As educators, how often do we think of the "hidden" rules that shape what we think is right, proper, and expected? Like the air around us, these rules are only noticed if something is wrong. When a person's actions, speech, or mannerisms do not fit our expectations, we may be left wondering what went wrong. Whenever this happens to me, I stop to consider which one of my "hidden" rules was violated.

When we find ourselves in unfamiliar cultural contexts, our expectations may be challenged. I've been invited to the traditional wedding of someone from another culture and wondered what wedding gift is appropriate -- or what might be considered offensive. Once I was present when a local Thai monk inaugurated a new neighborhood restaurant and I was confronted with the social taboo on women handing things to Buddhist monks. And when I've traveled in other countries, I've always wondered how to ask for the restroom in the most polite way. In each case, I've found my cultural knowledge inadequate for helping me know what to do, how to do it, or even how to say it.

Correctly navigating through new cultural contexts requires knowledge, not only of the language, but the rules for using the language correctly in specific situations. Unfortunately for the uninitiated, these rules are often unstated. These hidden rules are the cultural knowledge, attitudes, and values passed from one generation to the next. They influence all aspects of our behavior, including the language we use, our manner of speaking, our non-verbal language, and even the topics we find appropriate -- or not.

These rules are valuable because they give us the ability to manage our behaviors efficiently in specific situations. The downside, however, is that our "hidden" rules can subtly influence us to view people who violate these rules as less intelligent, unmotivated, or deficient in some way.

In educational settings, this has lasting consequences for those children who do not understand these unstated cultural rules. And in an ever more diverse classroom, more students than ever may be unaware of the hidden rules that their largely white, middle-class teachers follow.

Consider the following situations adapted from A Framework for Understanding Poverty (Payne, 1998):

1. A boy is reprimanded for not following directions when they are given. Rather than act contrite, he makes a joke about it. You interpret his behavior as not taking your reprimand seriously and the situation escalates. Is this student being disrespectful or could something else be happening?
2. Whenever the class lines up, some students are always touching or poking others around them. You have taught them over and over again to keep their hands to themselves. Do these students have some mental delay that keeps them from learning the rules, or is it a lack of motivation?
3. "This assignment is stupid," snarls a student when you question her about why she isn't working. Her voice is disrespectful and you feel her level of anger is totally out of line. How should you respond?

These scenarios are not unusual -- but how do these students' actions relate to the hidden rules of class and culture? Read these descriptions of behaviors related to non-middle class, non-white culture described by Payne (1998). Consider how they impact the scenarios that have been described and what you would feel comfortable doing in response.

1. Laughing when disciplined is a way to save face. Making your mother laugh is a way for children to show they are sorry, and they often transfer that behavior to teacher-student interactions. Students need to be taught other behaviors that are more appropriate in middle class settings such as schools.
2. There is a heavy reliance on touch and gathering information non-verbally, and students bring that training to the classroom. Students need to have constructive things to do with their hands. Putting their hands behind their backs when in line can be helpful.
3. Anger is an acceptable way to deal with fear of failure and loss of face. Students may not be motivated to do an assignment if they cannot see the immediate relevancy to their lives. Find ways to help them see connections. Teach students how to work toward long term goals. Finally, in response to the incident, teachers need to respond with an adult voice, rather than a parental voice. When the student is no longer angry, work with her to examine other ways of responding that are appropriate forms of expression.

Recognizing how the hidden rules operate both in academic settings and in society at large has a number of benefits. First, it builds our understanding of students and their behaviors with the goal of enhancing the teacher-student relationship. It also makes explicit those rules that might hold students back from being successful in middle class settings such as schools. It also provides us with an opportunity to teach them these rules. Finally, this recognition can help students explore value differences and weigh the choices they will need to make to live in our society -- and to change it.

Interpreting students' behaviors in light of the hidden rules requires first knowing how middle class rules operate in our schools. Books such as Payne's (1998) are a great introduction to some of the hidden rules and ways to adjust our teaching to better address them. This knowledge takes us another step towards working more effectively with all students.

Payne, R. K. (1998). A framework for understanding poverty. Highlands, TX: RFT Publishing.

Dr. Sandra L. Hunt earned her Ph.D. from the Department of Speech Communication at the University of Washington in 1996. She began her education career in the mid 1980s, training teachers in a State Department-funded refugee training program in Thailand. Currently, she is student teaching in third grade classroom with the Seattle School District. She will earn her Master's Degree in Teaching in June, 2001.

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