This article tells the story of a Muslim woman's visit to a kindergarten classroom in a Catholic school and describes lessons learned by the teacher and the students.

Children's participation in cultural activities within the community, and the particular cognitive and socioemotional skills that they gain as a result of their participation, have been thoroughly studied (Cole, 1990; Gallimore & Tharp, 1990; Moll et al., 2005; Scribner & Cole, 1981). However, the connection of these skills to school learning or…

This paper considers how a university teacher uses reflexive writings to explore what might constitute becoming a 'better' teacher within her classroom practices. The writings derive from an encounter with students where they had opportunity to reflect upon notions of childhood as portrayed within the film "East is East". Specifically,…