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CULTURAL COMPETENCY AND RESPONSIVENESS * 2 HOURS * LEVEL 2

Mildred D. Taylor and Cultural Awareness

Page 7

Reign in your Bias

Click on the following link to view the required reading from TeachingTolerance.org:
​A bias is a preference. It is a tendency to think one way instead of another.
People who work with children are usually very adept at realizing their biases and checking them at the door. This is a valuable skill that benefits all adults, but it isn’t foolproof. Biases and prejudices are completely normal. It helps us discern our preferences with every aspect of life from food to education to social circles. A bias really only becomes a problem when it develops into a negative tendency directed toward another person or group of people. 
“Baby, we have no choice of what color we're born or who our parents are or whether we're rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we're here.”
― Mildred D. Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Biases develop at a very young age and they are the result of exposure to other people’s biases according to TeachingTolerance.org . Combine that with experiences and by the end of the toddler years you have a pretty firm foundation for bias. For most people there is a moderate bias toward one group and others have an extreme bias against another. Each person’s bias is just like their fingerprint; completely unique to them. 
In order to check your bias and avoid allowing it to guide your actions it is important to be aware of any biases you may have. There may be biases that you have that you are unaware of and that you do not think are influencing your ability to do your job. Unfortunately, there are many small actions that represent biases. These can range from calling on certain students more than others to altering consequences for some students. Your biases do exist and they do affect the children that you work with, however, it is possible to be vigilant against this habit.
If you are aware of your biases and how that influences your day you can begin to conquer them. There is no roadmap to eliminating your biases altogether and in many instances it takes years of determination to work through them. 
Here are some steps that can help to eliminate your biases:
*** View the slide show below. ***
* Click here for an alternate viewing option for the slideshow (PDF File)
Eventually these things will become normal habits and you will be doing them without having to make an effort. This shows equity and respect for everyone that you come in contact with and makes you a better teacher and role model.