I have been an active proponent of anti-bias teaching approaches throughout my career. There are a few powerful words and phrases that are my Go To's.
"Some" is how we explain that, yes there are connections between certain people and foods and music, but that these are not solid rules. "Some cats DO chase mice." It acknowledges the patterns they are just beginning to see in the world, while stopping these from becoming full-fledged stereotypes that lead to prejudices.
Another is to embrace the idea of learning new things about people. I exclaim things like, "Wow, thank you for teaching me how your family says Dog!" This method has turned around some children who previously expressed clear bias, such as saying they "hate it when people talk Chinese." After a few weeks of proactive excitement about LEARNING some new things, that child was smiling when telling me, "Look, I know how to say it too!"
This is related to my other favorite phrase. When they say, "That's a funny name, ha ha!" I say, "Oh I guess you never heard it before." By planting the idea of diversity being a world full of stuff we can learn about and enjoy, we undo the mistrust that can become embedded in the moments where someone is stuck on what's different between us.
Overall, the biggest idea is to start with diversity around them, diversity in the classroom or community. Even diversity in hairstyles is a place to begin building their repertoire of HOW we respectfully explore same and different among people. Do a lot of work with simple differences that are not associated with much bias. When some of the tone has been set, time to start talking about skin colors and hair types of your baby dolls etc. Enjoy the journey!
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Mars April Caulton
Education Coordinator,
Mary Crane Centers
Chicago IL
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-03-2019 06:04 PM
From: Margaret Thomas
Subject: Fostering respect across differences
How do you help children learn to ask questions in a respectful way? It's great that children are curious about skin color, language, disabilities, different kinds of families and all sorts of human differences, not so great that they loudly ask why someone "talks funny" "has such a big nose" or "has that weird thing on their leg". I feel that it's important that children get to be curious about their fellow human beings and get more information about them, but there are ways to ask that are hurtful and other ways that are respectful. How do you help children begin to gain the skills they need to get information in ways that recognize each person's humanity and right to be treated well?
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[Meg] [Thomas]
[Early childhood consultant
Co-facilitator for Diversity and Equity Interest Forum
[St Paul ] [MN]
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