Culturally Aware: My experiences with Islamic Culture

During a time of increased Islamaphobia, it is vital for an educator to be aware of such discriminatory views and ensure they are checked at the door. Unintentionally, I have attended a series of workshops and presentations centered around cultural awareness pertaining to Islamic culture.

My very first exposure to this topic was freshman year with the professional development workshop, "Teaching Islam and Muslims in the Contemporary World." This workshop was presented by a retired elementary school teacher who was a practicing Muslim, hijab and all, so her religious beliefs could not (and would not) be hidden. The focus of her workshop was on educating teachers on the Islamic religion and the culture surrounding it. She placed emphasis on the the ways teachers could use pieces of information to educate/expose their students to Islam. Our presenter explained fear is rooted in the unknown, so if we can give our students a better understanding of Islamic culture the fear will dissipate 

The next was a "Schools of Faith" tour with the N.C. State Teaching & Principal Fellows programs. The very first school stop was an Islamic school, located in the Raleigh Islamic Community Center. This school, like most schools of faith, integrate the Islamic religion into the daily lives and lessons of their students and teachers. It was interesting to walk through the school and see students embracing their own culture. This trip helped me to further understand the values of Muslims in the classroom--the same as everybody else's, to be in an accepting environment where learning is valued above everything else.

My third experience was the Cultural Awareness seminar, which focus was on being aware of the culture of your students. The seminar itself discussed a World History lesson on Islam and then a discussion on the building of a Mosque at ground-zero. While some would assume a "cultural awareness" workshop would be filled with gushy, feel-good lessons, my take away was quite different. Our presenters' thesis was to be aware of your students' culture. This simple, yet so difficult, task is multi-faceted. As educators we must look to all of our students and respect their backgrounds, plain and simple. Now this is not -- beyond popular belief of administration -- to say we as teachers must forget our own cultural identity, but merely we must be devoted to learning (like all of our students) in creating a welcoming environment for education.

The final event was "Beyond the Veil," which showcased a panel of Muslim women sharing their experiences of wearing the hijab (or headscarf). This event was enlightening, because the women talked of the personal decision of faith surrounding their first time putting on the hijab. Yet another cultural misconception.

Perhaps my greatest experience with the Muslim world, is my work relationship with the Technician's Viewpoint editor, Ahmed. Ahmed and I have worked together for a couple of years and have shared a wealth of experiences and opinions with each other. Many of our opinions differ on political -- not religious -- basis. However, because we have taken the time to develop a relationship, we respect one another's opinions. Who knew that was the key!

All of these experiences have led me to the same conclusion when thinking of cultural diversity/awareness in the classroom: The "Golden Rule." We must be accepting and respectful to our students, which will in return foster respect throughout our classrooms, which will result in the respect of our students. It's that simple.

Learning about diversity through service

The MLK Jr. Service Day Challenge was a three-pronged event: listening to a speaker on diversity and equality, making lunches and medical kits for the homeless in Raleigh and taking part in a peaceful protest around campus. This event was enlightening, because of its strong connection to diversity. Being an educator in such a cultured society requires a diverse mindset and the conscious understanding of the undertones that come with this diversity. This service opportunity allowed for more than doing one’s share for their community, it reaches out to the community and spreads awareness of social issues still prevalent in today’s diverse society.

As an educator it is important to be able to understand where your students come from and how they identify in order to respect them. If you give them respect they’ll give it to you in return. The speaker at this service event discussed the importance of understanding how your actions affect others. As an educator you must take into consideration how your actions are perceived to your students. Our future classrooms will be so diverse it is imperative we understand how to make sure we, as well as our entire class, understand the importance of diversity and how it helps a team (which is what our classrooms are) work.

The service aspect of this event made sure to connect students from N.C. State and Ligon Middle School to the Raleigh community by extending a hand in providing the medical aid kits and bag lunches. This speaks to the ability we as educators have to make an impact outside of the classroom. At this event we teamed up with middle school students to demonstrate to them the importance of service and equality. I felt this was a perfect correlation to education, because of its connection to teaching students about social issues, instead of merely course content. And effective teacher is able to do both. This event helped me understand what this looks like and how I can accomplish it.

Cultural Diversity in ASB Atlanta '10

Prior to my first break freshman year I had a fellow education major interview me for the school newspaper about my application to go on an Alternative Service Break trip through the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics and Public Service (CSLEPS). At the time I was only toying with the idea of going on one and haven’t even submitted the application yet, but since I was published in print saying I planned to apply, I went straight to the website and made the deadline by one-hour. After about a week I was told I would be going on the fall break trip to Atlanta. The theme of this trip was homelessness, hunger and civil rights. The members of our team were ten other college students (be being the youngest one at the time) and four freshman from local high schools.

Our first stop (which was the exact opposite direction of Atlanta) was my home town of Greensboro. In Greensboro we went the International Museum of Civil Rights. Being from Greensboro I knew the historic background of the Woolsworth counter sit-in, and knew the museum was under construction, but I had never been there. The museum shed some significant insight on the struggles of the ‘60s civil rights movement. After staying the night in Greensboro we departed for Atlanta at 5:30 a.m.

Upon arriving in Atlanta we went straight into loading up trucks at Hosea Feeds the Hungry and Homeless foundation, and split into two groups.  I and one other college student went with the four high school freshman, to deliver meals within the city. We saw things that you would not believe. While at one of the sites, a homeless man told us, "Homelessness is not a crime, but a bad condition." Then he prayed with all of us. To see these people lose everything, and still have their faith truly touched me. I think of all the little things I question my faith with, and this made it seem dull in comparison. While delivering meals the girls told me I should teach at their school, which is always great to hear. That evening I asked one of the high school students what they thought and she replied, "It makes me appreciate what I have."

I feel with any type of social issue our society faces knowledge is the best way to combat it. The more people who are aware of the problem the more there are to find a solution. Especially with the issue of homelessness, it benefits students (of any age) to witness some less fortunate than they are to appreciate what they have and feel the compelling need to give back. A primary goal of education is to prepare students to be productive members of society. One of these aspects is to demonstrate how a citizen can give back to their community.

The main take-away for this trip was the importance of diversity and appreciation for other cultures. This is vital for our classrooms. On this trip I was one of two Caucasian students, which was very different than what I was used to. I had a small experience of what it was like to be the minority, and while it was intimidating at first cultural and racial bounds were eliminated and we all united under one cause. If we could instill this in every student that comes through our doors, we can help ignite culture change in our society.