9. I can't dance in Ramadan. oh yes.... but, what...?

True talk. Never, ever thought about this.

At first, I thought it was just another complaint from some students who didn't like dancing. When she came to me and talked about something that worried her, I was preparing how to persuade my students to enjoy dance activities. The moment she added the word Ramadan, I had to ask her again. 'What...? What did you say? Rama... what?' Pop! A bubble in my head just popped.

Sure, I had heard about Ramadan, one of the unique Islamic cultural events. But there is a difference between hearing about it and having to care about it. It was an occasion that was far away from my usual practices. Even though I had prepared a dance unit for the semester, my thoughts were mainly on how I could guide students in the activities. And then, I encounter a new issue. Dance is one of the most cultural things out of all physical activities. The Korean PE national curriculum, one of the least culturally sensitive curricula, even has teachin cultural differences in dance sections. Despite the cultural importance of dance, I couldn't even think about the issue that some people have cultural customs regarding dance.

How insensitive I was! As a teacher living in a diverse society, it is essential to be sensitive to different cultures, including but not limited to, race, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. The tradition of Korean education culture had taught me that we are one. Even though it emphasizes creativity and problem-solving competencies, people were just considered in the same group, heading toward the same goal. All things are symmetrical and linear.

I was not able to feel this emotion. I knew what happens out there and what problems the Korean system has, though. It is just a process that we are doing and needs to be done for more years to come. I want to take advantage of these beautiful and precious experiences here. My changes will be wonderful to share with my colleagues and the world, which knows diversity only conceptually.

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ChatGPT clarification ver.

Based on my understanding, this essay describes an experience the writer had as a teacher, in which they became aware of their insensitivity to the cultural practices of their students. Initially, the writer saw their students' reluctance to dance as a typical issue that could be resolved by encouraging them to enjoy the activity. However, when one of their students expressed concerns about dancing during Ramadan, the writer realized that dance could have significant cultural importance and that their lack of awareness could be problematic.

The writer reflects on their experience and notes that, as a teacher, they should be more sensitive to cultural differences, including those related to religion. They acknowledge that, in Korean education culture, people are often seen as a single group, with everyone heading toward the same goal, which may have contributed to their insensitivity. However, the writer recognizes the importance of embracing diversity and wants to learn from their experience to become a more culturally sensitive teacher, so that they can share their knowledge with their colleagues and others around the world.