Shu-Ha-Ri

A Reflection
Matthew Griffin
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During my observation, I saw a lot of great teachers. While they taught different subjects, they

all show patience, empathy, and drive when teaching their students. They use various strategist and

approaches and provided a safe environment for their student to grow. During this class, we learned to

recognize the needs of ELL Student and learned a variety of strategies to support their learning. We have

also been asked to question our cultural background to confront our assumptions and bias.

"The most culturally alive people, say Henderson (1984), are those who are changing and

recombining new attitudes all their lives" (Igoa,1995, p. 638 Kindle). As a child, I had a pivotal life

experience when I left my white working-class neighborhood and attended a multiracial and multi-

religious school with children from wealthy families. To put it bluntly, I was the poor white kid in a

school of rich kids, many of whom were black. That juxtaposition between home life and school life

created a conflict in me that is still shaping my life.

"It is unlikely that an individual is fully cognizant of the depth and strength of his or her own

cultural patterns until that person has the opportunity to experience a cross-cultural interaction that

threatens, challenges, or violates the person's cultural values. As the saying goes, "You can't ask a fish to

describe water" (Zainuddin, 2011, p. 15).

While attending City College of San Francisco, I saw a video on the topic of diversity and racism.

That was the first time I was exposed to the idea of White Privilege and the unearned advantages I had

inherent as a white male. I had never examined the idea that my being white and male gave me an edge

over others, even among people of other races. One time, an older black woman told me she trusted me

more than a black peer, even though we had just met, and my peer was as qualified as me. There was an

unspoken belief that I was more qualified or trustworthy than a person of color or a woman. Wrestling

with this idea has hunted me until today, 20 years later. I wish I could say I did not profit from it. But the

truth is I had no way to prevent it. The best I could offer was that I never actively use it to my advantage.
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"Negative cultural diversity occurs when individuals and groups regard each other suspiciously.

This negative reaction to cultural diversity creates an unhealthy social dynamic with both dominant and

subordinate cultures competing for economic, social, and political power" (Zainuddin, 2011, p. 4)

I find it necessary to say that while I recognize that these things occurred, I was helpless to

prevent them, and it was not practical to confront them. I was a husband and father, and it would have

been an empty gesture to challenge the unconscious belief that I suspected existed. The truth is I couldn't

afford it. I had a family to protect, and nothing I said would have resulted in a lasting change. Again the

best I could do was not actively take advantage of this unearned privilege. At this point in my life, I

know that is not good enough. As a teacher, I hope to have the opportunity to change that situation.

Language is a powerful tool that can elevate a person to the most incredible heights or damn them

to the most profound depths of servitude. For all students, but particularly ELL’s, teaching them to

master the English language is not enough. To change how they perceive themselves and how the world

perceives them, we must set goals that move beyond their potential. We must lead them from

understanding to application, with the ultimate goal of creating something new. The Japanese have a

concept for this called Shu-Ha-Ri. Shu means to obey the rules, such as learning grammar, vocabulary,

and language skills to communicate. Ha means to consciously move away from the rules, applying

language to higher-order thinking such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Ri means to transcend the

rules and unconsciously find a new path. That is the goal of this course and every teacher whose classes I

have observed.

Language and culture are closely related. Language is an expression of thought, culture, and

belief. In some cultures like Russian, Italian, Greek, Spanish, and South America, people are highly

involved in the conversation. They tend to talk more, interrupt more, speak louder and quicker. Compare

to other cultures such as Korean, Japanese, and American, where involvement is less important than

listening politely, talking one at a time, and showing interest in what someone else is saying. For
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teachers, this is just one cultural difference that we must be aware of when teaching ELLs and talking

with their families. By understanding these differences, we can recognize an Ell’s reaction or behavior in

a critical situation. We can avoid making the wrong assumption based on our cultural background. For

example, if a Russian student, excited by her sudden understanding, interrupts another student and calls

out the answer, how we react will affect that child and the whole class. We can see it as a teachable

moment or as a sign of an unruly student. Likewise, if a Chinese student affirms understanding but fails

in assessment, it is vital to understand the potential cultural influence guiding the student's behavior. In

China, it is disrespectful not to understand the teacher's lesson. Therefore the student would rather risk

not understanding the lesson rather than offending the teacher.

It is essential to understand if newly arrived ELLs have limited formal schooling or receive

adequate education in the native country. In the case of refugees, there are additional concerns related to

their physical and psychological needs. According to the Pennsylvania Code regarding Educating ELLs,

an assessment needs to occur in all cases and include screening, identification, and placement. "Local

education agencies (LEAs) are required to identify ELs at the time of enrollment, notify parents of the

identification and programming options, and appropriately place the ELS into a language instruction

educational program (LIEP)"(22 Pa. Code §4.26, 2017). LEA's are responsible for ensuring that ELS

students are fully aware of their rights and the services they are eligible to receive. LEA's should ensure

that ELS students share the same grading system as all other students and conduct annual reviews to

measure growth in their skills and grades. LEA, school administrators, and teachers also need to protect

ELLs from any misconceptions that a lack of student English Language Proficiency (ELP) is a valid

reason for retaining a student from advancing into a new grade.

"ELs must have equitable access to academic content for all courses in which they are

enrolled"(22 Pa. Code §4.26, 2017). Once assessments are complete, students' focus should be on

building foundational literacy skills, with a concern that ELLs may lack literacy skills in their naïve
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language. While students with adequate schooling may need less time to learn the language and be on

grade level, they still need to support learning the new language's grammar.

Teachers and Administrators can also use a CAN DO Descriptor to determine the level of ELP.

These Descriptors "are broad in nature, focusing on language functions general found in the school

setting, rather than language skills related to specific academic topics"(WIDA Consortium). Language

Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) should include support, such a scaffolding, modifications, and

accommodation, as provided to all students. Additionally, English as a Second Language (ESL) should

only replace English Language Art (ELA) when ESL is aligned with the mainstream classroom standards.

"LIEP and special education programming are not mutually exclusive. Special education services do not

replace English language development services or vice versa. ELs must be afforded all supports,

resources, and programming for which they are eligible" (22 Pa. Code §4.26, 2017). It is essential to

ensure that school staff, teachers, and administrators do not confuse a lack of ELP with a disability. ELs

with a Learning Disability (LD) should receive both services without waiting to determine LD eligibility.

All the teachers that I observed were fantastic. Their commitment to excellence and dedication

their students showed in their energy and enthusiasm. There were many great examples of proper

classroom management and organization, small group instruction and individual tutoring, and various

student engagement strategies. However, one teacher I felt captured everything, including the four

domains of listening, reading, speaking, and writing in his classroom.

The class was "Foundational Literacy Skills" for grades 9 to 12. The goal was to practice fluency

and provide ELL students with strategies for building fluency. Within the class, there were four different

languages spoken. The teacher used the technique of repeating a word in English, then having the ELLs

repeat it in their naïve language for the class. He did this with such regularity that I have to assume this

was mean to associate the word in the native language to the new vocabulary. As Washburn points, outs

teacher should "Repeat rather than paraphrase. When comprehending a foreign language, we need more

time to process what we have heard, when people switch to a new structure, we often lose what we have
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already understood in the maze of the new structure" (Washburn, G.N. (2008). P. 249). The teacher

stayed visible to his students, move around the room so they can use body language to support their

understanding of the lesson. He used guided reading, phonics, and vocabulary review to engage them in

the four domains. He pairs students for peer reading activities while having each student self-assess their

development by tracking reading time and word count. He encouraged students who spoke the same

language to work together and to use handle technology for additional support. His lesson was engaging

to the student because they were active participants in the class. The students voted on how much time

they needed to complete each part of the lesson, and they support each other to meet their goals.

While this class and the teachers I observe will influence my career as a teacher, it is the

questions I have asked myself over the last ten weeks that will have the most significant change. I have

come to understand the struggles that ELL students face and the importance of language to all students.

Language is a doorway into society and culture. If you are blocked or perceive that you are blocked

because of a lack of language skills, your opportunities are limited. Your family's options are limited,

and your earning potential will be restricted. If I am to be a successful teacher, it must be with the idea

that my student will exceed their potential. That they will move beyond the rules of today, transcending

the concept of the past, and move into a new world that they will create.
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Reference;

Igoa, C. (1995). The Inner World of the Immigrant Child. New York: St. Martin's Press

(ISBN: 0-8058-8013-5)

Irving, K.J. (1984). Cross-Cultural Awareness and the English-as-a-Second –Language Classroom,
Theory Into Practice, 23(2), 1385-143

Washburn, G.N. (2008). Alone, Confused and Frustrated: Developing Empathy and Strategies for
Working with English Language Learners. Clearing Houise,81(6), 247-250

Zainuddin, H., Morales-Jones, C., Yahya, N. & Whelan Ariza, E. (2011) Fundamentals of teaching
English to Speakers of Other Languages in K-12 Mainstream Classrooms. (4 th Ed.) Dubagae, Kendall
Hunt. (ISBN 978-1-4652-6760-3)

(ELs) 22 Pa. Code §4.26 DATE OF ISSUE: July 1, 2001 DATE OF REVIEW: July 1, 2017

WIDA Consortium- Can Do descriptors for the Levels of English Language Proficiency