeter. 2009. "A Program-Wide Model for Supporting Social Emotional Development and Addressing Challenging Behavior in Early Childhood Settings." In Handbook of Positive Behavior Support, eds. W. Sailor, G. Dunlap, G. Sugai, & R. Horner, 177-202. New York: Springer.

Gay, G. 2002. "Preparing for Culturally Responsive Teaching." Journal of Teacher Education 53 (2): 106-16.

Gilliam, W.S. 2005. Prekindergartners Left Behind: Expulsion Rates in the State in Prekindergarten Programs. New Haven, CT: Yale University Child Study Center.

Hemmeter, M.L., M.M. Ostrosky, & L. Fox. 2006. "Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning: A Conceptual Model for Intervention." School Psychology Review 35 (4): 583-601.

Joseph, G., P. Strain, & M.M. Ostrosky. 2008. Fostering Emotional Literacy in Young Children: Labeling Emotions. What Works Brief #21. Champaign, IL: Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations of Learning. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/kits/wwbtk21.pdf.

Koss, M. 2014. "Diversity in Contemporary Picture Books: A Content Analysis." Journal of Children's Literature 41 (1): 32-42.

Laird, L. 2015. "Empathy in the Classroom: Can Music Bring Us More in Tune With One Another?" Music Educators Journal 101 (4): 56-61.

Larrick, N. 1965. "The All-White World of Children's Books." Saturday Review (1): 63-65.

NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). 1995. "Responding to Linguistic and Cultural Diversity. Recommendations for Effective Early Childhood Education." Position statement. Washington DC: NAEYC. https://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSDIV98.PDF.

Pautz, M.-I. 2009. "Empowering the Next Generation: Restorative Practices in a Preschool." Restorative Practices EForum. www.iirp.edu/iirpWebsites/web/uploads/article_pdfs/93908_rp_preschool.pdf.

Powell, D., G. Dunlap, & L. Fox. 2006. "Prevention and Intervention for the Challenging Behaviors of Toddlers and Preschoolers." Infants and Young Children 19 (1): 25-35.

Price, C. 2015. "Reflective Questions for Early Interventionists and Early Childhood Special Educators." Presentation at the Annual International Conference of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Steed, E.A., & T. Pomerleau. 2012. Preschool-Wide Evaluation Tool (PreSet) Manual, Research Edition: Assessing Universal Program-Wide Positive Behavior Support in Early Childhood. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.

Twardosz, S. 2005. Expressing Warmth and Affection to Children. What Works Brief #20. Nashville, TN: Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb20.pdf.

Voorhees, M.D., L.V. Walker, M.E. Snell, & C.G. Smith. 2013. "A Demonstration of Individualized Positive Behavior Support Interventions by Head Start Staff to Address Children's Challenging Behavior." Research and Practice for Persons With Severe Disabilities 38 (3): 173-85.

Warren, C.A. 2014. "Towards a Pedagogy for the Application of Empathy in Culturally Diverse Classrooms." Urban Review 46 (3): 395-419.

Williford, A.P., M.F. Maier, J.T. Downer, R.C. Pianta, & C. Howes. 2013. "Understanding How Children's Engagement and Teachers' Interactions Combine to Predict School Readiness." Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 34 (6): 299-309.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Culturally Responsive Strategies to Support Young Children with Challenging Behavior

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Challenging behavior can signal difficulty with social and emotional adjustment-foundational competencies that are linked to children's school readiness and later school success.

# data[].attributes.headline
Literacy With Explicit Connections to Anti-Bias Education

# data[].attributes.subject
Literacy With Explicit Connections to Anti-Bias Education

# data[].attributes.body
The "Learning for Justice" website provides an abundance of classroom resources to support anti-bias education at any grade level. There are a variety of materials including lesson plans, film kits, posters, and more. This link is specific to their 'Teaching Strategies' section which includes strategies that focus on building literacy and social-emotional skills through the exploration of meaningful texts with provided anti-bias connections.

Age Group: This strategy is specifically designed for grades K-2 but there are a variety of strategies available from this resource for grades K-12.

Why I Chose This Strategy: These strategies develop students' literacy skills and ability to critically examine texts while making connections to real-world issues regarding inequality. The included strategies also promote a classroom environment that is inclusive and fosters equality.

Source Citation: Teaching Strategies. (n.d.). Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/teaching-strategies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Build literacy and social emotional skills while exploring meaningful texts. Unlike conventional or scripted lesson plans, these strategies allow you to select and combine vocabulary, reading, and speaking and listening activities, customizing a pathway that supports your instructional goals. Each strategy is Common Core-aligned and includes a special note about English language learners and connections to anti-bias education.

"Many of my colleagues believe our fourth-graders are too young to hold discussions around issues of race, place, class and gender equity. Asking open-ended, higher-order, standards-based questions around these topics is much easier thanks to your work!"

Grades K-2

Foster a love of reading in early-grades students with strategies that build familiarity and confidence with texts. Each Common Core-aligned strategy includes explicit connections to anti-bias education and adaptations for English language learners.

Grades 3-12

Meet the demands of the Common Core State Standards with strategies that foster vocabulary, close reading, and speaking and listening skills. Each strategy includes explicit connections to anti-bias education and adaptations for English language learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Build literacy and social emotional skills while exploring meaningful texts. Unlike conventional or scripted lesson plans, these strategies allow you to select and combine vocabulary, reading, and speaking and listening activities, customizing a pathway that supports your instructional goals. Each strategy is Common Core-aligned and includes a special note about English language learners and connections to anti-bias education.

# data[].attributes.body
This website provides examples of strategies for teaching intercultural communication.

Age Group: These strategies can be modified to use with students in grades 6-12.

Why I Chose This Strategy: The strategies discussed are beneficial for teaching students about cultural differences as well as how to effectively communicate with people from diverse backgrounds. These strategies are not only beneficial for promoting the understanding and acceptance of diversity but also promote students' future success as they attend college, join the workforce, and become contributing members of society.

Source Citation: Leon-Henri, D. D. P. (2020, April 2). 8 Strategies for Teaching Intercultural Communication through Film. Reflective Teaching Journal. https://reflectiveteachingjournal.com/strategies-teaching-intercultural-communication-film/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Film is a highly useful instructional multimedia tool for learning about and teaching cultural differences. As cultural documents, films give substance and meaning to intercultural communication discussions in the classroom. A film can be a veritable stimulus for other communicative language activities and strategies that can be practised in pre-viewing and post-viewing activities, such as improvisation, production, interaction, negotiation, and mediation.

How do you teach intercultural communication? Some strategies and tools that can be used for teaching intercultural communication include film, cooperative learning, improvisation, inquiry-based instruction, task-based instruction, production, interaction, negotiation, mediation and role play.

In today's mobile world, intercultural and interpersonal communication skills are of utmost importance, not only in the educational setting, but above all outside of this institutional setting and in particular, in interpersonal and professional life settings. Students who are encouraged to develop their intercultural awareness benefit from deeper learning. They are equipped with the knowledge, skills and methods they will need in their professional and civic life.

The Importance of Intercultural Communication Competencies

Since many students do not have the opportunity to travel across the globe, firsthand cross-cultural experiences may be difficult to share. Foreign films can fill this void, since they offer a unique window into the attitudes and behaviours of people from various cultural or linguistic backgrounds. By incorporating film and several simple teaching strategies into your lessons, you will create a more dynamic classroom.

The use of film can assist learners in enhancing their reflection techniques while observing, analyzing, and eventually reformulating information they have seen, heard and understood. This reflection process is a part of a virtuous cycle that can motivate students to participate. There is more than one way to use film in the classroom. In this post you will find:

a list of 8 teaching strategies, for using film in the classroom, and

for each one, an example and resource for using them effectively.

Classroom Teaching Strategies

The strategies below deal with the content of your lesson or course and will help you to answer the following question:

Which strategies can I adopt to facilitate the transfer of knowledge to my students?

They also deal with the expected learning outcomes of your lesson or course, will help you to answer the following questions:

'What do I want my students to be able to do after completion of this lesson or course?'

And 'Which strategies should I adopt to achieve this?'

1. Promote Cooperative Learning

Break with the traditional classroom setting and rearrange your classroom environment. Encourage students of mixed abilities to work together by promoting small group or whole class activities while watching and discussing the film or series clip. The cooperative learning environment encourages students to actively assimilate and process the new information, while cross modeling it with fellow classmates (source: Barkley, Elizabeth F., Claire H. Major, K., and Patricia Cross. 2014. Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty, 2nd Edition. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco).

Through verbally expressing their ideas and responding to others, your students will develop their self-confidence, as well as enhance their communication and critical thinking skills which are vital throughout their entire personal and professional life.

For instance, you may ask your students to consider how they would react in an intercultural situation, such as welcoming a foreign student into their classroom. They could discuss and list the types of questions they would ask or how they would go about resolving an often intimidating and difficult situation for newcomers.

2. Utilize Role-Play Before and After Viewing

Have your students improvise and act out short drama sketches based on intercultural communication before viewing scenes from the film. After viewing, discuss and troubleshoot areas for improvement through constructive peer evaluation. A mock scenario is the safest place to make and learn from cultural mistakes, or as the French say " faux pas ".

This is just one example of how role-play can be incorporated into classroom lessons. By solving problems, being creative and negotiating outcomes students can develop and enhance the soft skills revered by employers (source: Dana Di Pardo Léon-Henri, 2019, Going beyond words and actions: teaching metacognitive and soft skills to ESP communication students at the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution, See Appendix 1)

In terms of cultural differences, these sketches or improvisations may be related to a variety of cultural differences such as language, clothing, food, traditions, music, or social norms and behaviour codes. You may even choose to integrate culture clash, stereotypes or clichés about culture (that beret -topped, cigarette-smoking, baguette-holding Frenchman riding a beat up old Peugeot basket-equipped bicycle comes to mind - although that still exists! Just kidding!).

3. Support Inquiry-based Instruction

Ask thought-provoking questions which inspire your students to think for themselves and become more independent learners. Encourage them to ask questions and investigate or research their own ideas. This will help them to improve and further develop their problem-solving skills, as well as gain a deeper understanding of intercultural issues and interpersonal concepts.

Make a basket or box of questions and have the students pull out a question and work in discussion groups. Depending on the level of the students, inquiries can be of an interpersonal nature such as 'how does body language and culture differ from one continent to the next?' or 'do all French people speak the same French language?'

Based on the film, the questions may also be subjective and more open in nature to encourage students to express their unique views and personal or cultural experience, e.g. 'which kind of foods are your favorite?' or 'would you try eating sushi?'

For students in higher education, you may choose to address issues that deal with the professional setting. For example, 'you call a foreign client and you cannot understand her/his dialect or accent. How do you manage this situation'? (source: Dana Di Pardo Léon-Henri et Bhawana Jain. 2017. Role Play: A Practical Way to Teach Intercultural Communication, Recherche et pratiques pédagogiques en langues de spécialité, Vol.36 N°2.)

4. Integrate Task-Based Instruction with Differentiation

Task-based instruction and experiential learning methods are very beneficial to the development of your student's abilities. However, in giving the same tasks to all of the students, you can sometimes overlook some student needs. Differentiate your teaching methods by allocating tasks based on students' abilities, to ensure that no one gets left behind (source: Differentiated Instruction Educator's Guide (2016).

By assigning classroom activities according to students' unique learning needs, individuals with higher academic capabilities are broadened and those who are struggling or in need will get the appropriate support.

In fact, differentiation can involve simply handing out worksheets based on the film or series clip that vary in complexity to different groups of students. You may also choose to set up a range of workstations or activities around the classroom and give students an assortment of tasks from which they can choose.

You may choose to base a lesson, a group of lessons or a thematic course on the didactization (the process of rendering content into syllabi) of a film. This has many advantages in that the film becomes the primary source for content. However, it does not limit you to expanding the course to various other themes.

Early on in my ESP (English for Specific Purposes) career, as a university instructor in France, I did this with the film The Rainmaker (1997) in the context of teaching legal English for my third year students (source: Di Pardo Léon-Henri, D. 2012. Teaching foreign Languages through the Analysis of Film and Television Series: English for Legal Purposes. Recherche et pratiques pédagogiques en langues de spécialité/Cahiers de l'APLIUT, Vol. XXXI, N° 2, p. 126-139). Many different areas of the film were exploited to show many intercultural differences between the French and American legal systems, from:

the initial stages of establishing a contract between lawyer and client;

jury selection and courtroom drama;

opening arguments, exchanges between lawyers and judges;

closing arguments, and

the outcome of the case.

Since the main story line of this film deals with a sick patient and the evolution of his insurance bad faith court trial against the fictitious American insurance giant, Great Benefit. Involving a newly established young lawyer and an established specialist in tort law, the following scenes were chosen for analysis:

being assigned a lawyer and signing the initial contract;

preparing a case;

choosing and dealing with jury members;

appearing before the court, questioning witnesses, and

negotiating with defense lawyers, as well as presenting closing arguments.

The above study demonstrated that the students greatly appreciated the manner in which the course was taught. The overall objectives of this course - to improve written and oral language skills, while focusing on legal terminology in a motivational setting through the use of film were achieved.

6. Focus on Linguistic, Sociolinguistic and Pragmatic Skills

When planning your film-inspired intercultural syllabus, incorporate exercises that are based on linguistic, sociolinguistic and pragmatic skills development. When placing emphasis on these areas, students become more aware of the non-verbal features of spoken language and the importance or influence of body language.

By adopting this strategy, they are also encouraged to explore the different elements of another culture and the correlation between language, identity and culture, while negotiating meaning in dealing with difficult situations (social conventions or living conditions, for instance) and differing points of view or perspectives.

For instance, repeated scene viewings are possible while focusing on specific pragmatic particulars in terms of speech acts or politeness. (source: Alcon Soler, Eva., Maria Pilar and Safont Jorda (eds.). 2008. Intercultural Language Use and Language Learning. Springer: Castello, Spain, pages 123-245). And remember, a syllabus has many purposes: it can be a planning and reference document, a communication tool, and, in some cases, a contract between teachers and students.

7. Adopt a New or Different Role

In traditional settings, teachers are generally considered as the expert instructor and formal authority that unilaterally controls the transfer of knowledge and delegates roles or missions. Why not put this traditional role aside and adopt the role of facilitator or moderator? You may also choose to adopt the role of participant or resource. Similar to the aforementioned strategies, this strategy can be adapted to any teaching environment ( source).

Placing the students in working groups will promote teamwork and encourage them to reflect on issues independently, while working together and developing their resourcefulness. This will also shift the balance of power and provide students with a flipped-classroom setting, offering very enriching insights into instruction, while furthering the development of their soft skills.

With regard to the use of film and intercultural communication, this particular strategy can be implemented in many different ways. For instance, you may provide a variety of verbal or non-verbal-related communication tasks and have each small group report back to the class either before or after the viewing of a particular scene. The role-play (see above) is also an illustration of this strategy,

8. Consider Joining FILTA

Since my early teaching days, I have used film in my classroom. In the 90's, I used the film Moonstruck (1987) and French Kiss (1995) to inspire my adult Introductory Italian and French students. They loved to talk about their travel dreams and what to expect in terms of stereotypes and clichés.

Later, as a university instructor, I used film to teach English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and more precisely legal English to illustrate significant differences between the French and American systems. It was during this period that I discovered a plurilingual focus group called the Film in Language Teaching Association: FILTA.

An association of language teachers, film educators and researchers, FILTA was formed for the purpose of providing a forum for the exchange of information related to the use of film in language teaching. FILTA is also concerned with issues dealing with education, instruction and training in multimodal literacy and its application to language learning. Their aim is to encourage online community memberships, the use of collaboration to solve problems, and the use of technology to shape the flow of media.
For a list of intercultural films, click here.
Related Questions
What is the meaning of intercultural communication? Intercultural communication is a discipline that studies cultural codes and behaviours, as well as verbal and non-verbal communication codes across different cultures and social groups. It also encompasses the total sum of communication processes, obstacles and challenges that materialize when individuals from different religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds converge.
For this reason, people who study intercultural communication strive to understand and respect how individuals from differing countries or cultures behave, communicate and perceive the world around them. They also examine intercultural communication to better prepare for, respect and facilitate interaction and verbal or non-verbal communicative acts.

For instance, are you familiar with the proper protocol when offering and receiving a business or calling card from a Japanese colleague? You must offer, receive and hold the card with just your fingertips on the edges closest to you. And never simply tuck it away and ignore the card. Consider it as a gift, which must be treated with respect and appreciated for its uniqueness, just like the Japanese person in front of you.
What are some intercultural skills? Intercultural competence refers to the ability of a person to naturally employ a wide range of cognitive, affective, and behavioural skills that will assist in facilitating communication with people from different cultural origins. Appropriate intercultural communication includes appropriate behaviours that correspond with the expectations of a specific culture, the particularities of a given situation, and the rapport between the parties involved.
Individuals who possess excellent intercultural skills are people with high levels of cultural self-awareness and a deep understanding of and respect for the influence of culture on behavior, values, and beliefs. These individuals also consider their own cultural norms and choose the best appropriate and most comfortable compromise between the different cultural norms to accommodate their interlocutor and minimize feelings of uneasiness and awkwardness.

Both in the educational and professional setting, intercultural skills and competency are of great significance and value, since cultural awareness leads individuals to better grasp how his/her own culture functions and behaves, while respecting the differences associated with foreign cultures.

For instance, an individual who is in possession of these skills and thus cognizant of intercultural differences will self-monitor (cognitive) to censor (behaviour) anything (verbal or non-verbal) not acceptable (affective) to another culture during an intercultural interaction. In general, social, open-minded, and non-judgemental individuals generate respect for the differences associated with foreign cultures, since they are considerate of others.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
8 Strategies for Teaching Intercultural Communication through Film | Reflective Teaching Journal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Film is a highly useful instructional multimedia tool for learning about and teaching cultural differences. As cultural documents, films give substance and meaning to intercultural communication discussions in the classroom. A film can be a veritable stimulus for other communicative language activities and strategies that can be practised in pre-viewing and post-viewing activities, such as improvisation, production, interaction, negotiation, and mediation.

# data[].attributes.headline
Understanding and Getting to Know Your Students, Creating a Classroom Community

# data[].attributes.subject
Understanding and Getting to Know Your Students, Creating a Classroom Community

# data[].attributes.body
This scene from Freedom Writers shows the teacher playing a game with students where they step on the line if the statement applies to them.

Age Group: This strategy can be modified to be used with any grade level (K-12).

Why I Chose This Strategy: This game allows the teacher to understand the diverse backgrounds of the students while also showing the students they have things in common and have faced similar struggles.

Source Citation: Double Healix. (2010, April 9). 10 4 - Freedom Writers - E ST-Line game.mp4. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYYf-mUmPqI

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 4 - Freedom Writers - E ST - Line game.mp4

# data[].attributes.body
This website provides a list of different strategies for teaching empathy and other social-emotional skills to students.

Age Group: Grades PreK-3

Why I Chose This Strategy: This resource includes a variety of strategies for teaching younger students about identifying emotions, being empathetic, and understanding different perspectives. These strategies are useful tools for introducing diversity and addressing differences while providing students with essential social-emotional skills and promoting acceptance.

Source Citation: Pathway2Success. (2019, August 13). 20+ Strategies for Teaching Empathy. The Pathway 2 Success. https://www.thepathway2success.com/20-strategies-for-teaching-empathy/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching empathy is important. In the simplest of terms, empathy is the ability to notice, understand, and share the emotions of others. It is a critical social skill for all people to have. In many ways, empathy is the social skill that paves the way for all other social skills.

# data[].attributes.body
This website provides an explanation of mindfulness and different practices that can be used. (There is an abundance of other resources for mindfulness that can be used as well.)

Age Group: This strategy can be modified to be used with any grade level (PreK-12).

Why I Chose This Strategy: Mindfulness practices have been shown to decrease stress, which can indirectly have an effect on reducing bias. According to some research, mindfulness may also have a direct effect on bias reduction as well. In a recent study, loving-kindness meditation (a practice that involves consciously sending out compassionate thoughts toward others) reduced implicit bias toward a targeted group.

Source Citation: Staff, M. (2022, October 3). Mindfulness for Kids. Mindful. https://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-for-kids/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When we teach mindfulness to kids, we equip them with tools to build self-esteem, manage stress, and skillfully approach challenges. Explore our guide on how to introduce mindfulness and meditation to your children—at any age.