Culture plays a central role in learners learning and in teachers’ teaching (whether we are aware of it or not). As teachers, we have the responsibility to cater for all children in ways that acknowledge and enhance their cultures, languages and identities. To do this effectively we must become increasingly culturally competent. Cultural competence is defined as “the ability of a person to effectively interact, work, and develop meaningful relationships with people of various cultural backgrounds” (de Guzman et al., 2016). This webinar will highlight some of the key attitudes and actions we must develop to be culturally competent. These include recognizing the effects our own cultural beliefs and biases have on our teaching, learning about other cultures in deep and meaningful ways and being able to walk in the shoes of those from cultures different to our own. This webinar builds on learning in our other recorded webinar "Unteach Racism and other biases."

As we are all aware, these are difficult times in ECE and there are few easy answers or quick fixes to the challenges leaders and managers face. This conversation brings to the fore some of the circumstances that ECE leaders are grappling with at the moment and discusses how the three leaders participating have tackled these. We are not intending to present idealized perspectives or concrete solutions but to provide insight that we hope may be helpful to you in navigating your own path through the stormy seas.

We use many theoretical and philosophical lenses, as ECE teachers, when we recognise, respond and document children’s learning. Everyone has natural biases based on experience and knowledge. When you learn about and can understand a broad variety of lenses you are able to identify learning and respond to it more accurately. This webinar will explore the lenses of schema, dispositions, working theories. Your increased understanding will support you to see children’s learning through alternative lenses which will in turn support children’s learning.