misaligned minds in schools and classrooms
This is the first of four holistic chapters that each include nineteen true stories illustrating how cross-cultural differences complicate teaching. This chapter introduces you to the immense variety of academic situations in which cross-cultural differences lead to mental misalignments and then to procedural and/or learning complications in educational settings of every type.
1.01
Pupils, be careful how you look at your teacher
Place: United States
Level: fifth grade
People: white teacher, Puerto Rican pupil
Summary: Citing disrespect, teacher sends pupil to the principal’s office.
1.02
Japanese girl’s rude awakening in an American kindergarten
Place: United States
Level: kindergarten
People: Japanese girl, U.S. teachers
Summary: During musical chairs, girl allows her friend to grab available seat.
1.03
How best to teach literacy to Native Alaskan pupils
Place: Alaska
Level: lower primary
People: Native teachers, non-Native consultant
Summary: Teachers disagree with consultant’s recommendation.
1.04
Teacher misinterprets Chinese students’ English comprehension
Place: China
Level: university
People: Canadian English teacher, local students
Summary: Misinterpreting laughter, teacher thinks students understand him.
1.05
European business school lecturer encounters a surprise
Place: Europe
Level: business school
People: English and French students, bicultural teacher
Summary: Students discuss case studies very differently.
1.06
Alternative explanations for a Navajo student’s long absence
Place: U.S. Southwest
Level: seventh grade
People: Navajo student, Anglo teacher
Summary: Student is absent for over a week; parents seem unconcerned.
1.07
Cross-cultural contrasts surface in an Illinois town’s high school
Place: Illinois
Level: high school
People: American teacher and students
Summary: Students from very different neighborhoods don’t study in study hall.
1.08
Male–female complications at a graduate school in Brazil
Place: Brazil
Level: university
People: female American teacher, male Brazilian student
Summary: Student seems to sexually approach teacher.
1.09
Hong Kong students confound a cultural expert’s prediction
Place: Hong Kong
Level: university
People: faculty, external consultant
Summary: Consultant wrongly predicts students’ reaction to portfolios.
1.10
Corporate trainers’ credibility lost in the first five minutes
Place: Japan
Level: corporate training
People: American trainers, Japanese trainees
Summary: Trainees react negatively to trainers’ personal style.
1.11
Mohawk and Anglo educators attempt to collaborate
Place: New York State
Level: district
People: district educators, Mohawk representatives
Summary: Mohawks react negatively to educators’ discussion style.
1.12
British trainer’s style irritates his German trainees
Place: Germany
Level: corporate training
People: British trainer, trainees from Germany & U.S.
Summary: Germans dislike trainer’s handling of U.S. trainee.
1.13
The preschool art activity that didn’t replicate abroad well
Place: California
Level: preschool
People: pupils in Denmark, other pupils in U.S.
Summary: Successful art activity in Danish preschool yields chaos in U.S. preschool.
1.14
Good sentences don’t always make good paragraphs
Place: United States
Level: adult English class
People: Korean student, U.S. teacher
Summary: U.S.-style paragraph construction baffles a Korean student.
1.15
Anglo teachers’ explanations for Navajo pupils’ silence
Place: U.S. Southwest
Level: primary
People: Anglo teachers, researcher
Summary: Researcher critiques teachers’ explanations for Navajo pupils’ silence.
1.16
Hawaiian pupils’ atypical pattern of question-answering
Place: Hawaii
Level: lower primary
People: Hawaiian pupils, researcher
Summary: Pupils found to have an unusual pattern of responding to questions.
1.17
Nonverbal misalignment at the nursery school level
Place: U.S. Northeast
Level: preschool
People: Black and white girls, white teacher
Summary: Teacher and Black girls found to have misaligned nonverbals.
1.18
Navajo pupils’ “game” at the science activity center
Place: U.S. Southwest
Level: primary
People: Anglo teachers, Navajo pupils
Summary: Pupils spontaneously enact a fascinating game using class materials.
1.19
One word’s implications in two different societies
Place: United States
Level: graduate school
People: Sri Lankan student, U.S. professors
Summary: Student submits original papers, but teachers say they’re not original.