At a recent regional educational conference I overheard a conversation between seasoned teachers about teaching in the Middle East. “I don’t know why I struggle so much with classroom management! I feel exhausted at the end of the day, rather than a sense that my students have learned something. I’m not a recess monitor, I’m a teacher!”
Acknowledging the problem is the first step in building a strategy that works towards creating caring, controlled, self-regulation classrooms that promote inclusion and successful learning outcomes. However, UNDERSTANDING the root of the problem is vital.
The conversation continued, “I have always thought of myself as a successful teacher, able to meet the needs of my students. I never had this problem in my home country. Maybe it’s just the kids here. My colleague Esma never seems to have a problem with classroom management, at least not the same problems I have.”
Well, she hit the nail right on the head, but maybe not in the way she thought. CRCM – Culturally Responsive Classroom Management is a technique and skill that acknowledges that cultural differences among students, and treats classroom management as a culturally sensitive dynamic. When a student ’s culture is different from the cultural style of their teacher it MATTERS. “Multi-Cultural knowledge is not enough. The literature on classroom management is presented as if it is culturally neutral and it’s not.” Bowers[i] Culturally diverse classrooms can be tremendously beneficial to students during classroom instruction. But, what if the teacher comes from one culture and the students are from an entirely different culture? Are there strategy considerations to be examined for classroom management?
Learning about CRCM and its application is often overlooked. Developing a teaching and classroom style that suits the student population is extremely important in a region which boasts a large offering of international schools serving a diverse population of students. If you would like to learn more about how you can benefit from a CRCM strategy, join our upcoming workshop on November 6th and build a collaborative, caring classroom that connects us with the communities where we teach.
[i] Toward a Concept of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management