Cultural Mediation in Everyday Teaching
Cultural Mediation in Everyday Teaching
Using Students’ Lived Experiences and Cultural References to Build Trust and Motivation
by: Vira Gorelova
date: October 14, 2025
“When I first came to Canada, I felt like my voice was locked inside me. The day my teacher asked me to teach the class a word in my language, it was like turning the key. Suddenly, I belonged.”
– Newcomer student, age 9
Opening: Breaking the Silence
Imagine stepping into a classroom where everyone speaks a language you do not understand, follows routines you have never experienced, and expects you to quickly adapt. Now, picture doing this at just eight years old. For thousands of newcomer students in Canada, this is not imagination, it is their daily reality. The teacher’s words sound like noise, the posters on the wall are indecipherable, and even your classmates’ laughter feels like a reminder that you do not yet belong. For many, the experience is not just confusing but overwhelming, leaving them unsure where to sit, how to ask for help, or whether they will ever fit in.