To find out more about the culture of your students outside of school
Aim
To find out more about the culture of your students outside of school and to develop strategies for harnessing this knowledge in school.
Evidence and reflection
Be on the lookout for, and make full use of, those occasions when you meet your students out of school, for example in local supermarkets, cinema, church, parks, swimming pool. On such occasions make time to observe your students interacting with their families and friends. Strike up conversations with their parents, carers and friends and use these to get to learn more about the student and their family, for example recent and forthcoming family events. Make this an exchange – not just an exercise in you getting to know about them. These are especially valuable opportunities as the territory is neutral so parents who feel somewhat intimidated by speaking to teachers at school may feel more comfortable within this more mutual kind of conversational exchange.
Allow home culture and street culture to come into school by adopting an open-minded and welcoming attitude to students bringing in various artefacts, photographs, toys, music, food, and souvenirs. Whilst certain artefacts from home may seem to threaten school values, (e.g. excessive playground trading of collectable cards), think carefully before out-lawing them. Where possible find ways to incorporate such things into the curriculum.
Keep a notebook of information about each student’s culture.
