Key issues teachers need to consider when teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
What are some of the key issues teachers need to consider for working successfully with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students?
Introduction
Teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students requires a number of strategies and ideas which the teacher needs to keep in mind at all times. Teaching Aboriginal students requires sensitivity for their needs and knowledge about Aboriginal cultural conventions. An example of being wary of their needs is understanding the lack of eye contact an Aboriginal student makes with a non-Indigenous teacher. For example, Aboriginal students can avoid direct eye contact to an adult as it is considered rude in Aboriginal culture. However, the opposite (avoiding eye contact) is considered rude in Western society. That is just one minor example. The other key issues teachers must consider, which will be discussed in this paper, are:
Understanding racial identity.
The important relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their teachers.
The importance of family
Understanding and using the correct terminology
Understanding racial identity
‘We grow up immersed in our own culture, our own experiences and our own language. Through these we construct our understanding of the world’ (Gollan, 2012). Understanding racial identity is important for teachers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. To gain a better understanding of people, we as humans must first gain an understanding of how people see themselves as this is important to working cooperatively and effectively. ‘Self-descriptions about culture contribute to an individual’s racial identity’ (Purdie, Milgate & Bell, 2011). Racial identity is a vital component of sense of self and is the most significant and positive contributor to one’s self-esteem. This racial identity, referred to as Aboriginal identity, consists of the ‘descriptions and judgments that an Aboriginal person has towards “all that is Aboriginal”
Introduction
Teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students requires a number of strategies and ideas which the teacher needs to keep in mind at all times. Teaching Aboriginal students requires sensitivity for their needs and knowledge about Aboriginal cultural conventions. An example of being wary of their needs is understanding the lack of eye contact an Aboriginal student makes with a non-Indigenous teacher. For example, Aboriginal students can avoid direct eye contact to an adult as it is considered rude in Aboriginal culture. However, the opposite (avoiding eye contact) is considered rude in Western society. That is just one minor example. The other key issues teachers must consider, which will be discussed in this paper, are:
Understanding racial identity.
The important relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their teachers.
The importance of family
Understanding and using the correct terminology
Understanding racial identity
‘We grow up immersed in our own culture, our own experiences and our own language. Through these we construct our understanding of the world’ (Gollan, 2012). Understanding racial identity is important for teachers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. To gain a better understanding of people, we as humans must first gain an understanding of how people see themselves as this is important to working cooperatively and effectively. ‘Self-descriptions about culture contribute to an individual’s racial identity’ (Purdie, Milgate & Bell, 2011). Racial identity is a vital component of sense of self and is the most significant and positive contributor to one’s self-esteem. This racial identity, referred to as Aboriginal identity, consists of the ‘descriptions and judgments that an Aboriginal person has towards “all that is Aboriginal”
References: http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/education/teaching-aboriginal-students#ixzz2dhB7fcHY Gollan, S 2012 ‘Teachers and families working together to build stronger futures for our children in schools’ UWA Publishing, Crawley, Western Australia, pp. 149-173. Kickett-Tucker, C 2008, ‘How Aboriginal peer interactions in upper primary school sport support Aboriginal identity’, Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, vol 37, pp. 138-151. Price, K 2012, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: an introduction for the teaching profession, Cambridge University Press, Purdie, N, Milgate, G & Bell, R 2011, Two way teaching and learning: toward culturally reflective and relevant education, ACER Press, Camberwell, Victoria.