After I graduated from high school, my father sent my brother and I to France. Since he was educated in French, he always wished for at least one of us to earn a degree from Sorbonne University. The trip to France shaped my global literacy. Eventually, as I traveled to other European countries and to the United States, I learned that being literate in society means being active, critical, and creative users not only in print and spoken language but also of visual language of the world and everything it has to offer. By traveling and exploring the world as a student, I realized that one of the greatest quality a teachers can have is his or her global knowledge.
Global knowledge represents an anti bias attitude and respect of other cultures.
The teacher's mission should be to help today's student develop pride in their heritage. The first step towards completing this mission is to recognize the distinct difference between foreign children who come to the United States. Each group has different customs, and teachers should work with parents and community leaders to find out what they are. The second step requires a teacher's sensitivity to the children's heritage. These children's home environments teach them values that are quite different from those of mainstream Americans.