It’s nearly fall here in the Bluegrass, and that means festival season for Lexington! Over the past week I got to experience the Lexington Roots and Heritage Festival and the Festival Latino de Lexington. I did not get to spend very long at the Roots festival because it started to rain, but I did get to see some quality music and performances. The Latino festival was just as wonderful as last year, with delicious food, interesting vendors, and the entertaining Brazeros Musical De Durango group.
Guess what else? Men at the at the festival were actually dancing. Out of their own free will. If that isn’t enough of a reason to love other cultures, I don’t know what is. It was an absolute pleasure to be able to see and celebrate many of the different cultures here in my own community, because a multi-cultural community is something to celebrate.
At the Latino Festival I saw a student from Saudi Arabia whom I work with when I volunteer at the Center for English as a Second Language (CESL). I am so glad he got to experience a side of Lexington he otherwise may never have seen. Speaking of CESL, today’s class topic was about what makes a Global Citizen. A fitting day for me to volunteer. The kind instructor told me, “Even though I don’t have much money, I get to travel the world every day through this class”. I adore that outlook.
We can learn through our students. We can learn through our friends. We can learn through our community. So I encourage you to explore the cultures around you. You may be amazed at what you find. But you won’t know until you try.
Learning Across the Globe 
Kate,
I love your outlook you take on multicultural communities and learning. It truly is so inspiring to see someone so willing to take an interest in a culture other than their own and definitely something that all citizens (especially teachers) need to be more aware of!
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Kate, I could not agree more about teaching students to be culturally aware of others in their community. It is so important to allow students to learn about the other cultures that live in the world. That may be the Social Studies teacher in me talking, but I think it is awesome that as a Math and English teacher you are able to recognize the importance of being so culturally aware. The Latino Festival is so fun, and I think that if other people went outside of their comfort zone to experience things like Roots and The Latino Festival, they would be pleasantly surprised with how much they learn and how much they enjoy! Can’t wait to read more!
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I love that you want to incorporate teaching students about being culturally aware of others in their community. This is something that has been heavily emphasized in my Social Studies classrooms. Also learning about individuals cultures, especially the ones of the students in your classroom, could become a really amazing classroom activity. You could even make students “cultural experts” for a culture to help them present. I would love to do something like that to involve my students more in their own learning.
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Kate, you’re so right, it is important to be aware of the diversity amongst your classroom whether it be learning style or culture. Going to events like the Roots and Heritage festival will also help have a better understanding of different cultures intermingled throughout the classroom, which will also help gain respect as a teacher when you are culturally aware.
Also, I am interested more in the CESL, I know we have talked about it a few times, but I am looking forward to being updated on your experiences!
Can’t wait to read more!
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