Culture. . . What's that?

The following lines are a few sites and how they define culture:

Culture is the social behavior and norms found in human societies. (Wikipedia)

The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. (Google).

a :  the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generationsb :  the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also :  the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time.c :  the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.d :  the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal characteristic.(Mariam Webster)

--the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.--that which is excellent in the arts, manners, etc.--a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period: (Dictionary.com)

All of these hit on our class definition of culture - the growth/development of human characteristics and social norms through the integration of beliefs, values, and traditions based on place and time, shared by a group of people.

Like we said in class, culture is complex. There is culture for every area of life - within families, religion, race, friends, community, language, gender, social class, etc. Defining it is extremely difficult. However, it is something we must teach within our classroom.

As a teacher, we are always growing to improve our instruction. One way to do that is by learning about different cultures. As a future ESL teacher, I will have students of different ethnicities, who are greatly influenced by their cultures. It is important for me as a teacher to understand their cultures and where they come from so that we can effectively instruct them. I need to display these cultures within my classroom and make all of my students feel safe. Having lessons on their culture, having them present on their culture, and supporting events dealing with their cultures all helps show them that their culture and other cultures are important and valuable.

This class will improve my knowledge of diverse populations and how to better instruct each individual. I look forward to continue to learn about various cultures and how to incorporate learning for all. The incorporation of various technology tools will help me understand them better and potentially use them within my own classroom, which is always a plus!