| Understanding School Culture: Becoming an Effective Border-crosser |
Context: |
| When volunteer tutors or mentors enter schools (particularly after some time away), it's easy for them to make quick judgments about the changes they see. To be successful in their new assignments, volunteers need to build "border-crossing" skills. Effective border-crossers strive to make observations without judgment, while seeking allies to help them understand the new culture. The following activity introduces the concept of border-crossing and exposes volunteers to the school settings they are likely to encounter. This activity can be used by program staff in an initial orientation of new or prospective tutors and mentors. It is particularly effective if used after or in conjunction with Understanding School Culture: Self-reflection. |
Goals: |
- To orient tutors and mentors to their particular volunteer setting(s)
- To build skills in making nonjudgmental observations
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Materials/Preparation: |
| Take photos in and around the environment in which volunteers will be working with students (seek permission from school administrators first). Try to get a wide variety of photos of students in groups and working with adults—in the lunchroom, at recess, in hallways, and in classrooms. Select a few photos to enlarge into overheads. |
Activity: |
Take an "ethnographic walk." One way to bring school culture into a training setting is to give potential tutors experience in viewing another culture with "soft eyes." This means striving to make observations without judgment. Flash the overheads you've made of school or educational settings. Ask participants to individually write their answers to these questions:
- What are your first impressions of what you see?
- Now, tell us exactly what you see: Write four judgment-free observations that provide concrete details of the photographs.
- What hypotheses could you make about this school based on what you observe?
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Key Questions and Points to Remember: |
- What are the differences between your first impressions and what you actually saw in the photos?
- How can first impressions be wrong?
- Why is it good to reserve judgment when we want to cross borders effectively in an education setting?
- To be effective border-crossers, tutors must be aware of the values, beliefs, and past experiences they bring about schools and education, and work hard to observe and remain open to how schools have changed in the years since they were students. To illustrate these points, share and discuss Seeing Culture through an Unbiased Lens. Ask participants, Who has allies within the school who have helped you be an effective border-crosser? If you have none, how can you go about identifying potential allies?
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 Download the Seeing Culture through an Unbiased Lens handout. |
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Developed by LEARNS, a partnership of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (1-800-361-7890) and Bank Street College of Education (1-800-930-5664). For additional activities or assistance, please call. |
