Hello! Recently, in my Art Education classes, we have been discussing the importance of being a culturally responsive teacher. What is culturally responsive teaching? It is a method or educational approach that utilizes students’ culture, backgrounds, experiences, or perspectives to make instruction more relevant.
Specifically, one of my recent assignments involved researching a particular culture and tying it into my lesson to better support an English Language Learner (ELL). Through this process, I discovered a few cultural connections to Mexican art.
One connection is Papel Picado, which is a traditional Mexican folk art of perforated tissue paper. They are extremely prevalent on Mexican holidays such as Day of the Dead or Cinco de Mayo. The symbolism of the wind moving the paper on Day of the Dead represents the spirits of those who have passed. The material being tissue paper is also symbolic of the fragility of life, and the open holes from the patterns denote a connection between worlds. I had always seen papel picado decorations, but I was never aware of their significance or name. This learning process opened my eyes to something I was unfamiliar with and allowed me to appreciate a beautiful symbol of Mexican culture. Creating a lesson surrounding the idea of papel picado can provide an important and relevant connection for students who are learning English and identify with Mexican culture. By recognizing a concept familiar to an ELL’s culture, it opens up dialogue that they are acquainted with, strengthening their understanding of the English language.
As an educator, it is important to recognize and provide representation for all students. Additionally, it is important to be educated about your students’ cultures to minimize cultural misunderstandings. Meaning, differences in culture can affect the school setting in a multitude of ways. Ideals in family structure, roles, discipline, time, space, religion, food, health, hygiene, traditions, and holidays can affect how interactions and communication will go. Overall, it is critical to keep in mind the relevance of culture when it comes to the educational setting.
Thanks for reading!
~Eleora Levinson