can guide us to ask important questions.
Instead of interpreting behaviors from your
own cultural personal perspective, ask questions when you do not understand.
Examine your own cultural beliefs to help enhance your acceptance and understanding of
others, and explain differences. The question
"Why do I perceive things the way I do?" will
help facilitate your understanding of the
world and encourage reflection.
Recommendation:
Learn about important factors of your students'
culture. The more you understand the students' cultures, the more you will be able to incorporate them into the curriculum. You will
also have a better understanding of your students' behaviors and world views.
When first encountered with emerging bilinguals with visual impairments, educators who
work with these students may feel challenged or
even overwhelmed by the additional teaching
skills required to meet the linguistic and academic
needs of these students. However, teaching students who are visually impaired and are becoming bilingual also presents multiple opportunities
for professional and personal growth that may
lead to becoming a more knowledgeable and
sensitive educator. For Camilo's teachers, who
have seen him grow from a 3-year-old who had
not yet mastered his own native language to a
young man who is now enrolled in a local community college, the rewards have been immense.
32
