The anthropologist sees specific human non-verbal behavior as the medium through which relationships are maintained, regulated, and guided within culturally prescribed patterns. The spoken language, the use of space, eye-contact, smiling, and the use of the hand constitute unique patterns of behavior that are culturally specific and have wide variations cross-culturally. Cross cultural interferences in communication are largely the result of mistaken assignment of meaning. Some of the most perplexing cross cultural misunderstandings can occur when two people's patterns exhibit highly overt similarity and in fact have a significant number of identical forms and associated meanings, yet differ on more subtle levels. Included in the educational implications of cross cultural non-verbal problems is the level of detail that is required for the study of children from distinct cultures in different contexts. When considering what can be done for the urban classroom teacher, some of the answers may lie in equipping them with knowledge about the children's culture and with empathy. It is also important that teachers attempt to make up for gaps in knowledge by developing an open sensitive mind that actively impedes the formation of ethnocentric value judgments. (Author/AM)