Teachers have the power to shape society. Their influence can be echoed through the ages, as well as the world. But what happens when the world reflects back on the teacher? With growing numbers, school environments are experiencing a population explosion of different cultures, making it a major concern of virtually all educators. Suddenly, when faced with multiple cultures in the classroom, as well as obstructed communication skills, teachers may find themselves also pondering basic questions they asked when decisions were made to enter this field. Such questions include: what does it take to be a really great teacher; what type of people want to be teachers; and, how does a teacher teach qualities such as motivation in a cross cultural environment? Preparation in handling multiculturalism is an issue that will not just go away, and must be dealt with appropriately. Today's teachers must focus on a clear purpose, which is to give all children the quality of education that is deserving of each child, regardless of his/her culture. Accordingly, multiculturalism is a fact in American society, and the depth of preparation depends mostly on the individual teacher's motivation to study cultures different than their own. Pamela J. Farris (1999), defines culture as, "a set of beliefs, values, and mores of a group of people," and multicultural education as, "teaching approaches that foster the understanding and appreciation of the various cultures in society" (p.528-530). Therefore, one of the biggest problems is how to communicate when language is not the only barrier. It is a challenge that forces American educators to ask themselves if cross cultural communication is an educator's dream or dilemma.

What makes a great teacher? According to N. L. Gage, the answer is such personality characteristics as motivation, creativity, vision (Gage, 1963), and as Nina Rosenstand adds, values and morals (Rosenstand, 1997). All of these qualities are absolutely necessary for cross cultural communication skills. A great deal of success will also depend on the teaching style and learning, as well as teacher/student match, which simply means placing the two together according to their teaching/learning abilities.

What types of people become teachers? Is it a calling from a higher power, or simply a desire to make a difference in a child's life? Teachers put a child's mind into a framework of "induced purpose that incites action and prompts a cause or idea" (Ayers, 1995). If the desire or calling is not present, the teachers not only place themselves in an impossible situation, but the student as well. The old expression "practice what you preach" is most applicable in a teaching scenario, because before one can teach, one must learn. When working with multiple cultures, communicating motivation may seem next to impossible. This is where the place of the divine calling fits in. The process is a skill, as well as an intuitive gift. The motivation of teachers is extremely important; however, the role of morals and values in cross cultural communication cannot be overly explored. Christina Hoff Sommers, author and American philosopher, states that she believes if these are not learned very early, then they may not be learned later on in life. She states also,

The teacher may prefer her students not to cheat, but that is simply her preference; if the student's preference is for cheating as a moral value, then, so be it. The moral lesson is learned by the student, and the chance for our society to hand down lessons of moral decency and respect for others has been lost because of a general fear of imposing one's personal values on others (Rosenstand, 1997).

A well prepared teacher will know where the student's background stands on certain platforms of education. For example, (with no intent on stereotyping) a child from Japan, may be considered advanced by educators; whereas, a child from Mexico would not. The goal is to understand the student's reasoning in his/her learning behavior and grasp ideas the student can apply to their needs. In Japan, great pride is taken in work performance. The nation is advanced in electronics, making studies in school a priority; however, in Mexico, a third world nation, there is very little pride taken in anything. Survival is a key issue there and factory employment is dominant. Some parents from Mexico feel more importance in work and survival skills, rather than science and history. A teacher's goal is to try to communicate to the Mexican student the concept that more knowledge is linked to better jobs and income; at the same time, to the Japanese student, the importance of social studies and history. (Once again, this was only an example of two particular possibilities of students, and in no way was intended to stereotype these cultures.)

Another way of being prepared is to show respect to the students. In a book entitled, A Democratic Classroom, the author states,

The people that have taught me the most about what it means to respect children aren't educational researchers or experts, but children themselves. By watching them, by listening to them, by asking questions about them and with them, by encouraging me to reflect on my own childhood and school experiences, my students never cease to remind me of what it means to respect another human being, whether they're thirty or thirteen (Wolk, 1998).

Sometimes, personal preferences can prevent a teacher from seeing a student's achievements. Whoopie Goldberg, has made it public that her early educators labeled her as mentally retarded, when in fact, she suffers from dyslexia, a physical condition that disturbs the ability to read or use language properly. She professes that it was the patience and consideration of a single teacher who looked beyond the obvious and saw her potential. Another example is how some bias stems from political and moral convictions such as, racial, cultural, or ethnic feelings of groups which are different from their own. Teachers need to be aware of prejudicial ignorance. This can be explained in the examples of how Hispanic children will avoid looking a person of authority in the eye, out of respect, and they tend to laugh when nervous. Also, an Asian American wrote an essay about Korean storeowners and clerks. The teacher made the comment that it was rude of the Koreans not to smile during a sale. She unintentionally insulted the student, not realizing that in Korean culture, smiling during a sale shows insincerity (Ayers, 1995). Sometimes, economic status, geography, physical handicaps, gender, social environment, or a number of other factors can fall under multiculturalism as well. This great diversity in our modern society certainly gives educators something about which to think.

It is good for students to learn about diversities in the society in which they live, as well as the commonality. Once they learn there are differences in lifestyles, physical capabilities, physical appearance, and etc., it will be easier to begin pointing out commonality in emotions, goals, desires, thoughts, and basic human needs. If students are not taught both concepts, they may grow up not seeing all people as human-beings, and will have a distorted view that anyone who is not like them is not acceptable.

In conclusion, multiculturalism is a fact in American society, and the depth of preparation depends mostly on the individual teacher's motivation to study cultures different than their own (one must have motivation in order to give motivation). It is a challenge that forces American educators to ask themselves if cross cultural communication is an educator's dream or dilemma? From the information researched, it appears the answer to that question depends on the depth of the teacher's preparation. A good teacher is willing to go that extra mile and take the harder and longer route to see a child's success through to the end. Teachers, dealing with cross cultural communication, need to be strong in character, value/moral conviction, personality, attitude, and vision. Being committed to a vision enables the individual to see society as a whole fulfill whatever the envisioned expectations are. All of these elements work together to produce teachers who make the difference in students' lives; and who, likewise, will make a difference worldwide.

    Lopez, D. (2000, July 19). Light Our Candles: 
Cross-Cultural Communication Resources - Student Research -- 
Lopez (Paper) [WWW document]. Light Our Candles. 
Leavenworth, KS: Saint Mary College. Retrieved Month #, 2000 
from the World Wide Web: 
https://lightourcandles.tripod.com/lopezpaper.html