Cultural Competence by Amanda Simpson

Economic Status Impacts Growth and Development

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-17 18:54:50 UTC

A student's economic status impacts their growth development and education related opportunities. Research shows that children from families in a lower economic status are not as successful as those from a higher status. This can lead to more absences and a lack of confidence around their peers.

Gender Identity Development and Issues

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-18 15:49:24 UTC

Student's that may struggle with gender identity can be impacted through negative peer interactions which can influence their grades and performance in the classroom.

Implicit Bias Definition

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-22 17:24:22 UTC

Implicit Bias is unconscious feelings, judgements, and stereotypes from previous influences and experiences that come out in the interactions we have with others. I have always been accepting of others without judgement or a difference in my interactions

Cultural Competence Definiton

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-22 17:28:14 UTC

Cultural Competence plays a big part in being an educator as the impact you have on your students influences their growth and development. I have worked with many different students with diverse backgrounds and personalities. I am always ensuring that my interactions are equal to every student and impact them in a positive manner.

Model of Cultural Competence

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-22 17:51:15 UTC

This model is a great way to assess your personal cultural competence to see if there are any areas that I may need to improve or be more aware of. That way I am always ensuring I am treating every student with the respect, and making them feel valued everyday.

Staff Training on Cultural Awareness

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-22 18:21:18 UTC

Having a training in cultural awareness would be very beneficial to a school district, to ensure that teachers and staff are creating an environment that allows students to feel valued and comfortable. This would benefit me personally before I begin teaching just to be trained and aware. I know I do my best to be aware of my interactions with students but I am always looking to find ways to improve and give my best for the students!

Cultural Competence as an Educator

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-22 18:34:08 UTC

A word I heard often in this video was moral obligation, as a teacher you are morally obligated to be aware of how you are interacting with students. I agree that as a educator you are morally responsible to ensure that you are culturally competent to ensure the success of your students. If you want to make a difference in your students lives you need to really get to know them and their families so you can support them in the best way possible.

Sexual Orientation Impacts Growth and Development

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-23 16:27:07 UTC

Allowing an equal opportunity for students to feel confident and not ashamed of their sexual orientation, can allow students to not feel that anxiety and depression that can develop in children and adolescents when they are treated differently or bullied.

Culture and the Role it Plays

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-23 16:45:25 UTC

In order to allow children and adolescents to thrive in their environment supporting them, in a time when they are learning about themselves and finding their identity, is crucial to be accepting and understanding of every single student.

Self-Assessment

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-23 17:53:29 UTC

Assessing yourself and your curriculum to ensure that you are meeting that needs of all of your students and their diverse backgrounds is vital. Having a group that meets regularly to assess any surveys or feedback to ensure everyone is working together to create a school system that is valuing diversity.

Creating a Diverse Learning Space

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-23 17:55:28 UTC

Allowing students to have an open conversation about their differences gives students the power to be more open and accepting to others. It allows them to understand why a peer may interact or respond the way that they do. To accept them as they are and give them patience and grace. It also allows students to learn how to improve their own interactions and be more accepting of their peers. I want to implement this same idea in my classroom, and have the conversations that will allow students to grow.

Culturally Responsive Teaching

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-23 18:22:38 UTC

Finding ways to widen your cultural knowledge to improve the environment of your classroom to ensure the growth and development for all of your students. As a teacher it is very important to learn the backgrounds of each of your students.

Multicultural Awareness in Education

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-23 18:27:29 UTC

In my classroom my goals will be to really get to know the students and what their needs are. Even communicating with them regularly to see how they are doing and if they are having an negative interactions with their peers. I want to allow my students to feel comfortable and I think that can be achieved through communication and respect. Treating each student equally and allowing for mistakes and improvement because we are all human and are learning everyday how to become the best versions of ourselves.

Managing Differences

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-25 11:39:06 UTC

I really enjoy this resource as it helps find the best way to interact with your students when they are having a negative or hurtful interaction with another student. I will definitely use this now as a paraprofessional and in the future as a teacher to ensure I am creating a safe classroom for my students.

Being Aware of Implicit Bias

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-27 16:44:25 UTC

I think being aware of your interactions with students is essential in being culturally competent. I know the interactions I have with students each day are different and you are continuously learning from those interactions. An interaction I had recently with a student that is always being disruptive or rude, I was conscious of the interaction and how I handled it. I communicated calmly and never made him feel like he was the issue. I addressed why he was asked to leave the classroom, and even when he ran away from me, I slowly followed and continued communicating. In those moments you are constantly watching your choice of words and how it will impact them.

Understanding Culture

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-27 16:59:02 UTC

Understanding culture and what it really means and represents gives people a better perspective on how to better understand it and be more accepting of others. Especially in the classroom, and as a teacher because culture is not something you just memorize and know, it is something that is changing and evolving. To better connect with your students you need to get to know them personally, and asking questions is a great way to better understand who they are as individuals.

The Impact of Implicit Bias on Students and Teachers

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-27 17:05:27 UTC

I know it can be hard to communicate with students that may have a negative reaction to you. I work with a student that asked me if I wanted to fight him and I politely replied with "No, thank you." I am always watching how I speak to him as I know he already has low confidence in himself and the personal issues he struggles with. A hypothetical negative interaction with him would be making him feel like he won't be successful or that he is a bad student for how he acts towards his peers. To me this student may need more support than others because of how he is acting out and possibly just looking for that reassurance that he may not get at home.

Being Aware of the Impact you have on your Students

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-27 17:15:21 UTC

In Special Education they have found that a majority of expulsions or suspensions were due to implicit bias. Knowing this as I work with Special Education students means I need to be aware of my impact on these students. I know in previous interactions if a student uses profanity towards me or says something disrespectful I would walk away and let them cool off before attempting to interact again. I have seen teachers that would have the same interaction with them and immediately dismiss them to the office. I often wonder if they do this because they do not want to deal with the student and that is the best way for them to handle it. I don't always agree and I do speak up on the days that the student is having positive interactions and mention that to the student so that they know they are being productive and helpful in the classroom as I feel it is important for them to hear that.

Students Impacted by Difference in Discipline Compared to Other Students

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-27 18:06:30 UTC

Discipling one student differently than another will only lead to a negative impact to their confidence in themselves and their school work. Leading to a loss in interest in school and their grades lowering or even failing. The importance of making sure you discipline each student the same is very important. They notice these differences and it does affect them negatively. Also treating students that are different races will lead to your students not trusting or respecting you.

Implicit Bias Plays a Role in our Relationships with Families and their Children

asimpson147_1 — 2025-04-27 18:08:05 UTC

I work with diverse background of students and I know if I were to treat any of those students differently it would impact the relationship I have with not just them but their family as well. I know as a mother if Quinn was treated differently and she told me, my perspective of that teacher would change. I would also start to worry about her education or if she was comfortable and safe in the classroom. So I know other parents would feel the same way if their children came home and told them that they were being treated differently because of their race, family status, sexual orientation or culture.