Johneye's question about cultural differences

At the meeting with Mr. Richardson, Johneye asked an important question how we can relate to kids given our cultural differences. I wanted to share some thoughts about this.

First, the kids notice race and cultural differences just as most people do. This may shape their perception early on but eventually what matters is who we are and what we do for them in our daily interactions. If they see that we care about and want to help them, our background is minimized as a factor.

We have many commonalities as it is. I talk to my kids about being prepared for high school, doing the right thing, and about simple things like clothes or food. If a kid yells at another kid, I'll ask him if he's having a bad day because we all have bad days. If an 8th grader is choosing a certain high school, I'll ask why and tell them a little about high school life - e.g. some kids drive to school and you have a lot more choices for your schedule. If a kid grabs a pencil from another student, I'll talk to her about alternative choices for the behavior. One of my students always knows the score of the Clemson basketball games and tells me. I tell him how evil the Yankees are.

In short, the kids care more about how we interact with them on a daily basis than about race or culture.