Looking at how I communicate with people of different culture, I don't think I communicate with them any differently than I do of someone from the same culture. If you would have asked me 5 years ago, I might have said yes because I was a very narrowed minded person when I started teaching. When I started teaching I thought everyone, students, colleagues, and families were are like I had growing up. I quickly realized that wasn't the case, and that people were greatly different from myself. I had to change the way I saw them, and change my way of communicating with them to be respectful. Instead of thinking of them as different, I had remind myself that just because they aren't like me, doesn't mean that I should treat them any differently then someone who is like me. I realized that if i let my personal biases and ideas come into my teaching, I wouldn't be able to form relationships with students, parents, and colleagues, that I have now.
Abby, I was also narrow minded and thought everyone had to think like me when I started teaching. That quickly changed with me working in special education. But even after 23 years of teaching I find there are still ways that I can stretch my mind and my communication skills. I think that will be a never ending process!
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