Cultural Archetypes - Paraeducator Pathway [Activity]

Cultural Archetypes and Academic Learning

The Ready for Rigor Framework organizes key elements of culturally relevant teaching into four areas. Let’s focus on the first area of awareness- understanding what "culture" really means and exploring personal cultural beliefs and biases.

Awareness key elements are: 

• • Know and own your cultural lens
  • Understand the three levels of culture
  • Recognize cultural archetypes of individualism and collectivism
  • Understand how the brain learns
  • Acknowledge the socio-political context around race and language
  • Recognize your brain's triggers around race and culture
  • Broaden your interpretation of culturally and linguistically diverse students' learning behaviors

Consider your own culture and how it affects your role in the classroom. Some questions to reflect on:

• • What do you know about your cultural lens? 
  • What is your understanding of the 3 levels of culture and  individualism and collectivism in your culture?
  •  What are some of your current interpretations of cultural and linguistic diversity and how has it broadened from completing these modules?
  • Does your brain have triggers around race and culture? What are they? How do they affect your role as a paraprofessional?
  • Do you have a better understanding of how the brain learns? Will this affect your work with students?

 

Cultural Archetypes - Activity

Respond to the following prompts (6-10 sentences):

• What you discovered about your own cultural archetype (individualism versus collectivism, and oral versus written traditions) and how that connects to your work in your role as a paraeducator. 
• How your understanding of cultural and linguistic diversity has broadened from completing these modules.
• How integrating this self-reflection about your own cultural lens into your work will enhance the learning environment for all students.
• How your increased understanding of how the brain learns affects your work as a paraeducator.