Tag Archives: culture

4 Harmful Myths About Linguistically Minoritized Students

Naashia Mohamed
Naashia Mohamed

Too often, it is assumed that when students come from language and cultural backgrounds that are different from the mainstream, they are lacking in some way, and have less chance of success. Such deficit beliefs about linguistically minoritized students can … Continue reading

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Using Language Portraits to Explore Students’ Identities

Naashia Mohamed
Naashia Mohamed

Lily was born and raised in New Zealand and described herself as a Kiwi with Chinese heritage whose dominant language was English. She was proud of her Chinese background but did not use Mandarin for purposes beyond everyday conversation with … Continue reading

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Roots and Culture: Celebrating Haitian Heritage Month

Ayanna Cooper
Ayanna Cooper

May marks the 24th year that Haitian heritage month has been celebrated in the United States. Having started in Boston, Massachusetts USA, this month of celebration has been picked up by other U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Miami, and New York. … Continue reading

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Supporting Muslim Students During Ramadan: 4 Suggestions for Teachers to Consider

Naashia Mohamed
Naashia Mohamed

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan will be observed in April this year. It is a period of time when Muslims strive for spiritual purification through fasting, self-sacrifice, and increased prayer. In many Muslim-majority countries, working hours and school days … Continue reading

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The Importance of Student Stories: Celebrating Black History Month and Beyond

Ayanna Cooper
Ayanna Cooper

This February marks the 46th year of the United States officially honoring Black History Month. Other countries have also acknowledged Black history, including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. This is a time when students are learning about contributions … Continue reading

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Avoiding Tokenism in Multicultural Education: 7 Strategies

Naashia Mohamed
Naashia Mohamed

One of the common ways in which schools address cultural diversity is by hosting a Cultural Day or Cultural Week. This may involve students being invited to dress in cultural attire, share dishes from their ethnic cuisines, and perform a … Continue reading

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4 Steps to Becoming a Culturally Sustaining Teacher

Naashia Mohamed
Naashia Mohamed

In this unprecedented time of a global pandemic and increased tensions that have arisen as a result of racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural differences between groups in diverse societies around the world, education has been upended for millions of students … Continue reading

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4 Ways to Celebrate Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month: Start With Names

Judie Haynes
Judie Haynes

In 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives recognized April as the National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month. Bilingual and multilingual learners are one of the fastest growing student populations in U.S. schools. The number of English learners (ELs) grew 28.1% between … Continue reading

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