Christopher Emdin's Influence Of Culture In The Classroom
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One’s culture is often learned by watching other people and imitating their actions. The same goes for learning a subject or a language. Generally, languages can even define a culture. In the United States, a way into the culture is to learn the predominant language. This is true for other cultures, as well. A great place to learn, is in a classroom. Christopher Emdin, author of For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood... and the Rest of Y 'all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education, describes the ideal classroom setting for teaching students how to effectively code switch. Mrs. Hamma’s Basic English course depicted in Nicholasa Mohr’s short story, “The English Lesson,” is a great representation of this setting. Evidently, Emdin’s claims validate Mrs. Hamma’s teaching style when students are respected in the classroom, able to engage with others from different communities, gain a hybridized identity, attain the ability to code switch effectively inside and outside the classroom and improve their position in the country for the future.
According to Emdin’s definition, Mrs. Hamma’s teaching style is respectful towards students, which leads to enjoyment of education and respect toward others. Emdin affirms that in the classroom, “It is imperative that students neoindigenous dialect and culture are respected” (182). When Mrs. Hamma teaches her students how to show respect towards all, Emdin’s take on effective teaching is seen. For instance, when she expressed, “Didn 't he do