Why Cultural Mismatch

The phenomenon of cultural mismatch occurs when the majority of teachers come from a different cultural background than the majority of students they are teaching. The current research on cultural mismatch is in response to the increasing demographic changes in students and the resulting conflict between their teachers. This conflict is reflected in poor outcomes of students and the difficulty in retaining teachers. To compound this issue, many young and inexperienced teachers are placed in schools with a majority minority population, often finding themselves unprepared for the difference in life experiences between them and their students. These differing experiences can lead to an inability for teachers and students to communicate with each other; the resulting frustration leading to the discontent with the school system, by all concerned.

Cultural Mismatch in education should be considered the new normal, as demographics and generations of social policy have created an environment in which teachers will often have little in common with the students they teach.

In fact, it is easy to see how cultural mismatch could be considered one of the most pressing matters regarding student success, at least in regards to the public education system. Quite frankly as the data shows, we are looking at a generation of White women, teaching Black and Brown children; children who they can’t communicate with and are unfamiliar with their cultures; children who they are sometimes even afraid of.

While some institutions have tried to address this issue with workshops and other forms of professional development, the reality is, generations of misunderstanding won’t be solved with extra classes or role playing; it requires a more intimate form of contact. What is needed is a paradigm shift which we as a nation find ways to break the barriers of history, which separate and prevents us from speaking and learning about each other at deeper levels. Teachers will need to invest the resources to learn about the students they teach, by learning about the people and the history of the community they teach in.

This website is designed to bridge the communication gap due to historical segregation between populations, by replacing the lack of physical proximity, with a virtual one. This will allow educators the ability to communicate and learn from other educators who have managed to navigate the differences of class, culture, gender, and color in their classrooms. Ultimately, our goal is to provide a form of mentoring in cultural competency many teachers never received before to being placed in the classroom.