2/20/20; Week 7:Culture and Psychology

Help! I'm trapped in Societal Expectations! 

It seems culture has a tendency to brand for who we want to be. According to what John J. Ivers, Professor at BYU- Idaho tells in his lecture on Culture and Psychology, there is a cultural ought-self and a real-self. Our- ought self is typically reliant upon what the society we live in tells us. The real- self is us in reality. Supposedly, the more our real-self relates to our ought-self, the higher self-esteem we'll have because we're more culturally accepted or praised.

This principle leads to self-fulfilling prophesies where people get incredibly caught up in what they're supposed to be according to society. So much so, they embed deep, at times irrational, beliefs that shape who they are. Ivers gave the example of the Salem witch trials, and how the culture at the time caused people to believe in witches cursing them, when in reality the people they went so far as to kill were innocent.

Another extreme example I thought of that I've learned about in the past was in the middle ages there was a phenomenon called lycanthropy. There was a mass panic that someone had been bitten by a werewolf, and a ton of other people would also believe they too had been bitten, and they'd act ludicrous. They'd even run around rabidly, howling and growling like a wolf would. Their culture at the time, what everyone else was doing made them think these (at least what seems to us) insane delusions.

As I contemplated whether or not I have any irrational self-esteem deficiencies due to my culture, I found it hard to think of any specific things I personally have issues with. This is most likely due in part to the positive side of the United State's culture that values uniqueness. There is a much wider scope for the ought-self, than there would be in some other countries. Of course that doesn't mean we don't have irrational thought processes due to our culture. There is plenty. One that I think effects a lot of people is how doing well in school is seen as so important, people will consider themselves dumb if they don't do well in it. But the thing with school is sometimes it doesn't matter how smart you are if you aren't very gifted with academics and the system they operate under. Some people don't have 'book smarts' as they say, but 'street smarts.' This is troublesome for those who are like this because they'll forever think they're stupid because they don't get grades like the 'smart kids.' Their real-self- their smart self, doesn't match with culture's expectations that a smart person gets good grades. 

I find myself and others of my faith to be at an abnormal advantage to the world when it comes to seeing rationally and keeping a leveled self-esteem though, because we've have had a delightful consistent reminder in our doctrine. It's plainly stated in this scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." Knowing there's a potential to become more than mere mortals on earth buoys up the spirit, and rises above the cage of cultural demands. Not to mention we also know that we have our agency which helps us to know we have a choice to do what will advance the real-self, rather than just lining up to fit in with the ought-self.

What I think the biggest thing we can learn with this knowledge in our hands is that we should often take time to evaluate some of the things we do or think and see if they're making us happy. If they're not, we can say there's a possibility it's because our real-self isn't aligning with our ought-self. Then we'll be able to tell if we can change what we can so we'll be happier by not being trapped my societal expectations. 



















sources:
https://video.byui.edu/media/06+Culture+and+Psychology/0_s4h3d6bc

2/18/20; Week 7: Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom

Labels- What's in the bottle? 

What's in the bottle above? Is it soda? It looks like maybe it could be chocolate milk, or perhaps it's just dirty water. There's only one way to find out- taste it. 

We have no idea what's in the bottle! Based on our past experiences with liquids of this color, we will judge it to be whatever we think it is, most likely before we ever chance to taste it. We'll put a label on it, whatever we think it is. It looks like dirty water to me, therefore it is dirty water. 

Do we do this with people? Someone's behaviors may paint them a certain color to us, and we label that color to fit in our minds with what we have understood it to be in the past, based on our past experiences, and our culture. Take for instance a teacher who as a student that never comments in a class, never participates, never looks the teacher in the eye. That student could be labeled by the teacher as standoffish, rude, maybe even dumb because they don't respond the way other students do. But if we taste what's inside that bottle, or get to know the student, we might find that student is merely trying to be respectful to the teacher.

As a teacher in the diverse TESOL classroom, we will be dealing with students that have certain behaviors that we may not be used to. It might take us a while to get used to them, but we shouldn't judge them immediately as negative behaviors, when we don't know the behavior's purpose. John J. Ivers, professor at BYU-Idaho in his lecture on cross-cultural students in the classroom tells us,"Whenever a student is from a different place or ethnic group or something does anything weird, you have to give them the benefit of the doubt. Even though you may be interpreting it negatively, it may not be meant negatively." As teachers one of the best things we can do is to hold off on our assumptions about a student. Because whether we realize it or not, it could change the way we treat them, even with little things. The little things add up, and may jeopardize the student's entire learning experience. 


It seems to me the biggest culprit to misunderstandings among diverse groups of people is the labels, or impressions we place on others.Just one simple gesture from another person, can paint them an entirely different color, even if their intentions are pure. The bottle of soda could turn into dirty water with a blink of an eye if we don't take the time to open up the bottle and taste it. (Don't literally taste your student, you could get arrested.) Metaphorically speaking, I think it's critical we make a genuine effort to understand our students, as well as anyone else we know, before we wrongly label them in our minds. It would be a sad thing to miss out on a wonderful relationship with someone because of a simple misjudgment.   

Have any of you been in a situation where you had to reevaluate your presumption of someone? Did you end up learning something interesting about them?





Sources:
https://video.byui.edu/media/06+Cross-Cultural+Students+in+the+Classroom/0_r2lcaswt

2/18/20; Week 7:Differences in Manners

Be Careful with your Food, you Could Cause a War. 

At a round table in the middle of Lebanon, my sister sits with her boyfriend and his family for a meal in a nice restaurant. They laugh and talk, using chopsticks to dip their food into the bowl of sauce they each have. My sister dips her pastry into the sauce, but loses her grip and the pastry plops into the sauce. She tries to go back in to rescue it, but her boyfriend discreetly squeezes her arm and shakes his head firmly with wide eyes. Under his breath, so no one can hear he says "don't reach back in for it." She was to pretend she'd never dropped it. 

In Lebanese culture, they have some strict table manners. My sister nearly broke one of them. It's very rude to dig around in the sauce with your own chopsticks even if you did drop your food in there. He later explained this to her, that his family would have been pretty shocked if she'd done what she was about to. 

Now imagine my sister was a diplomat having an important dinner with an international ally, and no one had been there to stop her from committing such a sin. It could have had disastrous implications. They would have been insulted, or thought she was a slob, which might have caused them to consider her whole country as offenders. A diplomat being rude to another country can cause horrible things- even wars or betrayal. This goes to show how important it is to know about another country's difference in manners. 

Even on a smaller scale, such as the TESOL classroom, a difference in manners and interpretations of those manners can end very badly. Say I'm teaching a class of students in Thailand, and to congratulate them on doing something right, I pat them on the head- a part of the body they considered very sacred. Touching it is incredibly disrespectful. Without knowing I just made that student feel horrible, and probably ruined his experience in class. This can disrupt learning and possibly even self-esteem issues. That's a big deal! 

To think that a difference in a simple mannerism such as touching someone on the head, or doing something to your food that seems normal to you- can cause such a negative reactions in others! It's crucial we be careful of our mannerisms around other cultures- especially our impressionable young students. 











Sources: 

https://video.byui.edu/media/06+Difference+in+Manners/0_xc0a34gb

https://people.howstuffworks.com/13-examples-of-good-and-bad-manners-around-the-world3.htm

2/16/20; Week 6: Personal Space Differences

Get out of my BUBBLE 

If you watch even just the first minute of this video, you'll see how uncomfortable the girl is. It's not just because of his bulging eyes or what he's saying, it's his loudness, and his proximity. All of which are invading her personal space. 

Everyone has a limit to their 'personal space,' and those who come from a culture that like a lot of distance, or quiet can easily clash with those from those who are used to being close. 

I had a bit of an strange experience that I thought of as I pondered times I had invaded or been invaded by someone's proximity. One of my old roommates was from Scotland, and she had this British friend who came over who I never really talked to. But she told me one day that he didn't like me. And I was like- "what? I've never even talk to him! How could he 'not like' me?" And she told me how it was because one time he'd come over with some friends and I had just woken up from a nap when I went into the lounge where they all were. I was heavily disoriented, it was a deep nap, and seeing all the unfamiliar faces right off the bat confused me. So I imagine I might have looked a bit like a troll coming out of my room the way I did as I kept asking them "who are you? Who are you?" I wasn't harassing them or anything, I was just dazed, I wasn't being rude in any way- I always love company! But her British friend thought that I was rude with how 'loud' I was. (I am telling you I really wasn't loud! I was quite calm actually- picture sleepy off of Snow White- I was in the kind of state). Yet I suppose the mannerisms I'd displayed in that moment that all of my American roommates didn't have a problem with, seemed off-putting and abrupt to him who likes a lot of quiet and personal space. 

This goes to show how good it is to know a little bit about where someones bubble lies and what will penetrate it. In my case, asking forward questions in a not very hushed tone was 'rude.' What a blessing this knowledge will be in the classroom! I'll know to tread lightly with new students, and test them gradually to figure them out, so I don't scare them off like I did that British guy.

What's funny is I'm an American, and I frightened a person from Britain with my idea of personal space, yet I've had friends from Brazil tell me they think most Americans are quite 'cold.' I've also heard that even across the United States there is a variation between how close people talk. 

Knowing about personal buffers and boundaries in others can help us realize when we are judging someone. Those who come from a different culture might be seen as weird when they don't associate with others the same way. This can be vital information both in the TESOL classroom, and life when we observe others and try to understand how to approach them. 




Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8FQsg12hoY (You should really watch this, it made me laugh- It's got people being crammed into a subway) 

https://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/book_of_body_language/chap9.html

https://video.byui.edu/media/05+Personal+Space+Differences/0_yz4lk5f0

2/16/20; Week 6: Attributional Tendencies

What's your cause? 

So it's your fault!
But
See, it's her fault!
But
And it isn't mine at all!
But what?
Well, if you hadn't gone
Back up again
We were needy
You were greedy!
Did you need that hen?
But I got it for my mother!
So it's her fault then! 

This is just a short snippet of the lyrics from the song "it's your fault" from the musical "Into the Woods." The characters are all in a circle pointing fingers at each other, trying to place blame for the sticky situation they got caught in. If you can- you should check it out, it's catchy, and teaches a good message. It correctly conveys how the circle of blame tends to go in circles.

 What or who do you blame when something bad happens? We blame because it gives cause to our effect. It's a natural human tendency. However, where we tend to attribute the cause to can be a result of our culture, or sometimes even our personality. The judgements we make from the events in our lives or the things we do, are our attributional tendencies. There's internal attribution where you place the cause of an event due to your own actions, and there's external attribution where you place the cause of an event on outside people or forces. These can be positive or negative.  

To be honest I'd never really thought about attributional tendencies being a cultural thing until viewing John J. Iver's lecture on attributional tendencies. It makes me wonder what it is in a culture that makes us lean towards internal versus external attributions. Personally, I think it's very circumstantial for me, though I could be biased in certain situations where I might not know the full story. I think what I can learn from knowing how it can be cultural though, is that it will make me more aware of what I'm attributing my problems or successes to.  I know I, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believe that I have agency to choose my own behavior, and therefore technically that decides the consequences. However I have been a culprit in the past of external attributions, thinking that God was 'punishing' me. I don't really believe this is true, but truly we humans can get caught up in our ideas and focus so much on the negative things that we become illogical.  

Knowing about the differences people have in their attrubutional tendencies, I'll be better prepared when certain situations arise in the classroom, like when a student finds themselves guilty over having spilt the milk,when really someone pushed them into it. I won't be able to simply tell them that it's not their fault, because cultural paradigms are too deeply ingrained into us for it to be that simple. But rather, I know now that I can come from their point of view, understanding how they view the situation, and I can guide them through to a more rational conclusion. 

Overall, attributional tendencies are something we deal with everyday, and it's our choice where we attribute the cause to, if only we are aware of the cultural biases we might have. It also helps us as TESOL teachers who deal with students from all over who might have various attributional tendencies we will need to learn about. 

What sort of tendencies do you guys have in your cultures? Do you think your personality has anything to do with it? 

Sources to check out: 

"Your fault." 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1dnTvbdtyo

https://wattersattribution.wordpress.com/bias-in-attribution/

https://www.sparknotes.com/psychology/psych101/socialpsychology/section3/

https://video.byui.edu/media/05+Attributional+Tendencies+in+Cultures/0_u45682wd

2/13/20; Week 6: Individualism Vs. Collectivism

Individualism Vs. Collectivism 


See if you can notice the difference between this set of quotes- 

“It's weird not to be weird.” - John Lennon 

"It's my right!" - Every American ever. 

“I hold it to be the inalienable right of anybody to go to hell in his own way.”― Robert Frost




And this set of quotes- 

"It's better that one man should Perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief." -  1 Nephi 4:13


Collectivism requires self-sacrifice, the subordination of one's interests to those of others - Ayn Rand


One set of quotes places importance on the individual and doing what they want to do. The second set seems to emphasize an individuals need to do what is best for the society, or becoming one with others.  

Did you choose what university you wanted to go to based on what or how you wanted to study, or where your family needed to be? What about what you chose to wear this morning? Was it based on what color would make you pop, or what might help you blend in more? These decisions are based on whether or not we live our lives individualistically or collectively. On one hand in individualism, sticking out and being unique is praised and will get you higher places in society. In collectivism it's all about the unit, how it grows as one. Depending on where your from, you probably lean one way or the other in your daily decisions. 

When it comes to assessing the behavior and needs of my future students that will come from all over the world, there's a lot to learn. John J. Ivers, professor at BYU- Idaho gave a lecture on Individualism vs. Collectivism and he talked about how there was a Japanese baseball team that went drinking. When they got in trouble for drinking and driving, not just the driver got his license taken away, but everyone on the team did. This story made me think about how some students in the future might expect me to treat them differently. I haven't thought about that much in the past- how much a student would expect of me as a teacher. They might end up thinking I'm being unfair if their expectations don't match with my behavior. 

There are many potential misunderstandings that could surface from those that lean towards an individual culture versus a group culture. For one, those in an individualistic culture might try to stand out in the classroom, and be overly communicative. Where as those from a collective culture might not stand out on purpose, and as someone from an individualistic culture, we might take that the wrong way. To better be prepared for these issues I'll have to understand why my students do certain things that they do. I'll need to learn as much as I can about their home life and how it will influence their needs in the classroom. 

Something I wonder about the clashing of these two cultures that I'd like to ask you guys to answer in the comments is: what benefits or drawbacks you see that come from living in either of these two cultures? 

P.S. fun fact- it took me forever to find any positive quotes on collectivism when I looked on the internet! Which I thought was very interesting, a lot of them were quite negative about it! Google takes into consideration where you live- maybe if I lived in Japan or some other place that is very group orientated I would have been given different search results! 














Sources to check out-
John J. Ivers's lecture on Individualism vs. Collectivism


https://video.byui.edu/media/05+Individualism+vs+Collectivism/0_ojon0rjc

2/11/20; Week 6: Differences in Emotional Expressivity

Differences in Emotional Expressivity 

This week I had the opportunity to listen to a lecture from John J. Ivers, a professor at BYU-Idaho about differences in emotional expressivity. He talked about how low-expressivity would be akin to someone being more stoic in public than in private, and those with higher expressivity, very vocal and expressive with their emotions. 

I remember a time where I, a girl from a culture of moderate expressivity, was very intimidated by high emotional expressivity. When I was about ten I went with my step mom to visit her friend from Greece because she wanted to be to be friends with her son, Nico. Greeks have very high expressivity, and when she would ask me questions it would sometimes startle me and I wasn't sure what to say. 

She'd say abruptly, "Well- when do you want to come over and play with Nico?" Which is a simple question, but in my mind, I didn't want to seem demanding or obtrusive, so I just shrugged, smiling. "Whenever is fine." 

And she'd say "Speak up and make up your mind, girl. Just tell me what you want. Don't be shy- I don't like when people are shy!" 

I remember feeling my face going hot, even as I kept a plastered smile on and tried to be polite. I wasn't sure how to react to someone being so direct. 

It's funny because in my perspective, she was all up in my grill, and I was a tad terrified. But to her, I was being difficult by not being forward with my thoughts and speaking up. What's even funnier is how I have been in the reverse situation where I intimidated a boy in one of my classes who was from China, who was quite introverted. When I spoke to him, I was animated and asked him a lot of questions that at times would cause him to stare at me, stiff, his pupils small. I hadn't realized I'd 'come on a little too strong,' until later, which I think is how those from low-expressive countries would few those with higher expressivity. Have you guys even been made uncomfortable in situations like that?  

My experiences being in both situations help me to be conscientious of how it would play into my role as a teacher. I don't want to frighten my students how I was, or how I did to that poor quiet Chinese boy. This got me thinking how it would be entertaining for TESOL students to do activities aimed to help them practice awareness of others expressive levels and their own. So I started to research some ideas for games to help exercise their awareness. I found an article with a list of good ideas that immerse students in one another's cultures which I listed down below. One of my favorites in that list which I plan to use in class someday was "Saying Hello" where you have the students explain to each other what they do in their own cultures to greet, not just in their language, but also their body language. I liked this one the most because body language is the number one way people show their emotions, so what better way to get them used to understanding each other?   

Do you guys think that you could benefit from activities like that with your future or maybe current students? Let me know what level of expressivity you think you (as an individual) might have! 

Sources to check out- 

John J. Iver's lecture on Differences in Emotional Expressivity 

https://video.byui.edu/media/05+Differences+in+Emotional+Expressivity/0_753le546

Cultural Shock Activities 

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-culture-shock-activities/

2/9/20; Week 5: Cultural Miscommunication

What do you think when someone pushes into you to get past, and cuts you in line? You most likely thing- depending on where you're from- 'how dare they? I've been waiting here for ages!' However when I was in Korea I had to quickly learn there really is no such thing as a line. I'd be just about to reach the front of the line to get something at McDonalds, and someone would cut right in front of me. Koreans will push and shove through a crowd without saying excuse me like we usually do in the United States. To them, it's a norm, it's not rude at all. In fact if you got upset with them about it, you'd probably become the rude one.

What about if you're visiting Korea, and you have a baby with you, then someone just comes up and takes your baby away from you? Do you freak out? You shouldn't- Korea is one of the safest countries in the world, and it's part of their culture to dote on children because they don't see them very often over there. When I was a baby my mother took me to Korea to visit my father (he was on a military deployment) and she had Korean women come up and take baby me away from her, take photos, wander around, show their friends, then eventually they'd come back and return me. My mother is a pretty laid back lady, and knew about how safe Korea was so she wasn't too worried when her baby was taken by a stranger, but to someone who didn't know, that might have caused quite a few problems.

It's situations like these where we can easily misinterpret a situation that shows how important it is to understand people's intentions. It's why we should learn as much as we can about those we come into contact with, so we don't harbor any ill will towards others. Something I liked that John J. Ivers, professor at BYU-Idaho said in his lecture on cultural miscommunications, "And so again, be aware of those potential misunderstandings, and realize that those people have good intentions. They have good intentions, they are just working off of different paradigms."

This week's topic about cultural miscommunications is such a fun and significant topic for everyone. Particularly for those who plan to teach those who are learning not only a new language, but an entirely new culture as well. I feel like I've said this in every blog this week- but these cultural misunderstandings deeply emphasize how we need to get to know our students, and that's something that can't be said enough. The more we learn about our students and their culture, the more we can avoid painful misunderstandings that can end with someone hurt. But if we do know and do understand them, it's always entertaining to learn a new way of looking at something!





Link to Brother Iver's lecture about cultural miscommunications. https://video.byui.edu/media/04%20Cultural%20Miscommunication%20/0_3aaa6xxh/28027982

2/7/20; Week 5: Cultural Differences concerning TIME

Slaves to a Clock 

Mono means one, which means monochronic time has only one time, one schedule we follow, and that's by the clock. It's interesting to me that in monochronic societies we let the clock rule rather than our needs. We don't typically eat when we are hungry or go to sleep when we are tired, we do it at the time we are supposed to. This is an intriguing concept to me because it makes me wonder when we let this little ticking thing rule our lives. Do you guys feel like those who deal in polychronic societies are happier in some ways because they're doing more of what they want, rather than what they're 'supposed' to do? Since they're able to eat when they're hungry and sleep when they're tired, go to the appointment whenever they want, so long as it's with a friend, is that less stressful? Looking at people who I know who live by polychronic time, it seems they are much less stressed and highly strung than the monochronic time followers I'm used to. 

My wedding was a time where I saw the differences in cultural schedules quite plainly. My family is from the United States, and my husbands family are Maori's from New Zealand, so they're Polynesian. And like most Polynesians, they live on polychronic time, where as my all American family is entirely monochronic. We were supposed to set up for the reception at five o'clock, and my father, who's a go-go man shows up half-past four. I could tell as the time ticked on and it well past five, and my in-laws hadn't shown up, my father who was running around like a maniac would look at the time and go a little stiff. He didn't say it, because he was just barley meeting this new family of mine, who was playing at the beach like there was no tomorrow (we were in Hawaii). We really did need the help, there was quite a bit to set up, the reception was at six, and it was probably fifteen minutes before that when they finally showed. Having been already used to my husband and his slow, 'we'll get there when we get there' attitude, I wasn't as bothered as my dad was. My in-laws didn't apologize for showing up late, because to them, it's a wedding, not a job interview. It's something to be enjoyed, and to take however much time is needed. To my dad, they should have been rushing in like he did, setting everything up so it was perfect, right in time for others to show up. 
Who had a more fun, loose, easygoing time at that wedding? You can guess- my Polynesian polychronic in-laws. They weren't bugged when the music wasn't working right in time, and others were on their way, my American monochronic father was though.  

I think this is something to learn from. It's something that I had to learn just being married to someone from a completely different culture. He doesn't take appointments or times so seriously, he takes it easy, unless it's an emergency. This is something I don't do, I hurry and I rush and try to get places right on time, no matter who it is I'm dealing with. Students I have in the future might also be the same. They might not take due-dates or the school schedule as law like other students do, and I have to learn to be patient with that. I have to take into account that they might not want to do something on the same time as I want them to. The same goes with life outside the classroom. When I was going to BYU-Hawaii, where most of the staff is made up of Polynesians related to another, I had to deal with the nepotism that went on there. To me, it was frustrating, and caused a lot of 'wasted time' for me. I have too many instances to mention where there was a mix up in my school stuff because of how slow the system was (believe me I wasn't the only one with this issue either). But maybe I can learn something from them. Polychronic followers are run by a different clock than the one that ticks. Maybe I can learn to be a bit more like them in some aspects, and take things as they come. Afterall, Americans are known to have higher blood pressure because of the constant pressure and persistent need to be functioning. It's that need in monochronic societies to be continuously doing something, going somewhere, that leads to a lack of sleep, or a lack of nutrition because of the incessant reaching for convenient, prepackaged food. I had a friend from Peru tell me she was abhorred by the amount of fast food when she got to America. She placed a lot of value in cooking, and spending time in eating food with family around.   

So that's my question for all of you- what do you feel like you could learn from someone who operates their schedule on a totally different rhythm than yours? Do you feel like there would be merit in adjusting it in some way? Depending on where your from, you might not think so.Or maybe you feel like there's a better way.I know my father is one of those that finds monochronic time to be 'superior; because it tampers with others precious time when we don't take procedure and time as law. He also believes nothing important ever gets done properly without a schedule or plan. Maybe some of you might think polychronic timing would be the superior schedule. My husband is one of those. He thinks that people like my dad are going to die of coronary heart disease from being so tight all the time. Is it really just a cultural paradigm that makes these times seem better or worse to us? Possibly there are pros and cons in following both kinds of time, and we could find a balance. Do you disagree? Why or why not? I'm curious to see what you think!

2/4/20; Week 5:Cultural Paradigms

Different Paradigms

Brother Ivers said in his lecture about cultural paradigms, "Two different people from two different cultures can witness the very same event and their supercomputers that are their brains... are going to run those actions by and they are going to match them up with different paradigms with different interpretations."   

By that statement, a paradigm can be defined as the lens through which we see the world, or define aspects of our living. Everyone has various paradigms according to their culture and the values and norms they were raised on.  

I visit a sunny beach in California, and I see men and women laying out exposed on the sand. From head to toe they're as bare as they can legally be, bikinis and swim trunks, to have the sun kiss every inch of their skin. I visit a sunny beach in Korea, and I see umbrella's up every which way, women clad in long sleeves, sunglasses, and hats, squirting thick bursts of sunscreen onto the few patches of skin they'll let the sun glimpse. Why are they so different? California girls want to have (in the words of Katy Perry) 'sun kissed skin so hot they melt your popsicle.' Korean's want to be 'paler than the moon.' Their ideas (or paradigms) of what perfect, beautiful skin looks like has a stark contrast.
In the picture above, both women have very different paradigms of what freedom and equality looks like.  And in the Ted talk from Delali Bright, her country also has a very different paradigm than America does of the 'perfect' size of a women. American women always want to be lighter, while in West Africa where Delali is from, they want to be heavier. How can it be they're so different? 

All those examples really put things into perspective. They show us plainly how, "Culture creates false needs and false problems," as Brother Ivers said. To a Korean, it's a problem to be too browned, but a success to the average American, therefore it's a false problem because it's not permanent.  

The knowledge of cultural paradigms can be incredibly useful in the classroom. By acknowledging the differences between the way our diverse students may view things based on where they're from can be immensely valuable. One student might see their speaking out in class as rude and inappropriate, and we get frustrated because we want them to speak out. This is why it's important to get to know our student individually and their cultures so we can teach in the best way for them.  

I've also found that the knowledge of cultural paradigms in my own life can be useful as well. Delali Bright in her talk mentioned how we shouldn't let our cultures, or others around us define our self-image. Why? Because they're temporary and meaningless definitions of who we are. Who knows when the next culture change will come along and our ideas of beauty, success, equality, freedom will change? We don't. This is why it hits me how much I'm grateful for the gospel and the permanence it gives to our self- identity. The scriptures and latter day Prophets give us laws and principles that are eternal and unchanging that guide us to real success and freedom. 

References: 
"

Cultural clashes in defining beauty" by Delali Bright:  https://www.ted.com/talks/delali_bright_cultural_clashes_in_defining_beauty#t-241090 

Culture Paradigms Brother Ivers video: https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/html5/html5lib/v2.80/mwEmbedFrame.php/p/1157612/uiconf_id/43228871/entry_id/0_9w0czg1f?wid=_1157612&iframeembed=true&playerId=kaltura_player_1539879321&entry_id=0_9w0czg1f

1/13/2020; Week 02: Response to "Is the Great American Teacher Dead?"

Transcend 

If I were to describe the article "Is the Great American Teacher Dead?" In one word I would say it is all about 'transcending.' Guiding both ourselves and our students to transcendence. The concept of transcendence is defined as "going beyond normal limitations."

The reason I love the word transcend so much is because it gives the impression of moving to a higher, better mental state where we are progressing in a phenomenal way. Transcending is expanding our mental views to greater heights. This struck me as the most important thing to take away from the article because it expresses the need for it in our teaching. The article teaches the significance of pushing past our cultural views that might be limiting us in our teaching (as well as our lives in general).

America got the smack down from other countries, calling us out and relating us to the soviet union. If that's not being below the bar, I don't know what is, but the sad part is I wasn't as surprised to hear that as I should be. It's easier to see it in our society and educational systems than we think! How often to we hear about those who do this and that for the 'grade.' All of it is about how competitive we are, particularly the concept of curved grades, where you can't just be well-learned, you have to be better than others. I see this as an issue because instead of focusing on transcending and widening our mental eyesight,  it's a battle for memorization, and spitting out facts. If there's anything that was clear in this article- all about how vital delivery is to teaching- it's that facts mean nothing without a little 'pizaz'. I use the bit of a made up word 'pizaz' to mean the kind of teaching that dazzles students, transforming the way they think, helping them to become less of a slave to 'cultural addiction.'

It was interesting to find how ingrained our deep our minds can be nestled into our own cultural pockets when feeling things that we don't need to feel like 'false needs' as the article stated. This was something that stuck out to me because it can help us focus more on the human universals that all students can benefit from. If we focus on those, it seems we'll be better off knowing how to truly guide our students to transcendence.

The good news in hearing that we have a lot to improve on is how we have the opportunity to revamp the system! Or at least do our best to revamp our own systems. We can create our own classroom environment one that is less about cranking like a machine through our assignments, and more about pondering them, letting them enrich our lives.  That's what transcending seems all about.

What do you think transcending means in the classroom? How do we help our students in the future to 'transcend' and develop an appetite for learning?
One thing I think helps me to hunger for more learning, is feeling that one little spark in the beginning that come when a question is answered. Maybe I could find a way to incorporate that into my classroom. Let me know your thoughts!

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