What happens when schools misunderstand culture as misbehavior?

In this episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán reflects on powerful conversations with a Dominican mother advocating for her son after repeated school experiences rooted in misunderstanding, bias, and cultural disconnects.

This conversation explores the important distinction between cultural competence and cultural humility—and why humility requires more than training or good intentions. It requires listening, reflection, partnership, and the willingness to recognize that our norms are not universal.

Through real stories from families navigating schools, this episode challenges educators to rethink what belonging truly means and asks an important question:

Are students being supported… or silently asked to erase parts of themselves in order to fit in?

• Why cultural humility is different than cultural competence
• How cultural misunderstanding can lead to discipline
• The difference between inclusion and assimilation
• Why students shouldn’t have to “blend in” to belong
• The long-term impact of feeling unseen in school
• How educators can shift from control to curiosity
• What meaningful partnership with families can look like

“Students should not have to erase themselves in order to belong.”

• Whose norms are centered in our classrooms and schools?
• What assumptions do we make about behavior, communication, and professionalism?
• Are we trying to understand students and families—or simply manage them?
• What might cultural humility look like in practice?

As school demographics continue to shift, many educators are realizing that diversity alone does not create belonging.

This episode is a reminder that culturally responsive practice is not about mastering “other people’s cultures.” It’s about developing the humility to listen, learn, reflect, and build authentic relationships with students and families.

Teach in Truth.
Lead with Courage.
Belong to a Community That Gets It.

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Share this episode with an educator, administrator, or parent navigating conversations around culture, belonging, and identity in schools.