Multicultural education is usually described in terms of curriculum and teaching in the context of schools and the teacher’s relationship to students. Another important element is depth of the teacher’s experience with other cultures. Instead of students becoming assimilated into the dominant culture, teachers gain experience with negotiating cultural differences and gaining insights and experience with how another culture approaches both art and teaching. Kathy Hubbard (2009) claims that having these cultural exposures in foreign countries also gives us exposure to cultural symbols that can be used back in the classroom that give cultural validation and value to multicultural students (p. 43). The more indepth a teaher’s experience is with a culture, the better they will be at connecting with students from that culture (p.42).
Since I began this project I have had a couple of opportunities to travel outside the county to broaden my horizons.
India.
It was towards the end of my time as a graduate student at BYU, when a marvelous opportunity presented itself to me, I applied for a study abroad to Nepal to learn about Buddhism and expand my knowledge on holistic and multicultural education. At the time I also believed this might be one of the only opportunities I would have to learn and understand Eastern cultures, something I knew so little about. I was eager to cross that border and open up my world. I was really excited to see these people practice and was open to see what I could gain by their example.
Because of the earthquake that struck Nepal while we were in transit to NYC, on our way to Katmandu, we were diverted to India. We ended up on the southern side of the Himalayas in a place called McCleod Ganj, which is the home of the exiled Tibetan government and the home of the Dalai Lama. On that long 12 hour bus ride, I decided to start reading a book by Thich Nhat Hanh entitled Living Buddha, Living Christ. That book became a revelation to me and I couldn’t put it down. Teachings on suffering, happiness, and compassion stuck to my heart and I carried those thoughts throughout that trip and even now. At the beginning of the book he claimed:
“By emerging in dialogue with other people, we have the possibility of making a change within ourselves, that we can become deeper...not a means of assimilation. We have to allow what is good, beautiful, and meaningful in other’s traditions to transform us” (p.9).
Since I began this project I have had a couple of opportunities to travel outside the county to broaden my horizons.
India.
It was towards the end of my time as a graduate student at BYU, when a marvelous opportunity presented itself to me, I applied for a study abroad to Nepal to learn about Buddhism and expand my knowledge on holistic and multicultural education. At the time I also believed this might be one of the only opportunities I would have to learn and understand Eastern cultures, something I knew so little about. I was eager to cross that border and open up my world. I was really excited to see these people practice and was open to see what I could gain by their example.
Because of the earthquake that struck Nepal while we were in transit to NYC, on our way to Katmandu, we were diverted to India. We ended up on the southern side of the Himalayas in a place called McCleod Ganj, which is the home of the exiled Tibetan government and the home of the Dalai Lama. On that long 12 hour bus ride, I decided to start reading a book by Thich Nhat Hanh entitled Living Buddha, Living Christ. That book became a revelation to me and I couldn’t put it down. Teachings on suffering, happiness, and compassion stuck to my heart and I carried those thoughts throughout that trip and even now. At the beginning of the book he claimed:
“By emerging in dialogue with other people, we have the possibility of making a change within ourselves, that we can become deeper...not a means of assimilation. We have to allow what is good, beautiful, and meaningful in other’s traditions to transform us” (p.9).