My Personal Culture

According to what we've discussed in class, culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group.

Also based off of what we learned in class, the elements of culture include:
1. Values and Beliefs
2. Norms
3. Symbols and Language


When I think of a culture, I think of "What makes it different?" and "What does it consider important?" After pondering and researching this question for a while, I came up with 5 different things I consider important in each culture.

1. Beliefs/Religion

2. Customs and Traditions

3. Language

4. Arts/Literature

5. Social/Political organization

So, since I have a culture of my own, as we all do, I wanted to describe these five aspects and how they relate to my own life:

BELIEFS AND RELIGION:

1. 

I am a firm believe of revelation, both modern and ancient. I believe God spoke to prophets in biblical times and he still speaks to them now. The Book of Mormon is a record of just that. I am also adamant that anyone or anything claims to be declaring the word of God (as the Book of Mormon does), it is either true, or a complete lie. There is nothing in between. This clip perfectly describes that. As Tad R. Callister quotes his great-great-grandfather, "That book was either written by God or the devil, and I am going to find out who wrote it [...] The devil could not have written it- it must be from God. It's that simple. This would impact my culture and the way I interact with others around me since I believe in truth and that there's a way to determine if anything is true. Thus, the culture in my classroom would be affected since I would require my students to prove their answer or conjecture is true or come up with a counterexample.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhaYuXpbLuM

2.
Along with the Book of Mormon, the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes up a major part of my culture. I believe in improvement. I believe in making mistakes and becoming better. Everyone has this opportunity and I'm all about taking advantage of it. It's always possible. No matter how far away we are, it's not too far for God. Holland says this much better than I ever could:


https://www.lds.org/youth/video/it-is-never-too-late?lang=eng

Since this is part of my personal culture, it would impact my classroom since I would allow mistakes to be a prevalent part of my classroom and expect others to do the same. Now, when I'm interacting with others, I would be more patient and allow them the time needed to get to the place they need to be.


3. 

http://katfrog.wegrok.net/2016/05/saturday-thoughts-equality-vs-equity.html

This picture represents everything I stand for. I really can't say it any better than this. We (as a community, school, government, society, everything) focus too much on equality. That's all we talk about! Have we ever tried to removed the barrier in the first place? I've often heard the story of tourists falling off a cliff while trying to see the view better. So, the community officials decided they would have an ambulance always parked at the bottom of the cliff. With an example as simple as this, it makes so much more sense to simply put a fence at the top of the cliff instead of an ambulance at the bottom. We can get back to the root of the problem and fix our problems before more people get hurt.
Since this is part of my personal culture, I would now teach my students (as well as my kids) to focus on fixing the root of any problem instead of addressing it whenever it comes up. For example, instead of telling the school to accompany female students around so they don't get raped, I would now simply teach kids not to rape. This part of my culture causes me to address the root and not simply the result.




4.
I do not agree with a lot of things which are said/done in this country. However, I used to say that I will defend to the death your right to say/do those things. Recently I've thought more about this and changed my mind. I will support and fight for your rights as long as they don't impede the rights of others. As this t-shirt sums up quite nicely, I Defend Human Rights.

http://www.dievx.com/en/tank-top/445-tank-top-human-rights-defend-paris-black.html

5.

http://fightthenewdrug.org/porn-kills-love-2/

I'm a fighter. I fight the new drug- pornography. I've personally seen the affects pornography can have on a family relationship and it's so much more harmful than even the hardest of drugs. I'm a believe that it kills love. It ruins the ability to have a real relationship and I'll adamantly defend that controversial belief.

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

6.
On a less serious note, I'm a believer of birthdays. I believe everyone should be celebrated at least one day a year. And that celebration should go all out. Cake, candles, balloons, streamers, presents, the whole shebang. Basically this picture represents me on every one of my friend's birthdays. I like them more than my own.
Since this is a part of my personal culture, it also impacts the culture of my classroom and how I interact with others. Now, I interact with my students realizing that each and every one of them is special. Each of them deserve to be noticed and their ideas deserve to be heard. I take joy in making others feel special and that now impacts how I interact with everyone around me.

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-280080917/stock-photo-birthday-party-at-home-couple-and-a-friend-celebrating-with-a-surprise-party.html?src=bhuJ4Tu0RLyAOjSXB_SI0g-1-56


7.
Along with birthdays, I love all holidays, but especially Christmas. Each year, my family makes cookie trains like the one below. To me, it represents togetherness. It represents stability. I know that no matter what happens in my life or where the future takes us, I can always rely on the cookie trains to bring us back home. It's one of my favorite things and definitely contributes to my culture.

http://vegspinz.blogspot.com/p/my-food-art.html








8.
                               

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/122522/smash
https://www.youtube.com/watch v=BfUqpjfkguk

BOARD GAMES!! I get so overly excited when I talk about board games. At least two times I week we have friends (usually another couple) over to play games. Recently, we love "Smash-Up" but we never get tired of the classic "Settlers of Catan" To me, board games are so much more than games. They're a way to bring people together and have fun. That's definitely part of my culture.
Since this is a part of my culture, it would obviously impact how I interact with others. I know something that brings me joy and I would love to be able to do math revolving around things that I love. Because of this, my classroom culture is greatly impacted. Now, I would allow my students to pick what they would like to do in order to learn a specific topic. I would allow my students to pick their projects, their partners, and their method of learning. I know how important it is to me to be able to do what I'm passionate about and I would want my students to have that same opportunity.


9.
Food's a custom right? Well my culture has food as a custom. Namely popcorn. Yes, it's a food and yes I probably eat it every day. My husband received an air popper machine (pictured right) for his birthday and it's the best gift I've ever received :) My husband will say I add way too much salt, but we'll just agree to disagree.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Nostalgia-Electrics-Air-Pop-Popcorn-Popper-Red/40518265

LANGUAGE

10. English Slang
This one is a little harder to describe. But my culture has its own language. It uses words such as H, Bro, True, and Yeppers and Yeshhhh. H, of course, is short for hell. Like "What the H" or "How in the H did that happen?" Yet somehow it has a more comical connotation than hell. It's funny and mormons aren't as uptight about it. "Bro" and "True" are a little more self-explanatory. I just use they in unusual places. Like "bro" for my mom or husband and "true" after basically anything anybody says that I agree with. Yeppers and Yesh are also pretty obvious, but also contribute to my funny personality. Saying "yes" or "sure" or even "of course" is too commonplace. I enjoy being different and that's part of my culture.
Michael Scott is my inspiration for both yeppers and yesh. as demonstrated by this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLdFFD8II8U

(Also you can bet money that I say it exactly like that)

Since this is a part of my personal culture, it impacts how I interact with those around me. I tend to use fairly colloquial and casual language which makes me seem more personable and relatable with my students. This may have a negative impact in my classroom when I need to be seen as an authority figure, but I believe that it will create a more open atmosphere in my classroom. This will impact my classroom since my students will feel that they can trust me, since I'm just like them.

11.

After living in Finland for 1.5 years and learning the ins and out of the language, I came to love all of it's little quirks (see the picture below). I frequently (as my husband will attest to) use Finnish words in my every day vocabulary and erroneously assume every one else can understand. It's just part of who I am.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/ff/63/15/ff63158426eeee0b7f13a135f1cde2ca.jpg

Since I randomly speak Finnish words and my husband is so patient with me, I would have to do the same thing with my students. If they accidentally use a word from another language or if they can explain something better in a different language, I should let them. This impacts how I interact with my students. I need to be patient and allow them to express themselves in whatever way makes the most sense.

12.
There's one more language which contributes to my culture - Spanish. After studying Spanish for 6 years in high school and college and doing a study abroad in Costa Rica, I was sure I would be called on a Spanish speaking mission. When I wasn't, I was determined to not loose this language as part of my culture. Since then, I have returned back to Costa Rica with my Spanish speaking husband. We speak Spanish intermittently at home, and plan on speaking it to our future children as well (along with Finnish of course). I love the food (especially Tapas featured below), the music, the history, the people, and the landscape. Costa Rica, Spanish, and everything else relating to that culture will always be part of my culture.

http://cdn1.listovative.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Spain-tapas1.jpg

ARTS/LITERATURE

13.
I am a believer of music, but more than that, I'm a believer in musicals. From Wicked to anything Disney to Phantom of the Opera, I can't get enough. After seeing Wicked on broadway in '09, my life has never been the same. Breaking out into song is something you'll need to understand in order to assimilate fully into my culture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4rpG-dipYA

14.
When I was 6, I began taking piano lessons. After being a dumb teenager and quitting in high school, I've since picked it up again. I love sitting down and creating something new that's never been heard before. Music has a way to calm me. Anytime I'm upset, I go play a couple of songs and am instantly relaxed.
As I've realized this, I've realized that this could become a useful way for me to interact with those around me. For example, music is my coping mechanism. However, for other, it could be going for a walk or reading a book. Since I've realized this, I can let my students cope in the way they'd most like. I can allow them to take some time out if needed and be patient if they don't cope in the exact same way I do.


https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos-piano-music-notes-image13516703

15.
Shortly after piano lessons started, so did the drum lessons. I liked the feeling of being different and standing out for some reason. Most girls don't play the drums so that's what I decided to do. I started with the drum set and branched out into all sorts of percussion. I took lessons, played regularly in my school band, and now just spot light at the occasional ward talent show. I have a drum set just like the one pictured below and it's been one of my most prized possessions. Marching to the beat of your own drum is my culture. 

https://swilkinsdance4u.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/drumset2.jpg


16. 

Extracurricular activities and general entertainment can tell you a lot about a culture. For example, my culture consists of a lot of movie-watching. What does that tell you? Well, I like to be entertained. I enjoy a good story line. I love the emotional roller coaster a film can take you on in just two hours. I love learning about other people/place/things that wouldn't otherwise be possible. Currently, I've been loving the late 1990s romantic comedy (examples pictured below). I love the classic boy-meets-girl-and-they-fall-in-love-thing and it'll never get old. I believe that everyone should have a hobby they enjoy and that's important to me and my culture.
Since this is important to me, I realize that it can shape the way I interact with others. If I know how important this hobby is to me, I can value the hobbies of others. In my classroom, this may look like attending the concerts or sporting events of my students. This important pastime of mine allows me to want to understand my students' pastimes.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147800/             http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112697/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1


17.
As referenced earlier, I love The Office. I have seen every single episode at least five times and it never gets old. I constantly have to playing off of my phone or laptop while I get ready, do homework, eat dinner, or just while hanging out. For example, it's currently playing in another window while I work on this assignment. My favorite clip BY FAR which basically invented comedy for me is the following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yslB3BkDm8

Comedy, laughter, and John Krasinski are a big part of my culture.

SOCIAL/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

18.
Back to the more serious issues. Family is one of the most important things in my culture. They are my everything. Spending time with them makes me the happiest. Happiness is an important part of my culture. Pictures are worth a thousand words so I'll let these ones speak for themselves:

Since I cherish families so much, this impacts how I interact with others. I love asking others about their families and want to get to know my students and their families as much as possible. I can call and talk to parents about the positive things their child does in my classroom which can help strengthen their family relationship at home.

19.
Close on the list of important things in my culture are my friends. They make me laugh and have fun and just enjoy myself. Having fun is my culture. Likewise, here are the pictures that can't even begin to describe how lucky I am to have them:

20.
Well, I've saved the worst for last. Like any good culture/country/society, we need some sort of government. However, growing up with a politician as a dad, I saw a different side of politics. I saw the high school side. The dramatic "I'm not going to vote for your bill unless you vote for mine even though it's for the greater good" side. The lobbying and buying out and back-stabbing and fake friends side. I just hated it. I hated seeing my dad act that way and even more I hated the idea that it's probably much worse the higher up you get. Which now brings me to my second point. VOTING. We have the ability to actually elect officials who aren't like this or enact laws that make this all illegal and yet we think our vote doesn't count since we're just one little person living in the very conservative state of Utah. Well, in my culture, WE VOTE! I might go as far to say that it's mandatory. Well, I guess if everyone had my culture, it wouldn't need to be mandatory because everyone would be as passionate about it as I am. So as my last plug, get out and vote. Plus, you get this cool sticker:

http://www.holycitysinner.com/2012/11/05/flash-your-i-voted-sticker-get-free-stuff/

In summary, these are all parts of my culture that relate to me. However, I believe each of these things can be stated more generally. My culture is one of mistakes. We mess up, improve, and hold fast to our faith. We have friends and family who are are rocks. We have fun and relax in whatever way suits us best. We enjoy food, languages, and just being ourselves. We celebrate, love, and protect each other. That's my culture.

Since each of these things is extremely important to me, of course it's going to impact how I act and interact with others. I've listed some specifics under some of the pictures above, but mainly I cherish these things and want to help my students develop and cherish their own culture in my classroom.

More importantly though is how this culture can help me in my future classroom. I want my classroom to be a very open setting. We can make mistakes, improve, laugh, have fun, and be ourselves. We can each march to the beat of our own drum. Every culture/background is welcome and hopefully contributes to our learning. Most importantly, everyone can succeed in my classroom. Whether that is done by eliminating barriers (real or abstract) or by providing additional assistance, everyone is on the same level and is treated that way. My classroom is a safe place. I will defend each student's right to be in my classroom as long as it doesn't impede the learning of others. This is my classroom culture.

After analyzing my culture, I thought about how might it help or hinder my future classroom.

How it could potentially help:

• It emphasizes having a way to express yourself which is important in having a strong relationship with your students.
• It focuses on equity and making sure each student has the right and opportunity to a good education. 
• It emphasizes that making mistakes and failing is okay. This would help students explore new ideas and not be afraid of being wrong.

How to could potentially hinder:

• It involves a lot of pop culture references whether that be in the form of music or books or games and could potentially exclude students not familiar with them.
• It focuses a lot on birthdays/holidays which would exclude those children whose families/cultures don't celebrate them.
• It can be narrow minded in its assumption that students having loving/happy families who will support them.
• It involves Spanish, Finnish, and English, but disregards the other languages/cultures. This could potentially lead to bias or unintentional discrimination against them.