Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Unclear Future In my many years of teaching high school, I have seen all types of students. Noora, a student from Pakistan, was one of the most special students. She was definitely one of the most intelligent I have had. She also had an extraordinary work ethic and interpersonal skills. When other students in her class had difficulty with any subject, Noora was there to help them. I thought she had a very bright future. Knowing her strong skills and knowledge in math and sciences, I thought she would go to a prestigious university. One day I decided to talk to Noora about her future plans and I was shocked by what I heard. She said that two months after graduating from high school, she was going to get married to the son of a family friend. She did not seem very disturbed by this. I went to talk to Noora's parents to explain to them what a great student she was and why they should reconsider their decision to marry her at such a young age. I told them that what they were doing was unfair. The very next day Noora's family sent a formal complaint letter to my school principal stating that I was being disrespectful their culture, and that it is their business to decide their daughter's future, not the teacher's. I was devastated when the principal informed me about this. I thought I was being a good teacher. I still do not want to give up on Noora's future. What should I do? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) After reading the Intersection of Cultures in this class, I am more sensitive to the beliefs and values of other cultures than I once was. I would definitely agree that the parents need to know how bright and gifted Noora is, but I would not discuss Noora's future or explain how they should reconsider the future of their daughter. There is a line that teachers have to understand and draw when it comes to parents and their child. I would suggest doing a study on the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient from Pakistan named Malala Yosefei which my own 5th grade students completed this year. It is a great example of how one girl set aside family and culture plans to get a higher education after her attack by terrorist in her country.