Introduction
To use culture as a tool in the classroom, we must first understand it fully. UNESCO’s definition is an excellent starting point. It reminds us that culture is not a static relic of the past; it is a living, breathing thing. It includes our arts, our literature, and our languages, but it also includes our lifestyles, the way we live together, our value systems, traditions, and beliefs. For an African teacher, this means culture is the communal spirit of Ubuntu, the belief that ‘I am because we are’. It is the respect for elders that we teach our children. It is the folktales told under the moonlight that teach moral lessons. It is the proverbs that elders use to resolve disputes. It is the knowledge of medicinal plants that a grandmother possesses. Culture is the blueprint for how our societies function.
