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Anisa Chapter 2 discussion:

Chapter 2 emphasizes the importance of understanding how culture, identity, and lived experiences impact student’s learning. As someone who grew up with similar culture archetype as my students, this resonates deeply classroom within a where many students like me have to navigate the dual challenges of economic hardship and systemic bias. The chapter’s focus on building authentic relationships and affirming students’ cultural wealth aligns with my own experience of needing educators who saw my special education needs, resilience, and community knowledge as assets rather than deficits. In an ICT setting, where diverse learners, including students with IEPs, share the space, culturally responsive teaching becomes a bridge recognizing and validating their home experiences, connecting instruction to their realities, to who they want to be and fostering the safety and trust necessary for deep cognitive engagement. This perspective reminds me that for students from marginalized backgrounds, academic rigor must be paired with emotional connection and affirmation of their identities to unlock their full potential. We all need to feel connected and belonging, especially in spaces where we feel we aren't sure of.

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Communication and Interaction Pattern I can identify at my school and in my classroom is schoolwide participation norms (such as raising hands, speaking tracking with eyes and body, etc). From an individualistic cultural perspective, students are expected to assert themselves by raising their hands, volunteering answers, and offering personal opinions. This behavior is often seen as confident, engaged, and respectful of classroom order. It looks like students speaking one at a time, sounds like individual voices contributing to discussion, and feels like a space that values personal initiative and independence. In a collectivist cultural framework, students may prioritize group harmony over individual expression and may not feel comfortable speaking out unless invited directly. Participation might look like students quietly conferring with peers or waiting for the teacher to initiate dialogue. It may sound more collaborative (like students checking in with a partner before sharing) or quiet. It may feel uncomfortable or even disrespectful to speak over others or stand out with a strong personal opinion. Understanding the deep and shallow levels of culture can help us as educators avoid misinterpreting students' behavior through a single cultural lens. Instead of viewing quiet students as disengaged or students who avoid eye contact as disrespectful, teachers can recognize these actions as culturally rooted expressions of trust, respect, or belonging. This awareness builds a more inclusive, culturally responsive learning environment.

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Chapter 2 Discussion Response: Culture Tree and Classroom Communication

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Chapter 2 Discussion Response: Culture Tree and Classroom Communication

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In my classroom, one communication pattern I’ve observed is how students greet and interact with teachers and peers. For example, some students use formal greetings like “Good morning, Ms. Sy,” while others might say, “Hey, what’s up?” or simply give a head nod or smile. Another pattern is how students show respect or build relationships—some prefer quiet listening and eye contact, while others engage through playful teasing or physical closeness like daps or hugs.

From an individualistic lens, these patterns might be interpreted very differently. A student who doesn’t say “good morning” or avoids eye contact may be seen as disrespectful or disengaged, because individualistic cultures often value direct verbal acknowledgment, independence, and personal space. Teachers might assume the student is being aloof, when in reality they’re following norms from a collectivist culture.

From a collectivist lens, those same behaviors—like physical touch, indirect communication, or showing emotion through body language—are part of community-building. What may look like “talking out of turn” or “too much group talk” in a rigid, individualistic classroom could actually reflect strong collaborative instincts and shared energy among students who see learning as a communal experience.

Reading Chapter 2 helped me realize how often these small interactions—tone of voice, body language, even silence—are deeply cultural. It reminds me to shift my interpretation from, “Why aren’t they following the rules?” to “Whose rules are these, and what other norms might be at play?”

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A communication pattern that I have noticed in my school is that many of my students are very eager to raise their hand in class, regardless of if they are prepared to respond. The conversation usually goes like this: I will ask a question, students will immediately raise their hands, I will call on a student whose hand is raised, then the student will say, "Wait, what was the question?" I love their enthusiasm to participate in class discussion, and it is a striking difference from a school I taught at in Texas (same age range) where getting students to respond to discussion prompts in class always required cold-calling. Additionally, despite not always being prepared to answer, many of my students will express their dismay if I do not call on them, even if I called on them to answer the last question. Through an individualistic lens, the enthusiasm to participate in class discussion could look like the students are aiming to get a good grade for class participation, or feel like the students are in competition with each other to have their voices heard. Because my classroom has a standard grading method, all of the students are looking out for their own self-interest in this sense. Through a collectivist lens, this looks like the students learning collaboratively, building upon each others' answers to have a deeper understanding of the topic. Through this style of oral communication, the students explore their thinking and build relationships with each other as collaborators.

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Hey Ellen,

I agree that calling out during class discussions is often interpreted differently depending on the cultural lens as educators that we tend to use. You made a great point about how, through an individualistic lens, it can be seen as confidence while through a collectivist lens (Thinking of the entire room of students) it might be viewed as disruptive or even disrespectful to the rest of the group. What your post helped me think more deeply about is how behaviors like calling out or being vocally expressive are often culturally shaped. In my MLL small group, for example, I’ve noticed that some students are much more animated or physical in the way they respond to questions or process ideas. Rather than always asking for hands raised or structured verbal responses, I’ve found it really helpful to ask them how they naturally express themselves. Sometimes that means allowing them to act out an answer, use gestures, or talk through an idea collaboratively before sharing with the group. While reading your post though, I thought of one particular student I had this past year. He would often read out loud to himself during independent time. This was a bit of a confidence booster for him (Especially to sound out words) and through an individualistic lens, it was allowing him to take more risks, but collectively I had to begin to understand how that method can feel distracting for others. I think in a way it shows how we sometimes have to find a balance in between.

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Hey Jacqueline,

I loved your point about how a collectivist lens can actually begin to shift our whole approach to participation in our classrooms. You made a great point about how individual sharing might begin to feel isolating for certain students, especially when they feel unsure, which allows for turn and talks or call and response to remedy that. With that in mind, something your post made me reflect on is how even those strategies can sometimes unintentionally create dependence in certain learners. For example, I’ve noticed that in some partnerships, one student might consistently dominate the conversation, while the other becomes more passive and may just agree. It's really interesting how it all really is dependent on how our student's learn and what works best.

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1. One communication and interaction pattern I observed this past school year was how students responded when a peer answered a question incorrectly. What stood out to me was not judgement or teasing, but rather an increase in engagement/energy from others. Some students in response would immediately raise their hands higher, sit up straighter suddenly, or begin snapping or using hand gestures enthusiastically to be called on after. While some were quieter and simply lifted their hand, others would be much more expressive with calling out or using movement to communicate. For example within my classroom you may hear audible reactions such as, "Oh!!! I know this, I know this!!" or the leaning halfway out of their seat.

2. From an individualistic lens, these behaviors could be interpreted as signs of healthy competition or self-expression. Those set of students might be seen as inherently motivated by their own personal success and taking pride in their learning. The way I often viewed this is that each of those students potentially visualize those moments as another chance to secure their moment of success. They may have a goal to be seen as capable and smart on their own terms.

3. Through a more collective lens, however, these same behaviors take on a different meaning. The increased energy burst and expressive gestures after an incorrect answer might reflect a sense of responsibility to the group or a desire to help their peers move that thinking forward. The interesting part of this point as well is that majority of my 6th graders have all grown up together and attended the Achievement First Elementary School, which may be why a portion of them are so tight knit even within the traditional classroom setting. This could actually potentially influence the way they engage with one another. Instead of seeing their peer's mistake as a chance to compete, students can also be signaling like "Hey i'm here to help". This is also a huge part of my school in general, this notion of uplifting others or those around you as opposed to leaving them to struggle. Additionally, I have also noticed moments where this energy can become too intense. What I mean by this is that there are times where students might react too quickly, smirking, or make gestures that unintentionally convey disappointment.

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Response to Lesly Morocho- Brendalys Lebron

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Response to Lesly Morocho- Brendalys Lebron

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Hi Lesly,

I think you make an interesting point about how group-centered activities can make students feel safer taking risks because success and responsibility are shared. It can help build a sense of community and collective achievement as a classroom. I also agree with your point about how classroom practices should ideally balance both individualist and collectivist approaches to be truly inclusive.

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Response to Jacqueline Guerrero- Brendalys Lebron

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Response to Jacqueline Guerrero- Brendalys Lebron

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Hi Jacqueline, I like your anecdote about your first grade class, and the different ways to foster participation through both types of lens. Through both individual responses and other more community-based ones such as turn and talks, I think that the classroom can become more inclusive by accounting for different cultural styles of communication.

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A communication pattern I have noticed in my second grade classroom is a frequent desire to communicate with peers. Group work is vastly more popular than independent work, and students are often eager to help each other. From individualist lens, this might seem like students lack independence or are overly talkative and disorganized. However, a collectivist lens would view such behavior as pro-social and collaborative. In the chapter, I noticed that the majority of the countries that ranked high in individualism are Anglophone, but Latin cultures are mostly ranked much lower on the individualism scale. My school is dual-language and has a majority-Hispanic population, so I often see cultural values reflected in student interactions. I think that their emphasis on community reflects collectivist cultural norms that emphasize collaboration over competition and individual achievement.

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Emmanuel Cano-Garraway Chapter 2 Discussion 

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Emmanuel Cano-Garraway Chapter 2 Discussion 

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One communication pattern I’ve noticed in my classroom is how students respond to public praise or recognition. A lot of times, I’ll highlight a student’s effort or answer in front of the whole class, like saying, “Shoutout to Zay for sticking with that problem even though it was challenging!” While this can be motivating for some kids, I’ve noticed that a few students either look uncomfortable, avoid eye contact, or even get quiet after being recognized.

From an individualist lens, this pattern probably feels empowering, especially for students who are used to being affirmed for standing out. It looks like students smiling or nodding, sounds like claps or “Let’s go” from peers, and feels like their effort is seen and valued. Even the idea of praise being public matches the individualist idea that success should be visible and rewarded.

But from a collectivist perspective, that same pattern might feel awkward or even anxiety inducing. It could look like a student shifting in their seat or looking down, sound like silence or hesitation, and feel like they’re being set apart from the group, which might not feel supportive. In that view, recognition might feel more genuine when it’s shared across the group or tied to how someone supported a peer or contributed to the class as a whole.

What this tells me is that, even though the intent behind the praise is positive, the way it’s delivered carries different weight depending on students’ cultural lenses. If school is already operating with mostly individualist norms, some students might internalize these moments as competition. Being praised becomes a sign of worth, and not being praised feels like being left behind. That’s why I’m trying to be more intentional about recognizing group efforts, shared success, and offering private affirmations as well, so every student feels valued, not just the ones who get the spotlight.

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I really connect with what you shared, especially the idea that students may see sharing out as a kind of competition for recognition. I’ve seen that too, where some students get visibly upset if they aren’t picked, even though they already share often. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to shift that mindset by reinforcing the value of partner talk and how important it is to listen and build on each other’s thinking. I also appreciate your collectivist take as it reminded me that affirming every voice doesn’t always have to be through whole-class sharing, but can come from fostering authentic peer-to-peer connection. Your reflection definitely pushed me to rethink how I frame the purpose of turn-and-talk in my room.

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I appreciate how you explored both perspectives on calling out, it’s something I see often in my classroom too, especially when students are genuinely excited or feel strongly about something. I’ve noticed that what might look like “disrespect” to some is actually a student’s way of showing investment and connection to the material. That said, I agree with your point about how it can unintentionally shut down other voices, especially students who need more processing time or feel less confident. Your reminder that both cultural orientations hold value is really important as it pushes me to think more intentionally about how I balance space for enthusiasm with space for equity in participation.

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One communication pattern I’ve noticed in my classroom is how students show engagement and understanding. Some raise hands, others call out, and some use body language or facial expressions. Through an individualistic lens, this might look like each student asserting themselves independently and wanting to be heard, recognized, or to "get it right" quickly. It might sound like confident voices chiming in, even if others are still thinking. It can feel a bit competitive, with students trying to shine individually or seek teacher validation.

Through a collectivist lens, the same behavior could reflect a shared sense of responsibility. Students blurt out not to dominate, but to support their peers by offering help or building on an idea. It might look like students checking in with one another, whispering strategies, or encouraging someone to share. It feels more communal and less about standing out, and more about lifting each other up or keeping the group on track. I’ve learned to interpret these patterns with more cultural humility instead of seeing them as “right” or “wrong.”

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Djavan, I really appreciate your response about the negativity that can exist within students’ dynamics in the classroom and how that can hinder their learning and participation. I’ve also noticed this pattern, where students use vulgar language when discussing each other's capabilities or perceived 'success' in class. It’s definitely a tough space, and I share your hope for more compassion and positive collaboration among students.

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Rayhan, I love the freedom of choice students have when it comes to tests or projects. I think this is a creative and effective way to incorporate differentiation in the classroom. It’s also a great way to scaffold to students’ strengths without limiting them to a standard test structure.

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Rayhan, I love the freedom of choice students have when it comes to tests or projects. I think this is a creative and effective way to incorporate differentiation in the classroom. It’s also a great way to scaffold to students’ strengths without limiting them to a standard test structure.

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One communication and interaction pattern I’ve noticed in my classroom reflects the deep culture of kinship and group identity.At our school, each class is named after a college and is rewarded as a whole, rather than as individuals. This collectivist approach builds trust, encourages teamwork, and helps students feel emotionally connected to their peers. Activities like turn-and-talk sessions and group goal tracking reflect this—students feel a shared responsibility and often use inclusive language like “we did it” or “our team earned this.”

Through a collectivist lens, this looks and feels like a family: cooperative, supportive, and group-centered. It helps students stay adaptable and feel safe taking risks because success is shared.

However, from an individualist perspective, this structure can have drawbacks. Some students—especially high-achievers—may lose motivation if their individual efforts aren’t recognized, or if they feel held back by group dynamics. Similarly, struggling students may feel overwhelmed if the group pace doesn’t match their needs. A pattern our school uses to address this is by celebrating individual growth each semester through bronze, silver, and gold medals awarded to students who show improvement in their academic averages. This supports the individualist value of personal achievement and autonomy, represented in the "concepts of self" , however I do think my school needs more support on this.

Ideally, our classroom practices can balance both approaches: building collective trust while still acknowledging individual progress.

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Rayhan, I really like how you broke down both decision-making and fairness in your classroom, especially with how much we learn about equitable vs equal education. Your classroom environment seems like a space where students feel empowered and respected. Giving them choices like tests vs. projects is such a great way to support different learning styles and aligns with all of our coursework on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). I also love how you highlighted the shift in perspective through a collectivist lens, especially the idea of shared leadership and students holding each other accountable in a fair way.

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Windsor, everything you said feels so real and relatable. Your point about some students seeing whole-class sharing as the “real” validation hit home for me. I have even had students speak to me after class about why I didn’t call on them when they clearly had the right answer. Even when everyone gets a chance to talk in partner pairs, some kids still feel left out if they are not spotlighted directly. I really liked how you tied that perspective to the competitive nature of school. I guess it makes sense why some students might put so much pressure on being heard by everyone, especially if they are not getting validation elsewhere.

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I have a similar issue in the classroom with calling out, which leads to frustration with other students. Certain students feel their voice isn't being heard. Yes, I think the individual and collective way you look at it is correct. I feel good that the students are excited and want to share, but in the same regard, we need to make space for other students.

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One communication pattern I noticed in the classroom is that students lean more toward teasing each other than uplifting. This leads to unease in group work and other collective work. I've noticed that there's already pressure for students to be a certain way or fit in at a high level. That can lead to students wanting to hide in the classroom. From an individual level, I think each student has their own set of shields and insecurities in regards to the classroom. Learning at this age is incredibly tough space especially if you're behind on some foundational skills. I believe many of the students are reverting to teasing as a shield. In the chart on page 8, it expresses how individualism is "focused on independence and individual achievement." This is seen through putting other classmates down and other forms of bullying. The patterns I see from this in a collective mindset are unkind interactions throughout the building. In the current culture, I've seen kids come in with a different and kinder approach to their classmates, but by the end of the year, they've adopted this mindset of saying mean words to one another. It sounds like certain students are not being allowed to be in the same classes because of the back and forth. In an ideal collective lens, students would have more understanding and compassion for each other. I would see more positive collaboration and students being able to work together in groups, no matter who they're placed with.

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One communication pattern I notice in my classroom is that many students use hand signals to show nonverbal cues for when they agree or disagree with their peers, when they need a new pencil, when they need a tissue, or when they have to use the restroom. They also really love small group conversations with their partners and know the signals for when the student closest to the window will speak vs when the student closest to the door will speak. There are also cues for when the turn and talk conversations end, and the classroom uses these with ease and transitions nicely between tasks.

From an individualistic lens, these nonverbal signals and structured routines look like efficient tools that help students meet personal needs without interrupting the class, especially when there is no emergency. Creating a positive classroom environment built on structure and clear expectations includes having a quiet, orderly classroom where each student is responsible for managing their own learning experience. Students may feel empowered to be in control of their impact in the classroom and have clear roles and responsibilities.

From a collectivist lens, these patterns look like shared agreements promoting harmony and collaboration amongst students and the classroom community. The hand signals and partner pairs could sound like a silent language of community, where everyone works together and supports smooth group interactions. The vibes might feel comforting and inclusive, especially for students who value group belonging and shared responsibility over standing out as individuals.

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Hi, Ellen! I also have experienced tons of students calling out instead of raising their hands when they have something they want to share. I love how you perceive this in a positive light, though! Many students are simply excited to share what they know, so it's important we approach them with this in mind. For me personally, I tell my students that I would love to hear what they have to say but can't because they're not raising their hands. This usually gets them to raise their hand, and I then call on them and listen carefully to what they have to say. I love your positivity!

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Rayhan Arefin - Response to Jacqueline Guerrero

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Rayhan Arefin - Response to Jacqueline Guerrero

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Hi, Jacqueline! I find it very interesting how individualism takes the form of competition in your classroom. There are pros and cons to this, and it's awesome that you acknowledge that! There will always be some students who are higher-flyers than others, so I think it's important for us to praise all of our students for what they are able to do at present. As usual, I love your optimism and your positive views on teaching!

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1. Some different communication and interaction patterns that can be seen in my classroom are decision-making and the notion of fairness.

2. In my classroom, students are often given choices. For example, students may be given the option to either take a test or do a project to demonstrate their mastery of the content. As such, decision-making looks like students taking some time to silently contemplate which choice they prefer. For a decision that may affect the class as a whole, anonymous voting is conducted to encourage students to decide freely without being influenced by their peers. The notion of fairness, meanwhile, looks like students taking turns with things such as materials, classroom jobs, etc.

3. Meanwhile, through a collectivist lens, decision-making may take the form of shared leadership in which students rotate leadership roles when working either as a whole class or in small groups. The notion of fairness also may take the form of shared leadership, but in a different sense. More specifically, students share the responsibility of being fair with one another, even without teacher support. They take the initiative and act as leaders to support one another as they venture to be as equitable as possible.

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Hi Jacqueline,

Your point about whole group participation feeling like a competition between students to show their understanding resonated with me. It is something I see often in my 4th grade class. When my students participate in whole group discussions, they often don't even listen to one another. They wait eagerly to be called on, then almost always repeat something that a classmate before them has already said. This shows me that they do not view discussions as a collaborative opportunity to share and respond to each other's thoughts, but is rather, like you said, a competition to show me how much they know.

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Hi Windsor,

I like your point about how some students might view school as a place that fits an individualistic worldview rather than a collectivist one, which can be discouraging and isolating. A student should never feel like school isn't "for them", or that they are not academic material. School usually does foster academic individualism, and I wonder how to consistently push against that beyond the obvious answer of giving group projects, for example.

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A communication pattern that I have noticed in my classroom is students calling out rather than raising their hands to share an answer or make a comment, especially when they are excited about a topic. From an individualistic lens, which “emphasizes individual achievement and independence” (p. 7), this behavior might be seen as a student being engaged and confident about a topic and showing eagerness to participate in a discussion. However, from a collectivist lens, which “emphasizes relationships, interdependence within a community, and cooperative learning” (p. 8), this behavior might be viewed as disrespectful, brash, or even rude. Students who call out reduce the amount of time and space that their peers have to share their thoughts, and this behavior might make other students feel uncomfortable or unconfident in their thinking. While neither collectivism nor individualism is the “correct” approach to education (in fact, both are important and valuable), as teachers we should ensure that both individualistic and collectivist means of interaction and communication are appropriately utilized in the classroom.

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One frequent communication pattern in my classroom is students pausing to think about what they wish to say, followed by sharing with one partner, followed by a few students sharing out to the class as a whole. I have noticed that certain students frequently become very upset if they are not able to share with the entire class, even when they most often are the ones who get to share. From an individualist lens, this pattern would likely feel affirming, but mainly in the case of the students who are able to share their commentary with the class as a whole. In some way, the whole class sharing seems to act as a sort of affirmation of value, even when students' commentaries have not been selected for any particular reason. I imagine that students who are unable to share with the class as a whole may feel frustrated and left out, feeling that their idea was not as worthy of sharing as their friends. From a collectivist perspective, I imagine that when well executed, this communication pattern would be affirming of the value of every student's contribution, given that in this pattern every single student gets to share their ideas with at least one other friend. I feel that this pattern tends to be difficult for some students because they might see school in general as a place that better fits the competitive, individualist, world-view, and therefore see these opportunities to share as a competition to see who can be heard. When this happens, I think that students sometimes place significantly more emphasis on being able to share whole-class compared to actually sharing with their assigned classmate and listening attentively in turn.

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Jacqueline Guerrero- Chapter 2 Discussion

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Jacqueline Guerrero- Chapter 2 Discussion

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Based on Chapter 2 What’s Culture Got to Do with It? There were two cultural archetypes that Hammond introduces: individualism and collectivism. Something I was able to get out of these two archetypes was that individualism emphasizes the individual over the group and their independent achievement. There is self-reliance in working on oneself. As for collectivism, it focuses on the group's success and learning through group interaction, which makes the work more collaborative.

In my first-grade classroom, one pattern that I often see is how students participate during whole-group instruction. My students are being encouraged to ask questions to show their curiosity and wisdom to the class. When scholars are consistently sharing their ideas individually, through the individualistic lens, it looks like students are taking turns to share out loud by raising their hand, it sounds like a variety of responses, and it feels more like a competition to show their understanding and be seen. This is the same for when I send scholars off to do individual work and demonstrate what they know.

When I think about participation during the whole-group instruction through a collectivist lens, scholars will feel unmotivated to participate when they are unsure of their answers and can feel isolated through individual responses. However, with the collectivist lens I can ensure they are sharing their ideas through turn and talk, call and response, etc. This looks like shared conversations, sounds more energetic, and feels more inclusive by helping one another.

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1. At the shallow level (the trunk of the culture tree), interpersonal interactions, especially non-verbal communication becomes important in creating a welcoming environment.

1. Identify one or two different communication and interaction patterns across your school or in your classroom.

2. What might these patterns look, sound, and feel like through an individualistic lens?

3. What might these patterns look, sound, and feel like through a collectivist lens?

CONNECT TO AT LEAST TWO COLLEAGUES!