Cultural Differences Concerning Time
Growing up a sheltered girl in mono-chronic America I never knew there was a difference in how other countries perceived or valued time. Mono-chronic and Poly-chronic? All new to me. I have noticed people from other cultures being very casual about time. Never occurred to me that it was their culture, and not just them not taking time commitments seriously. I am sure some of my friends and family think I was born in a country that is poly-chronic. I would not say I don't value time with the same rigidity as to adhering to plans, because in many ways I am very particular when it comes to following a schedule. I just have my moments when promptness is not always adhered to, and I try to accomplish many things at once.
As I am now learning, time is viewed differently and I will need to consider this as I someday welcome students from various cultures that may regard time dissimilarly than Americans do. This is another step in the process of learning about cultural differences. Sensitivity is essential, as is planning ahead to meet any possible challenges of miscommunication or misunderstanding. As a future teacher, I am learning that I need more than pedagogical and linguistic knowledge. It is one thing to know that we are different and to feel sensitive and respectful of that. I need to take it up a level and prepare myself to know what those differences are when I meet my new students. Should I learn to make adaptations and adjustments in my classroom and teaching approach? Certainly, but I also believe I can educate them on what we do as Americans and help them understand the why, and then help them learn to adapt as well.
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