Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Go Back                 Case Posted on January 5, 2013 2:03 am Add to Favorites Yasar Bodur Reps: 618 Christmas around the world. My son goes to second grade. The first week of December my son's teacher started a short unit on Christmas around the world. As part of this unit, she asked each child to bring some type of food from a country for a Christmas celebration at school. She assigned the countries to the children and sent notes to children's homes in their communication folders. As a parent I do not have a problem with any of this. Here is what is puzzling to me. I immigrated to the US about 15 years ago from France. My wife is from Romania. My son was born in the US but he has strong French and Romanian cultural roots. I believe his teacher knows about my son's cultural background. However, my son was assigned to bring German food for the Christmas celebration. As a parent, I cannot understand why he was not assigned to bring French or Romanian food. What could be the teacher's reasoning? Should I be upset about this? Wouldn't it be better for my son to represent a part of his heritage in the classroom?                 Submit a Possible Solution Please read response(s) below (if any) before posting your solution.                 Solution 1 Posted February 11, 2013 1:08 pm Taylor Roberson Reps: 59 I do not think you should be upset about this. The purpose of activities like Christmas Around the World is to expose students to different cultures. While your son is an expert of sorts in Romanian and French cultures, him bringing food on them would now allow him the opportunity to explore first hand another culture. If you are concerned that your son has important input that might not otherwise be heard, I would suggest sending a note to the teacher and letter her know your concerns and maybe she will give students the opportunity to give first hand knowledge and experiences during the presentations. Communication is key when you have a concern. Votes: +52 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution egyveW Reps: 103 I agree that communicating with the teacher about concerns is a great idea. Anytime a parent has a question or concern about an assignment, it is good advice to contact the teacher to get a better understanding of the assignment.   Posted on: October 19, 2014 12:04 pm Laura Doolittle Reps: 109 I like the idea you have about the student looking into another culture. I could see reasoning behind letting him learn about a culture that is different from his own. I do believe that the parent needs to communicate with the teacher about concerns.   Posted on: October 4, 2015 8:50 pm Japuje Reps: 107 I like the idea of allowing students with first hand knowledge of particular cultures to share their own experiences. This could add a personal touch to the assignment and allow the students to learn even more from someone who has experienced a culture first hand.   Posted on: October 5, 2015 2:56 pm Kateline Vaughn Reps: 106 I completely agree. I do not think you should be upset because he was not asked to bring French or Romanian food. If he were to bring those types of food, he would not be learning something new about another culture. Although it's great that he has a strong French and Romanian culture, the purpose of the activity is to learn something new about different cultures.   Posted on: October 13, 2015 4:57 pm nydyra Reps: 202 I agree exactly. Opening the student up to as much culture and food as possible will help them learn so much more.   Posted on: October 17, 2015 7:48 am nydyra Reps: 202 I agree exactly. Opening the student up to as much culture and food as possible will help them learn so much more.   Posted on: October 17, 2015 7:51 am nydyra Reps: 202 I agree exactly. Opening the student up to as much culture and food as possible will help them learn so much more.   Posted on: October 17, 2015 7:51 am Daisy Dumler Reps: 106 I think its a great opportunity to open up the child's mind to a new world   Posted on: October 19, 2015 1:34 am uPaSeW Reps: 209 I agree that they should not be upset about the situation. I think another good way for the student to express his culture would be to compare and contrast his Christmas culture to the German culture. This way he is sharing his culture as well.   Posted on: October 19, 2015 2:56 am eDezaN Reps: 100 I totally agree with this statement, this is for students to be exposed to other cultures, but if you feel concern you should contact the teacher.   Posted on: November 14, 2022 6:17 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 2 Posted February 10, 2013 8:59 pm London Ritchie Reps: 47 While I do understand why you would think that it would of been smart for a teacher to assign your child to bring food from his cultural background, I must argue that maybe the teacher thought it would be a good idea to expose your son to even a different cultural background than the three that he already knows. The teachers reasoning could be that your son has grown up his whole life in a French and Romania home, and has lived in American culture. This is already three cultures that your son is very familiar with. By the teacher assigning him Germany, this is exposing him, and you, to another culture to learn about. If the teacher would of assigned your son to France or Romania he wouldn't be learning anything more that what he already knows. I personally do not think you should be upset with this. You should take it as a leaning experience for your child and yourself to learn more about different cultures. I do think that it would be a great idea for your son to represent a part of his heritage in the classroom, but I am sure that he already does on a day to day basis with his classmates. Votes: +30 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution yZaveh Reps: 109 I agree! Perhaps he could even bring a dish from the country he's assigned to as well as an additional one that represents his heritage.   Posted on: October 20, 2013 8:27 pm NyVyTy Reps: 90 This was the exact same idea I had after reading the post. Perhaps the son could create his assigned dish as well as bring another dish to represent his heritage. He should do this only if Romanian and French dishes have not already been assigned though, because if he brings a dish and is able to elaborate on the dish and French or Romanian cultural experience better than the student who was assigned the dish, a problem could arise.   Posted on: October 3, 2014 5:15 pm SaSyXu Reps: 105 I think that the teacher wanted to expose every child to a different culture other than their own as well.   Posted on: October 7, 2014 8:37 pm ePeHyM Reps: 105 I agree that the teacher wanted to expose all of the children to new customs, this is why their child was given a country that they were not familiar with.   Posted on: October 12, 2014 9:36 pm Kayla Mullins Reps: 89 I have to agree that the teacher wanted all of the students to be exposed to a new region around the world. So by giving him an unfamiliar place he was learning something new that he could compare to his prior knowledge. -Kayla Mullins   Posted on: October 16, 2014 2:42 am Jasmine Bringuel Reps: 102 I agree with you that this is suppose to be a new learning experience of different cultures around the world for them to learn. It is also beneficial to the parents to learn about the cultures to because if their child has a friend from that culture they will already have some information about it.   Posted on: October 18, 2015 9:04 pm uPaSeW Reps: 209 America is a very diverse country that has many different cultures. I agree that this assignment allows the student to learn about another culture in the hopes that he will learn to respect all cultures even the ones that are different than his.   Posted on: October 19, 2015 3:00 am Kady Schlemmer Reps: 202 I agree, that the teacher was simply trying to expose the student to more cultures and increase his global awareness. Like many others have said, though, if there is a concern, you should always communicate with the teacher! It is better to talk it out the allow problems to grow.   Posted on: July 9, 2016 4:01 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 3 Posted February 11, 2013 2:09 pm Courtney Cummings Reps: 31 I understand your confusion about why your son's teacher would assign him Germany when she knows he has a diverse cultural background, but I would not be too upset. If it were me and I was doing this Christmas Around the World Celebration I would have randomly chosen countries for my students to represent even if I knew they had background information about a particular country. I would want all of my students to have to do research and really learn something new about another country. Your son probably has a wealth of information about France and Romania, but wouldn't it be more interesting for him if he was able to learn about a different culture? Your son can still share with his class the information he has about his own family, but now he will be even more well rounded with new information on German Christmas Culture! Votes: +17 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Stormye Brantley Reps: 121 I agree with your solution. I think it would be beneficial to learn about a new country. Perhaps he could take his newly acquired information and compare and contrast it to his French and Romanian roots.   Posted on: October 14, 2013 8:28 pm Hope Crosby Reps: 122 I agree; I feel that the child will get more out of this assignment by exploring and new and unfamiliar culture.   Posted on: October 18, 2013 6:52 pm Brianne Blowers Reps: 102 I agree with you that the teacher is trying to give the student an opportunity to learn about a new culture different form their own. I'm sure that they are other children in the class with a wide variety of ethnic culture who were also assigned different cultures to learn about. This will enhance the assignment for the students.   Posted on: October 19, 2014 7:53 pm HyraLe Reps: 73 I like this idea. If he wants to share some things from his culture that he already has background on, he can do so in addition to the assignment that the teacher has assigned.   Posted on: October 27, 2014 7:13 am ezajaV Reps: 102 I agree that the student will get the chance to explore another country and will get to learn about that country.   Posted on: October 12, 2015 11:41 am Add a Comment                 Solution 4 Posted February 11, 2013 3:05 pm Kaleigh Thomas Reps: 30 I understand that your son's family heritage is very important to you, your wife, and him- as it should be. While it is important to be comfortable and familiar with your roots, it is also important to learn about different cultures. I do not think that you should be upset about this because it gives your son the chance to learn and become familiar with a different country. It would not be very beneficial for all of the American students to bring in different types of American food because then what would they learn? I think the teacher is just trying to get each student to learn something new about a culture differing from their own. I think that your son could provide input when a student discusses either French or Romanian foods. This way there could be another perspective added towards the project. Votes: +15 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Laura Doolittle Reps: 109 I think that you are correct. I did not think about him learning about a "new" culture. Part of the activity is for him to be learning and he might not learn as much if he learns about his own heritage. I like the idea of the student getting to put input in when they discuss French and Romanian food.   Posted on: October 4, 2015 8:55 pm Edward Kim Reps: 106 I agree. Your son could be used as an aid and source for a student who was assigned France or Germany. This way he could still use his knowledge to be helpful and he could feel proud of his culture. Both you and your wife could also be helpful for that student assigned either France or Germany. This way all the students will be doing some new research.   Posted on: October 11, 2015 2:17 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 5 Posted February 11, 2013 4:10 pm Bailey Fenwick Reps: 74 While I completely understand why you are confused about this, I do not think that you should be upset. Your son is already very practiced in the French and Romanian Christmas customs, so look at it as a chance for him to become an expert on German traditions as well. This is a great learning experience for him. Votes: +8 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Meredith Bryant Reps: 106 I agree. I know it's easy to get wrapped up in the "should-have-dones" and "whys" but I think the teacher just wanted a fair opportunity for her students to learn about a new culture. It makes it fair to her students who don't have a different heritage. Everyone is required to go home, learn about a culture that they don't already know, regardless of their own, and determine a food to bring in. She isn't trying to help him learn more about his own heritage, but rather expand his learning opportunities and challenge him to learn about one with which he doesn't already know.   Posted on: October 19, 2013 9:33 pm PyveDu Reps: 101 I also think it is easy to get caught up in a reason to be mad or argue. When in the reality of things the child is going to be able to learn about a new culture all together. I understand it takes away a "connection" from the child's own culture, but it is so exciting to learn about a new one.   Posted on: October 9, 2014 8:17 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 6 Posted February 12, 2013 11:40 am C.C. Rohrer Reps: 34 I can see how this cultural assignment may have bothered you, but I also have a feeling the teacher may have had a hard time deciding what country to give your son. This teacher probably has high expectations for your son; meaning she wants to challenge him with this project. She may want your child to use his researching skills to learn about another part of the world. The reason I say she may have had a hard time deciding what to assign, is because this is a rare opportunity for your son to show part of his family's culture. Allowing him to share his diversity would give the class an interesting experience with a student whose parents are actually from France. With that being said, in this case, I would treat this assignment as an exciting time for you and your child to learn about Germany. Working on it toghether will make it more enjoyable and who knows, maybe you will find a recipe that will be a new family favorite! Votes: +8 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Emily West Reps: 102 I agree that is is possible that the teacher wanted to make this assignment a learning opportunity for your son. It is not often that students are given such assignments where they learn about cultures they are not familiar with. i think it would be a good idea to let your child do research on the culture of Germany and he could even compare it to his knowledge of Romanian and French cultures.   Posted on: October 11, 2013 2:44 am Add a Comment                 Solution 7 Posted October 14, 2013 7:23 pm BeWuXe Reps: 117 I do not feel the teacher intentionally ignored your son's heritage. Since this was a short unit, it is possible the teacher randomly assigned the countries to the students. Although I understand your son is knowledgeable in his heritage, it will be a better educational experience for him to learn about another culture. It would be difficult for the teacher to be mindful of all the student's heritages when assigning a country for this assignment. In other words, it would be difficult to "please" all the parents when assigning countries, especially if there are multiple students with the same heritage. As a parent, your concern is certainly legitimate. If you are steadfast in your child sharing his heritage with other students, contact the teacher and express your concerns. It is possible she may be planning future assignments where your child may be able to share his heritage with his classmates. Votes: +8 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution aHeRaL Reps: 112 I also do not think the teacher intentionally ignored the student's heritage. I commend you as a parent for thinking the situation through rationally. I know in order to avoid these types of situations I will assign countries randomly to students. I also want students to learn about countries they may not be familiar with, which is why I do not allow them to choose their own. This lessens the possibility that students will even get a country that have done research on in the past.   Posted on: October 14, 2014 7:08 pm LeHyZa Reps: 107 I agree that it is good that you are seeking advice from others before possibly starting an argument with your child's teacher. If you still don't feel the assignment of Germany is justified after talking to others, you should ask the teacher for further clarification on their decision.   Posted on: October 20, 2014 12:18 am Add a Comment                 Solution 8 Posted February 19, 2013 12:32 am Danielle O'Donnell Reps: 27 I feel like the teacher gave a great assignment! The purpose is not to familiarize the child with their own culture but research, study, and explore a NEW culture. The child will experience a culture that they have never learned about before. There would be no new eduction for the child if they brought food from their culture. So, I feel that as a parent you should encourage the child to research a new culture to share with the class. Votes: +7 / -1 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution yZaveh Reps: 109 The parent could also get in contact with the teacher and request that the son have a chance to share his own culture at some point in the school year.   Posted on: October 10, 2013 6:47 pm TuVuze Reps: 99 As an alternative, the student could be allowed to discuss elements of Romanian or French Christmas celebrations if these countries were assigned to a different student in the classroom. Because the student is knowledgeable about Christmas in Romania and France, his information would be valuable and could help inform his classmates about the customs of these cultures.   Posted on: October 20, 2013 12:42 am April Rozier Reps: 110 I agree that the purpose of the assignment is for the children to learn about unfamiliar cultures. By assigning countries that are his parent's homeland, he would not be learning anything new but only make a food that is probably a regularly prepared dish in his home.   Posted on: October 15, 2014 4:37 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 9 Posted February 11, 2013 2:58 pm Kathryn King Reps: 25 I can see where this would be confusing, but I would not be upset over the matter. The teacher is making high expectations for your son by not letting him have the easy way out of this assignment. The teacher is wanting your son to take some knowledge out of this assignment and learn something from it instead of expressing what he already knows ( Romanian and French culture). There will be other times your son will be able express his heritage in the classroom, so embrace this part of the unit and learn a little bit about the German culture! Votes: +7 / -3 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution zuPeQy Reps: 99 I agree that the boy is practiced in the French and Romanian culture, however his teacher assigning him Germany will allow him to get to know another culture. All of the students in the class are being assigned a country that they are not familiar with so it is only fair that he be assigned one that he is not familiar with as well.   Posted on: October 10, 2014 11:41 pm ehyNyn Reps: 109 You are thinking in the same way as I am. By completing an assignment over a different culture, the student will have new experiences that will allow them to actually learn something new. If he were to complete the assignment over a culture in which he is already familiar, very little learning will take place.   Posted on: October 12, 2015 11:20 pm Kateline Vaughn Reps: 106 I completely agree. Although it is awesome that he knows a lot about several cultures, it is good for him to learn about other cultures as well. The assignment is a learning experience, and it was not meant to express what he already knows about other cultures.   Posted on: October 13, 2015 5:01 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 10 Posted February 12, 2013 6:05 pm Mr. Timarcus Wyatt Reps: 27 It is very important for students,teachers as well as parents to be culturally diverse in today's society. This is the reasoning behind your son's teacher assigning him a culture outside of his own. She is aware of the fact that you and your wife aren't from America, and to keep the assignment fair she did not want to assign a country that the children or parents of the children may have come from. You should not be upset about this situation, but instead take it as a learning experience for your entire family. Votes: +6 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution BeWuXe Reps: 117 I agree, it is definitely an issue the parents should take personally. It is possible the teacher intentionally assigned countries that do not relate to the ethnicity of the students. If a student is assigned their own cultural backgrounds, it could give them an advantage over students who are not assigned a country in which they are familiar. By randomly assigning countries all students are on the same playing field.   Posted on: October 12, 2013 6:42 pm PyveDu Reps: 101 I like your idea of if each child is on an equal playing field if they were randomly assigned countries to study. Then they would all be able to learn something new about a country. I do think it takes away a "connection" from the student seeing that it is not about their own culture.   Posted on: October 9, 2014 8:15 pm aQazuV Reps: 105 I definitely think this is a great learning experience for the child. I can see your point as to "it wouldn't be fair" if the student was assigned a country they are familiar with. I can see that being similar to assigning another student the U.S. for their project. I agree that the father should not be upset and just take it as a way to learn new information.   Posted on: October 15, 2014 10:43 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 11 Posted February 12, 2013 1:08 pm Claire Jenkins Reps: 25 I understand why it would be appropriate to bring a food that represents your son's cultural background, but I would not be upset. I believe the teacher's main goal in this particular assignment is to expose each student to a culture in which they are not familiar with. If the majority of the class has the same cultural background there would not be a variety of food and information on that culture. By having a variety of these cultures in the assignment, the students will be able to learn about cultures they may have been unfamiliar with prior to this activity. Votes: +5 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Kim Lucas Reps: 107 I agree that the teacher is most likely trying to expand each student's knowledge base and research techniques! Being upset is understandable, however, the goal is to broaden each child's understanding of different cultures, so letting him learn about different region's and their customs was a smart idea!   Posted on: October 31, 2014 4:18 am Add a Comment                 Solution 12 Posted October 10, 2013 6:27 pm yZaveh Reps: 109 The teacher's purpose in this activity is probably to expose the students to cultures other than their own. By having them research and bring food from another country, students are learning about a new culture they are unfamiliar with. Although your son is obviously culturally diverse, it is still important for him to learn about other people and their cultures. You should not let this upset you. Instead, remind the teacher of your son's French and Romanian cultural roots and ask if there can be some activity or lesson in the future where your son can incorporate his background. Perhaps he could even be given class time later to teach his peers about his culture. Votes: +4 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution BeWuXe Reps: 117 Assigning the students the countries related to their own cultural background may not have been the goal of the lesson. As you stated, the teacher is apparently wanting the students to learn about cultures other than their own. When you are assigned a country in which you are familiar, there is little learning involved. I feel the parents should embrace the assignment as a learning opportunity for their child.   Posted on: October 12, 2013 6:50 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 13 Posted October 12, 2013 5:40 pm udydyV Reps: 108 I think the assignment was to have students learn about about different cultures. The teacher was probably trying to get the students outside of their comfort zone. Having the student bring food from his native country would not reflect the purpose of the assignment. However, if it means that much for your son to represent his heritage, have your son bring in two dishes; one from Germany and from his Native country. Votes: +4 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Myzusy Reps: 113 I agree with you on the purpose of the assignment. The teacher wanted children to learn about diverse cultures which were different from the ones they already know about. Your suggestion on bringing in an additional dish from France or Romania is great. I would go a step further and by preparing a short presentation about the dishes and holiday traditions that your son could present to the class.   Posted on: October 16, 2014 5:03 pm GyJeWy Reps: 105 I agree, I think the assignment was to learn about various cultures as well. Great idea with bringing in two dishes!   Posted on: October 19, 2014 3:04 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 14 Posted October 12, 2013 5:42 pm Jordyn Nail Reps: 108 I believe that the teacher assigned the students cultures that are different from their own in an attempt to create a learning experience. The student would not have to to much research if they got to bring a dish that they or their parents are familiar with. It is great that your son will get the chance to learn about German foods and Christmas traditions. Votes: +4 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution jaMyDu Reps: 119 I agree with you 100%. I don't believe that the student would gain much from preparing dishes that he and his family are already familiar with. I believe that the purpose of this activity was to educate and inform students of the many different traditions, beliefs, and culinary delights that are associated with Christmas and the holiday season in countries around the world. I think that the parents would have to be much more involved in helping their children learn about and come up with dishes from their countries if they were unfamiliar to them. It would give them the opportunity to learn about new holiday traditions together as a family. This activity is great for a 2nd grade class because at the end of the activity, everyone gets to enjoy foods from all over the world. It would be a great opportunity to begin teaching the students about cultural diversity. I know that I would love the assignment and might incorporate into my classroom just so I could try the different foods and treats! Great post :)   Posted on: October 16, 2013 4:27 pm TuVuze Reps: 99 The teacher wanted the students to expand their knowledge about Christmas around the world. The purpose of the project is to give the student an opportunity to learn about another culture that they may not be familiar with.   Posted on: October 20, 2013 12:37 am yJaGus Reps: 106 I agree with your post exactly. I believe the teacher probably had the idea of letting that child learn something knew since he does have such strong cultural roots from your countries.   Posted on: October 20, 2013 8:41 pm ezasyp Reps: 107 I agree with your post, however I think it would be cool for the students to have the opportunity to take ownership of who they are especially when their parents (not just distant relatives) immigrated into the United States. I think the students would enjoy telling about their families. They may actually learn something from their research on their own culture as well. I would expect they would listen to the presentations of the other students in the classroom allowing for learning opportunities as well.   Posted on: October 15, 2014 7:25 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 15 Posted October 13, 2014 2:50 am aheduX Reps: 112 I would not be upset about this. The teacher may be wanting your child to learn a different holiday tradition from another country. This helps provide your child an opportunity to learn about another country and what they like to eat for holidays. This would stand for a child that is not Romanian. He/she would learn about your child's holiday traditions. Votes: +4 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Jordan Nelms Reps: 104 I agree that the teacher is probably trying to get the students to further their knowledge in culture's different from their own. By having them bring food from a different culture, they would have to complete some research first, which would open their eyes to different parts of the world.   Posted on: October 20, 2014 3:51 am Add a Comment                 Solution 16 Posted October 15, 2014 4:32 pm April Rozier Reps: 110 I believe the teacher assigned Germany to your son so that he could learn about a different culture. I do not feel that you should be upset due to the fact that you do not know if the teacher assigned France or Romania to another student. If so, your son's heritage may be represented in the classroom through another child's food. This will be a valuable assignment because your son will be exposed to various cultures that are not as familiar as his own. Votes: +4 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Kristen Bagwell Reps: 107 You make a valid point. I think that, although the assignment lends itself for all students to learn about new cultures, there wouldn't be any reason that the son could not do the assignment for Germany, as well as share information about French and Romanian cultures, too. I think this is a fabulous time to learn about different cultures and embrace differences.   Posted on: October 4, 2015 3:51 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 17 Posted February 12, 2013 3:37 pm Nicole Strenkowski Reps: 50 I think that your son has been assigned a random culture just the same as all the other students in the class. It is only fair that the different cultures are picked at random, so that there is no arguments over who gets what culture. I think that by picking a random culture the student does not pick something that he is comfortable with and can branch out to learn about other culture he is not as familar with. This activity is meant to be a learning experience for all of the students. I think that this is not something that you should be upset with because the teacher has his or her reasons. If you do have any problems it will be best to contact the teacher and let him or her know why you are upset. Communication is very important and can help solve a problem quickly without doing any harm. Votes: +3 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution udydyV Reps: 108 I agree that communication is the key. I would not be helpful if a simple Christmas assignment got out of hand by a simple misunderstanding.   Posted on: October 17, 2013 7:13 am yJaGus Reps: 106 This is very true. I'm sure the teacher has a reasonable explanation for why she gave your student the country she did. Rationally speaking it out is the absolute best way to go.   Posted on: October 20, 2013 8:40 pm Jasmine Bringuel Reps: 102 I don't think it would hurt for the parent to talk with the teacher about the assignment, but as a parent myself I understand the importance of getting children and adults out of their comfort zone. The child is already exposed to their culture, but they need to broaden their thinking as well as the parents about the different cultures that reside in the US.   Posted on: October 18, 2015 9:07 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 18 Posted February 13, 2013 10:07 am Julia DiTillio Reps: 28 The teacher's aim with this assignment most likely is to educate the students about ways of celebrating Christmas that differ from their own. Having your son bring in examples of the customs he already celebrates won't require him to do any research or learning on other cultures. Having students research cultures different from their own ensures that all will learn something new and all will have to research and think about their project more deeply. I wouldn't be upset about it; I think the teacher just had the best interest of the class in mind. It would be unfair for one student to have to research extensively about an unfamiliar culture while one simply brings in what is an integral, daily part of their lives. If you still have qualms about the assignment, I would talk to the teacher about it candidly and see exactly what her reasoning is. Perhaps she could have a day in the future where students bring in an artifact from their own cultural background; this would allow your son to represent a part of his heritage. Votes: +3 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Stormye Brantley Reps: 121 I agree with your response. I believe the teacher just wanted her students to learn about other countries and did not intend for parents to get upset over the project.   Posted on: October 14, 2013 8:27 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 19 Posted October 16, 2013 3:30 pm jaMyDu Reps: 119 I do not believe that the teacher purposely assigned your son Germany to offend him or anyone in your family. I think that the teacher decided to assign students their countries so that a variety of countries spanning the world could be represented in their celebration. The teacher realized that the majority of the class is American and that if other countries were going to be represented then he/she should assign each student a country. This way they would have the opportunity to learn about a countries culinary traditions that they were previously unaware of. I would assume that he/she was just trying to make sure that countries from all over the world were represented and that there was a global theme to the party. I would not be upset with this assignment because I would not want my child to present a dish from France or Romania because that is where we are from. I would want his teacher to assign him a country that he is unfamiliar with so that he can learn about its' culture, heritage, traditions, and foods. I probably would have rather gotten a country that did not have such a large negative impact on where we came from, but these tragic events occurred a long time ago. Germany would be fine. They are steeped in cultural traditions and their food is really quite delicious. At this point in his life, I don't think that my child has knowledge of the World Wars and/or how the Germans treated the French and Romanian people during that time. If I really had a personal problem about being assigned Germany, I would call the teacher directly and just simply request another European country if possible. Votes: +3 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution SaSyXu Reps: 105 I think you are correct...the teacher did not mean to assign a different culture but just wanted to make sure that every culture was represented.   Posted on: October 7, 2014 8:36 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 20 Posted October 19, 2013 9:28 pm Meredith Bryant Reps: 106 I view this situation from a teacher's stand point. What she may have done (and I truly hope she did it this way) is randomly assign students to a culture. Doing so eliminates students choosing a culture and then others not getting what they want, fighting over one, etc. Also, she may not be able to sit down and really go through each student and their culture. I believe what she is doing is trying to be fair by simply assigning students a culture to study, regardless of theirs. The purpose of the assignment, it sounds like, is to learn about a culture with which you are not familiar. By having your student bring in a food that relates specifically to his heritage, he is not really learning about another one, like German, with which he does not know. Votes: +3 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution egyveW Reps: 103 I feel as though the teacher most likely assigned the countries randomly as well. I think it may be a bit unrealistic to expect the teacher to assign the country based on what culture the student actually is because, chances are, that there are more students from a single country or the same backgrounds, and then the students would have very little opportunity to learn from about different experiences.   Posted on: October 19, 2014 12:09 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 21 Posted October 12, 2014 9:49 pm ePeHyM Reps: 105 I do not think that you should be upset about this but think of it as a learning experience for your son. It could be the intention of the teacher that each child learn about the customs of a different country, then it would be fair for your son to have France or Romania which he already knows about. He already has knowledge of the customs of three countries, now he will learn about one more. Also, this could be a chance for him to make one more friend. If another student in the class has France or Romania he could help them with their project. Votes: +3 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 22 Posted February 11, 2013 9:50 am Kelly Gardner Reps: 33 No, I do not think you should be upset about this. Your son's teacher was probably trying to get your son to learn and research information about a country that is different from his own. The teacher understands your son's background and heritage, but she also wanted your son to be knowledgeable in cultures and customs different from his own. Although your son does have knowledgeable information about his own country and ways they celebrate Christmas, the teacher wanted another student(s) to research France and Romania. She wanted this to happen so that when they present the information, your son can comment and give personal accounts of the information and validate their information. Votes: +3 / -2 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Jordyn Nail Reps: 108 Absolutely, your son's input when his culture is presented will be valuable and will create good discussion.   Posted on: October 20, 2013 12:56 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 23 Posted February 13, 2013 9:18 am Tamra Lamb Reps: 33 I can see why you might be a little confused as to why your Son's teacher chose for your son to bring German food for the Christmas celebration when your son has strong French and Romanian cultural roots. Obviously, speculation is all anyone has to go off of when answering the question as to why the teacher assigned your son the country she did, but why should we speculate at all? Communication is key when it comes to parents and teachers within the classroom, and I think the best solution would be to address your concerns with your son's teacher. Your case is presented in a very nice concerning manner, and I believe if you approached it this exact same way when talking to your son's teacher; she would be more than happy to explain her reasoning behind giving your son Germany. If I had to guess (and like I said, I do not like to speculate), she might have wanted the students of her class to explore different cultures other than their own for this assignment. However, given your feelings about her decision, she might be willing to let him switch what he is assigned to bring for the celebration if you reach out to her with your concerns. However, if she does not want to change his assigned country, at least you opened up the lines of communication, and your son will gain new knowledge of a country! Votes: +2 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Kayla Mullins Reps: 89 I also agree that the teacher probably would have been easy to approch with this issue. I also think she would be willing to allow your son to teach the class about his heritage along with the region she assigned to him. -Kayla Mullins   Posted on: October 16, 2014 2:46 am Add a Comment                 Solution 24 Posted February 18, 2013 9:19 pm Sarah Hogan Johnson Reps: 163 I think it is very important for our son to represent his cultural background in the classroom. However, in this case, the teacher may want the student to learn about a different culture. I would contact the teacher to inquire the purpose of the project. If it is indeed intended to help students learn about a culture different from their own, this is why she didn't assign him French or Romanian food. If you feel strongly about it, especially if your son is not very familiar with his heritage, the teacher may consider changing his assigned food. I think this would be a good opportunity for your son to learn about a different culture. However, it may be interesting for the class to see how French and Romanian food have been woven together in your home. This would be a different perspective on the assignment that the teacher hadn't thought about. I think the most important thing to consider in this situation is communication. Even though you think the teacher knows about your cultural background, she may not be as knowledgeable as you think. I would contact the teacher to discuss your concerns and questions about the project. Even though the teacher will make the final decision, you can give your input and then make the best of the situation if she still wants him to bring German food. It will be an opportunity for your family to try a dish from another culture. Votes: +2 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Ashley Smith Reps: 107 I am intrigued about your solution to the problem that the parent presented about bringing food from the other culture to learn more about another country. I think this perspective is a great one to support the teacher's reasoning of not asking the student to bring French or Romanian food to the celebration. Communication is always the solution to problems that I suggest to people that are unhappy with a situation.   Posted on: October 19, 2014 7:49 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 25 Posted October 17, 2013 9:27 pm Tracy C Reps: 104 Even teachers can do things that will make you say, really? Nonetheless, I believe the teacher was focused more on her planning than her students. That is, I do not think she gave any thought tho using such a teaching moment to show appreciation and respect for her students' culturally heritage. On the other hand, maybe she did and just wanted her students to embrace a different or new culture. There is nothing wrong with this objective because the class would at least be engage in developing an appreciation for cultural diversity. Votes: +2 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Jordyn Nail Reps: 108 I agree with you. If the teacher did know the student's heritage she probably wanted him to explore other cultures - and there is nothing wrong with that.   Posted on: October 20, 2013 12:54 pm BazuTy Reps: 116 Yes as a teacher, we need to have knowledge of the students' background. Christmas is a religious holiday, so really the unit should not be about Christmas. I remember when I was a student in elementary it was a kid in my classroom that was Jehovah Witness and they consider Christmas as a piget holiday. The teacher would call our parents seasonal parties. For example a christmas party was consider to be a winter party, Thanksgiving was called a Fall party.   Posted on: October 20, 2013 9:07 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 26 Posted October 18, 2013 6:49 pm Hope Crosby Reps: 122 Since the central theme for the ‘Christmas Around the World' unit is to get students familiar with customs they may be unfamiliar with, I'm sure the teacher wanted your child to do some research into a culture he is not familiar with. I do not feel that you should be upset, and if you are, you can always ask the teacher his/her reasoning behind the country your child was assigned. Once again, I feel that the goal of the unit is to become familiar with the unknown, which is why your child was assigned as ‘unknown' culture to research and bring food for. If anything, it will offer your child an opportunity to compare German culture with French and Romanian culture. Additionally, I'm sure the teacher would also welcome your son's additional insights on French and Romanian culture. Votes: +2 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution upyNuX Reps: 100 I agree that the teacher is probably wanting him to learn about an unknown culture. Maybe you could offer to help "consult" the students who were assigned Romania and France.   Posted on: October 20, 2013 10:12 pm April Rozier Reps: 110 I agree that the teacher will most likely allow your son to provide input on his heritage when those countries are discussed. By allowing him to learn about a new country and share about his own, the assignment will be a great learning experience for your son.   Posted on: October 15, 2014 5:36 pm zuPeQy Reps: 99 I agree with you. I believe that the whole idea behind the assignment is for the students to get an idea of the different cultures around the world. If the child would have been assigned a culture that he was already familiar with then it almost would have been an advantage because he would not have to do as much research. Assigning hi a different country allows for him to do research and learn the ways of another culture.   Posted on: October 16, 2014 8:03 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 27 Posted October 20, 2013 12:25 am TuVuze Reps: 99 Your son was not assigned to bring French or Romanian food because the teacher wants students to learn about cultures that are different from their own. Since your son's teacher is aware of his cultural background, she assigned him foods to bring to the classroom that were not familiar to him. You should not be upset about this. Your son will be learning something new about German culture by learning about the different types of food they eat there. There is nothing wrong with your son representing part of his heritage in the classroom however, it is a good learning experience for him to learn about other cultures as well. Moreover, the teacher could have randomly selected countries for the children without regard to their cultural backgrounds. Votes: +2 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution NyVyTy Reps: 90 I totally agree with your posts. By the teacher assigning students countries they are unfamiliar with, the students are forced to learn new things and appreciate other cultures.   Posted on: October 3, 2014 5:09 pm Japuje Reps: 107 I agree that the parent should not be upset because the purpose of the assignment is to learn about other cultures. It would not make sense to assign the student his own culture.   Posted on: October 5, 2015 2:54 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 28 Posted October 8, 2014 1:55 am Whitney Johnson Reps: 97 As soon as I read this, I automatically thought to myself-- well, the teacher perhaps chose at random. Assuming the majority of the class is originally from America, if the teacher selected a country for each child, then most children will not be representing their country anyway. This means that only one child in the entire class would have to focus on an American Christmas dish. If this parent is concerned, then he needs to contact the teacher in order to express his thoughts on this matter. I am sure the teacher would sympathize with the parent and say that it is a misunderstanding, stating that all of the students' countries were selected at random. I also think that people perhaps (sometimes) take things/situations too personally when they are not specifically directed at them. I do believe that all of this is a slight misunderstanding and the parent needs to contact the teacher with his concerns. Votes: +2 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution yXeBeX Reps: 114 I couldn't agree with you more. Once the teacher is made aware of the issue, I am certain she will make every effort to accommodate the parents wishes. Teachers need to be allowed to make mistakes just like everybody else.   Posted on: October 12, 2014 8:47 pm Qureby Reps: 102 I agree that communication is very important. I believe that the teacher just assigned the countries randomly to the students and did not intend to upset anyone. If the parent would like to help his child with a dish related to their cultural background then he should discuss it with the teacher.   Posted on: October 19, 2014 1:49 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 29 Posted October 16, 2014 2:40 am Kayla Mullins Reps: 89 I think this is a great unit to teach the students. I do not think this is something that you should be upset about. My thinking is that the teacher wanted the students to learn about an area that was unfamiliar to them so that everyone was learning something new. By doing this your son is learning about a new region of the world, adding it to his prior knowledge. On the other hand had your son been given an area that is familiar to him he would have been able to teach the other students about his heritage and probably would have learned something new. Either way I think the assignment served its purpose. -Kayla Mullins Votes: +2 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 30 Posted October 16, 2014 5:01 pm Myzusy Reps: 113 I do not feel the teacher intended to offend your family. She assigned a variety of countries to students in the class to provide a truly global feel to the assignment. Since many children may have only experienced a few different types of ethnic food I believe she wanted to broaden the variety of food that would be provided. I would recommend that your son research about German recipes and Christmas traditions. He could then select a dish of his choice that with your help he could prepare for the class. In so doing he would complete the assignment requirements and learn about another culture. I would also recommend that you contact the teacher and offer to provide French and Romanian dishes to share with the class. Your son could help create his cultural dishes and discuss his culture with the class. You and your wife could also volunteer to come in to speak to the class about French and Romanian Christmas traditions. Your son could then explain how your family combines the traditions at home to create your families own unique cultural traditions. Doing so would demonstrate to the class that unique cultural traditions can be combined to create a new cultural tradition. That is a presentation any teacher supportive of teaching children about diverse cultures would be glad to have shared in their class. Votes: +2 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 31 Posted February 26, 2015 5:10 pm yGyPaZ Reps: 101 I would not be upset about this. The teacher is probably trying to expand your child's knowledge about different countries. Everyone in the class probably got a culture they aren't familiar with. It's a good thing to be knowledgeable of the all the countries around the world. Votes: +2 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 32 Posted February 18, 2013 4:28 pm Latasha Chong Reps: 46 I think the teacher may have assigned every student a different heritage from their own. This might allow the students to experience a different culture from what they are used to. I would not be upset, but write a letter to the teacher asking her nicely the reason for assigning this country. Votes: +2 / -1 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 33 Posted April 18, 2013 6:56 pm ZeNyJe Reps: 102 The teachers reasoning may be that she wants the student to research and experience aspects of another culture besides their own. This is not something to be upset about however I can understand your frustration. Also the teacher may not specifically remember your sons heritage with so many students. Votes: +2 / -1 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Tracy C Reps: 104 The teacher has no excuse in not knowing her students. As educators we must be culturally aware and sensitive toward the culture of our students and always seek opportunities to incorporate such knowledge in the learning environment.   Posted on: October 17, 2013 9:34 pm yXeBeX Reps: 114 I think it's quite possible that the teacher simply forgot about the child's heritage. I think we all know how busy things get in families and school around the holidays. People make mistakes and overlook things at times, even teachers. She needs to be given the opportunity to be made aware of the issue and fix the problem.   Posted on: October 12, 2014 8:44 pm Chelsea Abbott Reps: 112 I definitely think that the teacher should know the culture of each student. Knowing their heritage shows that the teacher takes interest in each of her children. In order for the best learning to take place, the teacher must be able to utilize each student's culture and embrace it in the classroom. If the teacher is looking to do an assignment like this, I think having each student bring in a dish from the heritage is the best idea.   Posted on: October 5, 2015 11:36 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 34 Posted October 11, 2013 2:38 am Emily West Reps: 102 You said that you "believe" the teacher knows about your sounds cultural background related to Romanian and French roots, but you do not sound certain of this. It may simply be that the teacher did not think about this connection. Another scenario may be that the teacher knows your son already knows a lot about the French and Romanian cultures and the teacher would like to give your son the opportunity to explore other cultures. I do not think this is something to be upset about, as I believe the teacher did not have intentions of upsetting you or your son. I think that you and your son should take this as a learning opportunity to discover things about the German culture and food. Votes: +2 / -1 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Hope Crosby Reps: 122 The first thought that crossed my mind after reading this scenario was the first statement you shared here: Perhaps the teacher was unfamiliar with the child's culture, or simply forgot. With so much on your plate as a teacher, it is very easy to overlook or forget certain 'obvious' things you know about your students.   Posted on: October 18, 2013 6:54 pm ezajaV Reps: 102 I agree with you. The teacher may have forgot about your sons culture. With all the responsibilities a teacher has, it may have slipped the mind of the teacher.   Posted on: October 12, 2015 11:40 am ehyNyn Reps: 109 I totally agree. Teachers want students to have new experiences and, if the student already knows about French and Romanian cultures, it might be better for him to complete this assignment over a different culture or country. In my opinion, the teacher is just trying to extend the student's learning and making it something with which he will not be bored.   Posted on: October 12, 2015 11:19 pm Amanda Whittaker Reps: 114 I agree that the teacher may have known, but she may not have known or remembered. Plus teachers are only human and do forgot about some of these things when it's time to complete the assignment. More than likely it was just an oversight and it will do the child good to learn about another country.   Posted on: October 16, 2015 2:08 am Add a Comment                 Solution 35 Posted October 13, 2013 11:00 am BazuTy Reps: 116 Before assigning the assignment I would have sent out information about the upcoming unit on Christmas around the world. I would have explained that the students were randomly given a country to bring some type of food from that particular country. I also would explain that any inquires about the activity is greatly appreciated and I will address all questions ASAP. Votes: +2 / -2 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution A Battles Reps: 115 I do like the pro-active lines of communication you suggested with the parents. This case study seems to have a lot of the same responses and this is a unique suggestion.   Posted on: October 19, 2013 6:47 pm Kristen Bagwell Reps: 107 This is a good suggestion. Some parents, depending on their background, may not support the assignment at all, and it's important to have open communication between the teacher and parents. I also think that it's important to inform the parents on the purpose of the assignment, which might cause less confusion from the parents. Additionally, maybe the teacher could allow the students to choose which country they researched and represented.   Posted on: October 4, 2015 3:48 pm ehyNyn Reps: 109 Parent communication is never a bad thing, so I agree with your solution. One thing that would need to be done in the letter, though, is to make sure it is as positive and culturally sensitive as possible. In other words, I think it would be necessary to show the educational value in the assignment, even if students are not assigned a country with which they are happy.   Posted on: October 18, 2015 1:55 pm Amanda Whittaker Reps: 114 I think sending home a letter before the activity begins is a great idea. This would hopefully clarify any problems before they could even start. I have noticed that when the parents know ahead of time what is to be expected they are more open and willing to participate in whatever the activity is. Also, letting them know that you are available for any questions, comments or concerns will help.   Posted on: October 18, 2015 7:57 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 36 Posted October 19, 2014 1:47 pm Qureby Reps: 102 I would guess that the teacher randomly assigned the countries to the students. It might be worth contacting the teacher just to find out if there is the possibility of switching assignments with another student after discussing your family's cultural background. I honestly do not think that this was done to offend or upset you or your son. On the other hand, the teacher may have carefully selected the countries based on the individual student's background. The teacher may have wanted this to be an opportunity for the students to learn about cultures other than their own. Either way I think your son will find it interesting to learn about German Christmas traditions and foods as he prepares for the celebration. Votes: +2 / -4 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Ashley Smith Reps: 107 I agree with you that the teacher may have randomly assigned the cultural foods that were to be prepared by each student. However, this statement reminds me that as an educator that I must have a reason for my actions to every occurrence. I think keeping open communication between teachers and families is beneficial in this certain situation. Problems need to be addressed so that feelings do not become upset or hurt during learning experiences.   Posted on: October 19, 2014 7:54 pm Hedynu Reps: 112 @Taylor Roberson-I totally agree and I am sure that students' parents could equally get offended if they were assigned dishes based on their ethnic group or cultures. As you stated, the assignment seems like an opportunity for students to learn about other cultures than their own. The topic of cultural identity as it relates to the son's classroom experiences seems to be a sensitive subject for the father, at least that is what I infer based on his seemingly emotional response. Perhaps there are some hidden issues that surpass this assignment that actually needs to be addressed.   Posted on: October 17, 2015 9:03 pm Hedynu Reps: 112 @ egyveW-Good point, the brunt of the parent's concern seems to be cloaked in ambiguity. Maybe if the teacher has an opportunity to explain in person her goals and objectives, the assignment will appear more meaningful or intentional. I have had situations where parents contacted me directly to get better clarity over a project. Once I was able to explain things openly, it cleared any or all misgivings.   Posted on: October 17, 2015 9:08 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 37 Posted February 17, 2013 8:31 pm Alisha Williams Reps: 31 If I were you, I wouldn't have been to upset about this situation. The teacher probably wants her students to learn about holiday traditions that are different from theirs. This will be a wonderful opportunity for your son to learn about different holiday cuisines. They will learn how to prepare it, cook it, and serve it. Maybe your son can show something that represents his Romanian and French roots in another project later on. The teacher can assign a project like a family tree or show the class a picture of their family crest. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution aheduX Reps: 112 I agree with you. The teacher may have wanted the students to view different cultures from their own. This would allow the students to understand more in dept about another country. The student could add or reassure what another student is presenting about his culture.   Posted on: October 20, 2014 1:57 am Add a Comment                 Solution 38 Posted February 18, 2013 9:46 pm Madeline Westog Reps: 30 I'm sure that the teacher did not assign your son German food to upset you or to make you feel like she is ignoring your culture. Your son's teacher clearly just wants him to learn from this assignment and learn about a new culture. If your son was given French or Romanian food, he would not get the opportunity to research German food or learn about their culture the way that he will by making the food himself. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Hope Crosby Reps: 122 I also felt that the teacher wanted the children to learn about 'new' or unfamiliar cultures, which is why the child was assigned a culture he was not familiar with.   Posted on: October 18, 2013 6:51 pm A Battles Reps: 115 I agree giving a student a country of his own heritage would be doing him a disservice because he would not be able to learn about a new culture like the rest of the class.   Posted on: October 19, 2013 6:46 pm aHeRaL Reps: 112 I would agree and assume the countries were assigned randomly (I do that in my class to avoid any of these types of issues). As you said, there is also the idea that the teacher wants to expose students to a variety of cultures and traditions. If you feel strongly about it, ask if the teacher would allow you to bring in some elements of French and Romanian Christmas traditions. I am sure they will not mind (I know I wouldn't).   Posted on: October 14, 2014 7:06 pm aQazuV Reps: 105 I agree that perhaps the teacher simply wanted the student to learn about a different culture. I think that it is totally up to the teacher as to what country she assigns each student. I think that it will be very beneficial for the student because they will become more knowledgeable about several different cultural traditions.   Posted on: October 15, 2014 10:40 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 39 Posted February 19, 2013 2:56 am Taylor Bocook Reps: 38 I think the parent does have the right to have questions. As a teacher you should do assignments of projects that are relate-able to your students. You should realize that a specific student could relate to bringing a food from their culture. I think it is a teachers job to not only teacher his or her students but to also know you students. How can you teacher effectively when you do know fully know your students? Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Meredith Bryant Reps: 106 I also agree with you. I think that parents have rights to question the assignment. However, as a teacher, sometimes I think parents are too quick to react to something that has happened to their child, and not really think about the entire class in general, which is how a teacher must view an assignment, grades, or whatever it is. In this situation, I believe the teacher wanted students to learn about another culture. To avoid fighting or confusion, she chose to randomly assign cultures to students. This way, students are learning about a new culture and not one with which they already know. It also makes it fair to students who might not have a diverse heritage. They have the same assignment and requirements and do not have any "easier" of a time completing the assignment.   Posted on: October 19, 2013 9:31 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 40 Posted October 13, 2013 10:29 am A Battles Reps: 115 This is a common theme in the answers but it was what I was thinking before I started reading the responses. I do not think you should be upset. The purpose of this assignment is probably to open the students eyes to different cultures. Since your son is aware of the French and Romanian cultures the teacher just wanted to open up a new culture to him as with all the other students in the classroom are learning new foods. Maybe you could talk with the teacher and let her allow your son time to share his personal experiences of French/Romanian Christmas culture. This way he can still bring in German food but share his knowledge of his own culture with his class. I teacher would most likely have no problems with this approach since it is all about learning about new cultures. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution jaMyDu Reps: 119 I agree with your thoughts on this assignment and the potential logic and reasons behind this particular assignment. I believe that the teacher deliberately assigned each student a country. I think that the teacher assigned each student in each classroom countries around the world to make sure that the students understand that people in different countries celebrate Christmas in their own unique ways. They have beliefs, traditions, and culinary treats that are quite different from that of their own and I believe that this was the main intent of the assignment. I don't think that he/she intentionally gave Germany to this student, he/she probably just randomly assigned countries to her students. That is just what I assume to be true. I also like the idea of maybe having a day where each student is given the opportunity to share with the class their own unique culture. Great post.   Posted on: October 16, 2013 4:14 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 41 Posted October 14, 2013 8:24 pm Stormye Brantley Reps: 121 Perhaps the teacher wanted to make this a learning opportunity for the entire family rather than just the student. I am sure the teacher is aware of your son's cultural background. However, by selecting Germany, she has given you and your child the opportunity to learn about an entirely new country that probably you both may not know anything about. It would be good for your son to represent his heritage in the classroom by sharing about Romania and/or France on the appropriate day. I would not be upset about the situation. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution jaMyDu Reps: 119 I agree. I believe that this is a great opportunity for the whole family to get involved in the assignment. The mother and father could help their son learn about a culture that they may know very little about. This would also educate them on the beliefs, history, traditions, and culinary delights of the German culture. I would also suggest that the students all have the opportunity to share with the class where they are from on another day. Christmas around the world seems like an assignment that is intended to begin teaching the students the concept of cultural diversity. Great Post.   Posted on: October 16, 2013 4:31 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 42 Posted October 20, 2013 8:39 pm yJaGus Reps: 106 I totally agree with you. As a teacher we must make sure we know the background of each of our students and what their heritage is. If this teacher is fully aware that your child has these strong cultural roots then I would have a meeting with the teacher to see if this child can bring in something from his parents culture. On the other hand the teacher may just want your child to go beyond what he already knows about his culture and learn about a different one. There is a possibility she assigned your country to another student and she will later ask your son to extend on that child's project to see if there is anything different. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 43 Posted October 20, 2013 10:02 pm upyNuX Reps: 100 I think a big part of the purpose of this assignment is for students to learn something NEW about the cultural traditions in other countries. For this reason I think she may have purposefully not assigned France or Romania to him so that he could learn about traditions he doesn't already know about. Personally, I think I would contact the teacher to see and maybe offer to switch to France or Romania if she doesn't have a problem with it. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Jordan Nelms Reps: 104 I too think that the teacher gave this assignment to have the students learn something new, and about a culture they weren't familiar with. I like your idea of contacting the teacher if it was necessary...or maybe just contact the teacher and ask for the reasoning behind the assignment. Great idea!   Posted on: October 20, 2014 3:54 am Add a Comment                 Solution 44 Posted September 2, 2014 11:35 pm PyveDu Reps: 101 As a Kindergarten teacher I think this is a GREAT activity where students are able to learn about the other cultures around the world and how they celebrate Christmas in their culture. I do also find it puzzling she wouldn't take consideration in students own personal cultures. I think the students would get a passion and engagement in learning more about their own culture. I could also see where a teacher would want all of the children to learn something different and your son already lives and knows about his culture and he could be able to learn about someone else's culture. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution BazaNu Reps: 89 I agree that it's important for students to know their cultural backgrounds but I also see value in learning about another culture. :)   Posted on: October 7, 2014 7:47 pm Whitney Johnson Reps: 97 I teach high school-- part of me understands this assignment is to explore culture and then the other part of me really does not understand it because the students are too young to "cook," so it is almost as if the parent is doing the assignment with them. I just think that if the father feels so passionate about their culture, then he should politely contact the teacher.   Posted on: October 8, 2014 2:00 am Add a Comment                 Solution 45 Posted October 3, 2014 5:01 pm NyVyTy Reps: 90 Although I can see why you may be upset about your son's food assignment, I don't think that the teacher intended to disregard his German and Romanian roots. However, if this issue is something that you feel strongly about, I would encourage you to contact your son's teacher to see exactly why he was not assigned to bring food contents from his own cultural roots. The teacher may have intended for all of the students to go beyond their own cultural understandings and experiences, to explore other groups, so that students may learn to appreciate all people of all backgrounds. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 46 Posted October 6, 2014 1:33 pm zuPeQy Reps: 99 I do not think you should be upset about this. I understand that the son has strong roots in Romania and France however, the teacher is trying to expose the students to different cultures that they may not be familiar with. If she would have assigned him one of the cultures he has a background in, it would be similar to the teacher assigning all of the students countries they were familiar with (which would probably be America for many). I think the teacher did the right thing by assigning the student a different country. It is good for the child to represent a part of his own heritage but that was not the point of the activity . Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Jordan Nelms Reps: 104 I agree that the teacher is probably trying to expose the students to cultures they are not familiar with. Having them bring food from a culture completely unfamiliar to them will require a bit of research on the student's part which will open their eyes to different parts of the world.   Posted on: October 20, 2014 3:53 am HyraLe Reps: 73 I see your point and I agree. If the teacher had assigned the students their culture, mostly would be American and that would defeat the purpose of this being a multicultural activity. Allowing the students to learn about different cultures other than their own was the point the teacher was trying to make.   Posted on: October 27, 2014 7:10 am Add a Comment                 Solution 47 Posted October 7, 2014 7:44 pm BazaNu Reps: 89 I would guess the teacher intentionally assigned a different country than your son's roots so that he can experience something new. I would not be upset but view it as a learning opportunity for the entire family. As a family, you could research foods that are popular in German Christmas celebrations and prepare a dish together. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Whitney Johnson Reps: 97 I agree that perhaps the teacher chose the countries in order for the children to explore out of their comfort zone. As stated previously in my post, not every student can have the "American" dish, so they need to learn something new.   Posted on: October 8, 2014 1:56 am Add a Comment                 Solution 48 Posted October 7, 2014 8:35 pm SaSyXu Reps: 105 I think you shouldn't be upset. This is a great learning opportunity for your son because he can spend some time researching and learning about another culture different from his own. If someone else got French or Romanian as their culture, then your son could maybe help them figure out some dish to bring. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution ePeHyM Reps: 105 I agree that this could be a learning experience for the child, it could also be a bonding experience. If another students has Romania and France then they could help that student and possibly develop a friendship as a result.   Posted on: October 12, 2014 9:43 pm Myzusy Reps: 113 I love your ideas about making the French/Romanian student a cultural expert for other classmates to consult. That would give him the opportunity to be an authority on his culture so that he could teach other student in the class. By working collaboratively all of the kids can be involved in the learning process and can have a grater appreciation of each other's knowledge.   Posted on: October 16, 2014 5:06 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 49 Posted October 8, 2014 2:39 pm aHeRaL Reps: 112 You should not be upset with the teacher for this specific situation. It looks like the purpose of the assignment was to expose your child to different cultures around the world and become familiar with cultures they are not already familiar with. As a result, it is good your teacher assigned your child Germany and not France or Romania. Maybe one way for the teacher to improve the assignment would be for students to be able to share any unique Christmas traditions from their family in addition to the work they did on the unfamiliar country. This would allow students to learn something new and contribute something from their personal cultural experience to the classroom. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution ezasyp Reps: 107 I like your idea of having students share some topics from their personal Christmas traditions and comparing it to the country's traditions. I definitely think at some point the students should be finding more information about the Christmas traditions and not just making food. If the purpose was to expose students to new countries and traditions, I think there should be a part of the assignment that requires students to actually tell facts about their findings.   Posted on: October 15, 2014 7:23 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 50 Posted October 15, 2014 10:39 pm aQazuV Reps: 105 I can see pros and cons to the situation. The teacher, knowing the student's French and Romanian cultural roots, may have wanted the student to explore other cultures to become more well-rounded and knowledgeable of many different cultural traditions. On the other hand, I think it would have been very beneficial to the other students if your child represented France because he might have been able to create a stronger presentation. I think it is definitely up to the teacher which view she takes on the situation because she knows the students better. I personally would have allowed the student to represent his own cultural roots because I feel he would be more interested and invested in the project if it had a personal connection to him. I personally do not feel as if you should be upset about the situation. If you feel strongly that he should represent his own cultural roots perhaps ask the the teacher if he can do both French and German food. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Qybuse Reps: 118 I agree completely with your suggestions. I think the point of the assignment is to research; if the student shares a culture that they are already familiar with there wouldn't be any need for research. With that being said, I am sure that the teacher would be thrilled with the idea of parents coming into the classroom to provide the students with additional information about their specific holiday routines. Students love guest educators!   Posted on: October 19, 2015 12:51 am Add a Comment                 Solution 51 Posted October 19, 2014 12:00 pm egyveW Reps: 103 I do not think that this is any reason to be upset. I think the point of the assignment was to learn a different cultures customs when it comes to Christmas, and if the students were given a country that they were familiar with then the assignment wouldn't teach them as much. This is a great way to get students outside their comfort zones and get them to look at the way others celebrate Christmas. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 52 Posted October 19, 2014 3:03 pm GyJeWy Reps: 105 The teacher may have wanted to expand his knowledge about other countries and by getting him to research the food in Germany he may learn something about another cultural that he did not know. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 53 Posted October 20, 2014 12:06 am LeHyZa Reps: 107 The assignment of German food is actually a good learning experience for your child. This assignment gives your child a chance to research the heritage and traditions of a different culture aside from his own which he probably knows well. While he is not bringing in a French or Romanian dish, your child should find ways to share his unique heritage in other way throughout the year to enlighten others. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution aheduX Reps: 112 Great post. I agree with you. The teacher may be trying to get the student to learn about a different heritage than his own. He may can contribute his knowledge of his heritage in another way or project.   Posted on: October 20, 2014 1:59 am Add a Comment                 Solution 54 Posted October 27, 2014 7:07 am HyraLe Reps: 73 I think that for the purpose of this assignment the teacher wanted them to learn about different cultures around the world. Many of the students in the classroom I'm sure got assigned to different cultures that were not apart of their own but the point was to make it that way so that they could learn more about different cultures around the world. By expanding their horizons and views the students are able to learn how others also celebrate this holiday. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Kim Lucas Reps: 107 I agree with your thoughts, and think that giving each student the opportunity to learn about different cultures and countries is a wonderful experience! It also involves the family and can bring up some great discussions at home about different things that he can learn.   Posted on: October 31, 2014 4:23 am Add a Comment                 Solution 55 Posted October 31, 2014 4:21 am Kim Lucas Reps: 107 I understand your confusion! But I think that the goal of this unit is to expand each student's understanding and knowledge about different culture's and customs around the world, so it makes sense that your son would have been randomly given a country different from the one's he is familiar with. I think that encouraging your son to respect the teacher's thoughts and decisions, and being excited for him to learn even more about the world is a great way of handling this situation. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Jill Elton Reps: 108 It's funny how parents often do not see the whole picture of a classroom, just their child. We, as egocentric individuals, are guilty of the exact same thing. As you mentioned, I, too, believe the goal of assigning the child with a different county other than that of his heritage was to provide the students with the opportunity to learn about a different culture. We all need help seeing and understanding the "big picture" of this beautiful world that we share.   Posted on: October 12, 2015 2:49 am Add a Comment                 Solution 56 Posted March 10, 2015 3:03 pm qaqeHy Reps: 101 No need to be upset! I'm certain it was not done intentionally. While it would be nice to bring in good from your own cultural background you could also see being assigned Germany a learning opportunity to learn about their food and culture as you research prepare the holiday dish. Certainly understandable that you would love to share your child's Romanian or French roots but I don't think the teacher meant to be offensive in the assignment. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 57 Posted March 12, 2015 12:02 am aNuLyB Reps: 103 Perhaps there are several students in the class with the same cultural background and that country was already taken. Maybe the teacher wanted the students to research other cultures to learn more about them. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 58 Posted October 5, 2015 2:52 pm Japuje Reps: 107 I don't think there is any reason to be upset about this. The purpose of the assignment is for students to learn about other cultures and find out how they may be similar or different from their own. Your son already knows about French and Romanian Christmas cultures so the teacher probably chose a different country for him to focus on so he could learn something new. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 59 Posted October 11, 2015 2:11 pm Edward Kim Reps: 106 I believe that the teacher's goal with the assignment is to get students to learn about different Christmas cultures. If your son is assigned one of his own cultures then he is really not going to learn anything new. He would also not have to do as much research or think independently on how or why a culture celebrates Christmas the way that it does. He would be speaking on something he already knows about. If students are assigned a culture that they are not familiar with then every student will hopefully learn something new and teach that something knew to the rest of the class. Although I believe that students could have been given the chance to pick to their own country to research, I also understand why the teacher chose to do this assignment this way. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 60 Posted February 16, 2013 11:34 pm Liz Iannacone Reps: 34 There are many reasons why the teacher may have did what she did. He/she may have honestly forgotten that his heritage was French and Romanian. He/She may have simply confused in his/her mind that the child was German; so it could be as simple as a mistake. However, I would agree that it is important for your child to have the opportunity to share his real heritage. I would email, or otherwise contact, the teacher inquiring as to why your son was assigned to Germany. If it is a mistake, then I would not be upset. The teacher could also have asked students to sign up for countries. If this is the case, then I would discuss it with your son and determine for yourself whether or not it's an issue. However, if the teacher is aware of his heritage and purposely assigned him a different country, this is not acceptable. I would again consult the teacher as to the reasons for the decisions and politely ask if a change is possible. The issue should not be approached with anger; but if the change is made our of prejudice sentiment, then action should be taken. Votes: +1 / -1 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Emily West Reps: 102 I think you could be correct about the teacher may have confused his heritage and thought he was German. Teachers, like everyone else, make mistakes. i also agree that it would not be a bad idea to email the teacher with your concern. i think this would clear up any misunderstandings for you and the teacher.   Posted on: October 11, 2013 2:41 am Stormye Brantley Reps: 121 I don't necessarily think it would be inappropriate to assign a student with French and Romanian background the country of Germany. Perhaps the teacher wanted the family to learn about something new together.   Posted on: October 14, 2013 8:25 pm jaMyDu Reps: 119 I have to agree with Storm on this one. I believe that the teacher wanted this activity to serve as an opportunity for the entire family to learn about a culture that may be quite different from their own. I don't think that it is wrong to assign a family with French and Romanian cultural roots Germany because it will allow them to learn about a culture that is unfamiliar to them. They will learn about Germany's traditions, beliefs, culture, and culinary traditions of the holiday season and will be able to discuss how Germany's culture compares to their own. I don't think that the teacher was being malicious or mean in assigning their son Germany because he/she wanted to give his/her students the opportunity to learn about something new. He/She wants them to step outside of their comfort zones and learn about other cultures that exist. I believe that this lesson would be great for a 2nd grade class because at the end of the activity, everyone gets to eat! Great post. :)   Posted on: October 16, 2013 3:43 pm udydyV Reps: 108 For clarification, was the parent upset by this or the student? If the parent takes issue with the class assignment, then talk with the teacher and address their concerns. The assignment seemed simple enough, however, if you want your son to bring in a native dish, then ask the teacher if your son can bring in two dishes.   Posted on: October 17, 2013 7:11 am upyNuX Reps: 100 Yes, there are a number of possibilities for what happened here and the best response is to go to the teacher and simply ask to see if she did it on purpose so your son can learn about a different culture or if she just didn't think about his cultural heritage.   Posted on: October 20, 2013 10:15 pm Chelsea Abbott Reps: 112 I think that having the students sign up for countries is a great idea. It allows the student to have an interest in the country they are picking. The student may do a small amount of research on the country in order to explain why the recipe is a staple to the country. I do think though that the teacher should have allowed the students to have their parents help them make a food that is special to their culture. The student would be excited to show it off. Also, the students would gain a better understanding of the culture of each student.   Posted on: October 5, 2015 11:32 pm Edward Kim Reps: 106 Why is it "unacceptable" that even if the teacher knew the student's heritage and still did not assign him his culture? That is not the purpose of the assignment. The point is to learn something new and to have to do some research. I would be offended if I always was assigned a Korean culture every time an assignment like this was given out. I would never really learn anything new or learn research skills.   Posted on: October 11, 2015 2:21 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 61 Posted February 17, 2013 2:33 pm Susanna Yawn Reps: 20 I think that the teacher should give the student a choice of what cultural food they will bring to represent their family's culture. He might bring more than one cultural dish to represent both cultural roots. Votes: +1 / -6 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 62 Posted October 19, 2014 7:43 pm Ashley Smith Reps: 107 Unfortunately, I think the teacher is not knowledgeable about the students in her own classroom or the teacher is ignoring the information that she has learned about the students' backgrounds. The idea about Christmas around the world is a great opportunity to have children learn about the various cultures of different people around the world. However, these learning experiences are not properly implemented when students from specific countries are not utilized in the appropriate manner. I would suggest that you contact the teacher to let her know your concerns. Communicating with the teacher is a great solution to solve problems that occur during the learning experiences of the classroom. I am sure that the teacher would have no problems with the student wanting to share his French/Romanian culture with the other students. I hope you do not hold this mistake against the educator. In addition, the family being upset at the individual will not make the situation any better. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Jill Elton Reps: 108 I disagree. I believe the teacher did know about the student's heritage, but wanted him to learn something he was unfamiliar with. Assigning topics in this manner allows for all students to "expand their horizons." Too, if another student was selected to bring in a French or Romanian dish, the teacher could call upon the French/Romanian student to share with the class his heritage, resulting in a true "teachable moment."   Posted on: October 12, 2015 2:33 am Add a Comment                 Solution 63 Posted October 20, 2014 3:50 am Jordan Nelms Reps: 104 Honestly, my first reaction would probably be anger. However, I would not react during the time of my anger, I would allow myself time to cool off because we never know the exact reasoning behind things. Maybe the teacher was honestly not aware of the deep French and Romanian roots, or maybe she was and was trying to open your son's eyes to a new cultural food. Although it would be great for your son to represent his heritage in the classroom, I think it would serve as a bigger learning experience (as far as being culturally diverse) for him to bring food representing a culture different from his own. He would have to do some research and dig deeper into a culture he wasn't used to. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Qybuse Reps: 118 I don't think this was anything calculated by the teacher to prevent the student from sharing his own culture. Rather, I think randomly assigning countries for the Christmas Around the World celebration is the only way to make the project fair. If not, it would be very likely that many students would be presenting for a few countries and there would be many countries left out of the celebration. It's also great for student to learn the cultures of new and unknown countries.   Posted on: October 19, 2015 12:55 am Add a Comment                 Solution 64 Posted February 21, 2015 1:46 am yPutyX Reps: 96 I'm surprised to hear of that idea. In today's increasingly culturally diverse classrooms, I'm always hearing to be sensitive to those who don't celebrate Christmas. I am always hearing about it's a "holiday season" or "holiday break" not Christmas. Christmas, I thought, was practically banned in public schools and replaced by "holidays" to incorporate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and not alienate any religious groups. Anyways, I wouldn't be upset. Perhaps the teacher's reasoning had to do with your son learning about a different culture (German) and being exposed to new knowledge rather than the cultural roots he is already familiar with. I don't think the teacher's assignment was done maliciously, but to further your son's appreciation for other cultures and yes, he should be proud of his fine heritage! Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 65 Posted October 4, 2015 3:46 pm Kristen Bagwell Reps: 107 I don't think you should be upset about this. The purpose of the assignment, from what I can understand, is to allow students to learn about different cultures. Your son already knows about American, French, and Romania Christmas traditions, so it only makes sense that he would (for the purposes of the assignment) learn about an additional culture. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 66 Posted October 5, 2015 11:29 pm Chelsea Abbott Reps: 112 While I do agree that the purpose of the assignment was for students to learn about different cultures, I do think that the teacher should have the students bring in food that represents their heritage. The students can be proud of the food they bring in and talk about the recipe (ex: when they eat it, who cooks it, etc) I think that the student would learn the most from this assignment if the student were able to talk about their own country and learn about others. For example, the teacher could ask the students to pick three other dishes and talk about them (ex: where they are from, what the food is, why it is special). I think this would be more meaningful to the students. Also, the other students could learn more about each other, creating a sense of a community within the classroom. I like the idea of the Christmas Around the World and I do not think that you should be upset about this. The teacher had a different idea about how the assignment should be handled. I would communicate with the teacher if a real issue occurred. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Daisy Dumler Reps: 106 I think you're right, I guess it would allow the students to be proud of where they came from.   Posted on: October 19, 2015 1:33 am Add a Comment                 Solution 67 Posted October 11, 2015 10:59 pm Jasmine Bringuel Reps: 102 I would not be upset about this because I believe the teacher wanted to make sure that every culture was represented in the lesson. Many students have the same cultural background, so then there would not be much diversity in the foods being brought in for the lesson. Her assigning culture to students is a way to help them learn about other cultures besides there own to give them exposure to how other countries make certain foods that could be similar to their own. It is good for a child to know their own culture and the foods with in them, but the teacher wants all the students to learn the culture of different cultures beside their own. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 68 Posted October 12, 2015 2:09 am Jill Elton Reps: 108 If I were in your shoes, I would first ask myself "Does my child know about the German culture?" If the answer is "no", then I would assume that the other children within the class, who were more than likely born in the U.S., too, do not know about other countries cultures. The teacher, therefore, is trying to "expand the horizons" of her students by having them study and bring in food from other cultures. If your child's teacher chose French or Romanian food for your child to bring in, what would he be learning from this experience? However, if another child has been chosen to bring in French or Romanian food, the teacher could call on your son and he could help the students better understand the French and Romanian cultures. Therefore, I do not think there is any reason to get upset. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 69 Posted October 12, 2015 11:39 am ezajaV Reps: 102 I do not think you should be upset. The purpose of this activity is to allow the students to be exposed to the different cultures. With your son already familiar with Romanian and French cultures, the teacher was probably giving him the opportunity to explore a different culture. I would suggest sending a note to the teacher expressing your concerns. The teacher may then allow your soon to bring food from his own culture. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 70 Posted October 12, 2015 11:17 pm ehyNyn Reps: 109 I believe this is a great opportunity for your on to learn about a different country and culture. I bet that is why your son wasn't assigned France or Romania. If I were you, I would not be upset, but if you feel strongly about him bringing in French or Romanian food, write the teacher and let them know that you'll also send one from one, or both, of those countries as well. As a teacher, there are not a lot of times in which there is more than enough food items donated to my classroom. Therefore, it will probably not be a problem if you were to send extra in with your son. Also, it might be pretty cool for the class to experience authentic French or Romanian cuisine. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 71 Posted October 13, 2015 5:06 pm Kateline Vaughn Reps: 106 I would not get upset over this assignment. The teacher assigned students countries so they would have the opportunity to learn something about them. If your student already knows many things about French and Romanian culture (which is awesome), then she would be cheating your son by assigning him those countries. She wanted him to have the opportunity to learn something new, along with the rest of the class. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 72 Posted October 16, 2015 2:05 am Amanda Whittaker Reps: 114 The teacher was most likely assigning countries randomly to students and may not have remembered about your sons heritage. On the other hand, she may have given him Germany so that he too could study a different country like the rest of the class. Since your son already knows a lot about France and Romania he too will benefit from the lesson because he is having to learn about a different country. I would not be upset about this and just let it be a cultural lesson about another country that he may know nothing about. Your son may also want to learn about another country because he does already know so much about France and Romania. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 73 Posted October 17, 2015 8:46 pm Hedynu Reps: 112 I guess I am confused because I do not quite understand why you should even be upset in this situation. Would bringing a dish of your choice be easier to fix? If so, maybe you should communicate that to the teacher. If it is convenience you are looking for, then that should be suggested with that context mentioned. If the teacher offended you, it is likely it was not deliberate. The response seems extremely unintentional. If you strongly feel that having your son work on a dish from his background would be more meaningful or even an opportunity to shed some unique insight into his cultural identity; then go for it! However, it does not seem a true cause for scruples. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 74 Posted October 18, 2015 4:46 pm Tetygy Reps: 90 Well this can definitely become a touchy situation. Personally, I disagree with the teacher. Before I do any holidays other than national holidays such as Thanksgiving and fourth of July I ask parents how they feel about their child participating in it, especially when it comes to Christmas. I would much rather do Holidays from around the world than Christmas around the world. I would never want to offend someone. Second, I probably would have given the child something relating to their heritage. However, she could have given German to him so he was able to expand his horizons more. If it truly bothers the parents, they should just ask to speak to the teacher to ask for some clarity. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 75 Posted October 18, 2015 11:49 pm qasytu Reps: 107 I completely understand your feelings. However, consider her ultimate goal in this process. I am assuming she wants to have the students, all of the students experience cultures other than their own. Now, having said that, it would have been amazingly collaborative if she had paired your son with the student that was assigned France and/or Romania. He could have served as peer tutor! Also, perhaps your entire family could have come in to the classroom ahead of time and shared your experiences as a way to model the expectations the teacher has for the students as far as their assignments go. I do have to applaud her for her approach to such a festive time of year and the thoughtful twist she put on such an assignment. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 76 Posted October 19, 2015 12:18 am yWasyD Reps: 107 The teacher is probably not thinking things through when she assigned German food to your son. I would try and not upset myself over this. Try and talk to the teacher and tell her how you feel and ask her if she can make allowances for your son to bring French or Romanian food instead of Herman food. I am sure she will reason with you and let your son bring what you want him to bring. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 77 Posted October 19, 2015 12:48 am Qybuse Reps: 118 I think the purpose of this assignment is to represent many different cultures in the class' Christmas Around the World celebration, with the goal of students learning about new and unknown cultures. I think the teacher randomly assigned cultural groups to students in order to make it fair; if not, many students would likely be "fighting" for their own culture. I am sure that the teacher would welcome you to come in and share about your countries' special holiday traditions, in addition to sending in the items that help your student learn about the German holiday traditions. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 78 Posted October 19, 2015 1:33 am Daisy Dumler Reps: 106 I think the teacher wants the children to learn about cultures that are different from their own. Since he has a strong french and romanian back ground he's already familiar with those two. You shouldn't be mad at the teacher as he wants to use this as a learning experience. Someone else may represent your culture and your son can add his opinion on their representation later on. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 79 Posted October 19, 2015 2:52 am uPaSeW Reps: 209 I think the reasoning behind the teacher's assignment was for the students to learn about other Christmas traditions outside of their own, so I do not think you should be upset about the situation. It is important to learn about other cultures outside of your own in order to learn to respect other cultures. America is a very diverse country which makes it even more important to explore other cultures that are not your own. However, if you feel that your own culture is being underrepresented in the class, I would conference with the teacher and express your concerns. The teacher may allow your student to bring a dish from his culture in addition to the German food that he is assigned to bring. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 80 Posted February 24, 2016 1:09 am Chelsea Reps: 103 I honestly think that if you expressed your concerns the teacher would be open to the idea. The assigning of countries could have easily been random and not planned. If your child is passionate about his culture, then he should be able to bring in food from his culture. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 81 Posted November 27, 2018 12:31 am ybabaJ Reps: 301 I do not think you should be upset about this at all. If anything it was more educational for your son to be assigned a country that he was not familiar with. He is still armed with the knowledge about French and Romanian cultures and can share that information with his class but he wouldn't be learning anything new. This gives him an opportunity to learn something new about a different culture. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 82 Posted March 19, 2019 11:44 pm udaXuh Reps: 306 I feel like the teacher assumes, because of your son's strong ties to Romania and France, that he is well versed in those cultures. By being assigned Germany, it gives him an opportunity to explore German customs and food and becomes a more cultural and educational lesson for him. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 83 Posted October 8, 2020 3:19 pm zeRuZy Reps: 100 from my point of view the teacher may be assigning alternative countries to students regardless of background because she wants them to learn a new culture. However I think you could reach out and ask the teacher if your son could also bring in a food that presents the families culture. A double win! Most teachers wont say no to extra work done by a student and what an awesome combination of cultures your son would be able to share all while still completing the assigned assignment, still making it fair bc I am sure most students were assigned a alternative culture than their own. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 84 Posted April 15, 2022 1:13 pm beVuLu Reps: 203 I understand the reason that you are upset, but she probably just assigned at random. She may know your son's culture, but not anyone else's. Also, what if there were more students that were French or Romanian. They would then be in the same situation as you. I feel like maybe she could have done a sign up chart and then once a country was chosen, she could remove it from the list. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 85 Posted September 30, 2022 12:55 pm gapuse Reps: 40 I believe the teacher meant no harm when assigning your child's particular dish. Odds are it was completely randomized. However, I do understand what you are saying and in my opinion this would have been a great opportunity for the teacher to allow your son to share his culture while also showing other student's an inside look at food directly from French or Romanian roots. I would say it is not something to get upset over but it could be brought up in a polite manner to the teacher. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 86 Posted November 4, 2022 12:31 am peXehu Reps: 202 I do not think this a reason to get upset, I think the idea behind it is for students to experience different cultures on a more in depth level. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 87 Posted April 18, 2013 6:50 pm VuVyRu Reps: 85 The teacher may not actually know the students heritage, and may be inferring based upon what she believes the student's accent to be. As someone from the US, occasionally it is difficult to decipher an exact country based upon an accent; whereas it may be simpler to determine the general region (all three are located in western Europe). I would not be offended by this, as it is likely just a simple mistake by the teacher. I would, however, speak to the teacher about the misunderstanding and ask that your child be able to bring in foods that are truly representative of his cultural heritage. Votes: +0 / -1 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 88 Posted October 15, 2014 7:21 pm ezasyp Reps: 107 I think you should ask the teacher why your student was assigned Germany over France or Romania. Most likely the teacher was just handing out country assignments and did not even think to assign certain countries to certain students based on their heritage. I think you should suggest to the teacher that she should also add a little family tree assignment before assigning countries to students. This way the students can take the time to research their cultural heritage and find out where their families immigrated from. I think then the students could actually take ownership in the food they are making because it is apart of who they are. I personally would be kind of upset about this unless the teacher has a valid reason as to why they assigned countries to certain students. I think the best solution would just be to ask the teacher for clarification! Votes: +0 / -1 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Qureby Reps: 102 The family tree idea is great! The only issue I could foresee with this is students who are adopted, students who do not know one or more of their birth parents, etc. I find it interesting that you would be upset by the way the countries were assigned. What if the teacher assigned Germany intentionally so that the student in question would have the opportunity to learn about a different cultural?   Posted on: October 19, 2014 1:51 pm GyJeWy Reps: 105 The family tree idea is great! And the teacher may have not thought about the students' cultures before assigning the project. I did not think about that viewpoint either.   Posted on: October 19, 2014 3:07 pm LeHyZa Reps: 107 Asking for clarification is a good solution. I am hoping the teacher did put thought into the assignment and did not simple overlook the child's heritage. As a teacher I know I would assign the student a new and unfamiliar culture in order to broaden their horizon.   Posted on: October 20, 2014 12:13 am Add a Comment                 Solution 89 Posted October 4, 2015 8:38 pm Laura Doolittle Reps: 109 I do not think you should be upset about this. I would ask the teacher is there was a particular reason she assigned students to certain countries and then explain your feelings. I do agree that your son should represent parts of his heritage in the school. I believe the teacher honestly just assigned students to a country without thinking about it. I think once talking and explaining your thinking to her that she will be happy to change your son to one of those countries that represents his heritage. Votes: +0 / -1 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 90 Posted October 12, 2014 8:39 pm yXeBeX Reps: 114 I believe this was a simple oversight by the teacher and not a calculated move to keep him from sharing his cultural background. I would simply send a note to the teacher reminding her of his French and Romanian background and ask if your son could represent those countries instead. I am certain the teacher will accommodate your wishes and apologize for the oversight. Votes: +0 / -2 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution ePeHyM Reps: 105 I don't think this is an oversight by the teacher but was very much intentional. The goal is for the students to learn about the customs of other countries regarding Christmas. If you child were given France or Romania they would not have learned anything new and they wouldn't have to do as much research as the other students. The project is about learning something that different and new.   Posted on: October 12, 2014 9:39 pm Add a Comment                 Submit a Possible Solution Please read response(s) below (if any) before posting your solution.