Diversity and Anti-Bias Education Philosophy Statement

Someone once said, Fortunately for serious minds, a bias recognized is a bias
sterilized. I find this quote very pertinent to the topic of anti-bias education because
awareness and compassion are immensely important to me, as an educator and role
model. I believe that all teachers should practice self-awareness and check themselves
for any subconscious bias that might be present in their teaching. This is something I do
on the daily across all situations because I want to be a considerate, positively con-
tributing member of society.
I also believe in inclusion for all children and constant communication with fami-
lies. I think that one of the best ways to make a child feel welcomed and loved is to treat
them the same as any other student in the classroom. Teaching children about diversity
should be done as a group and involve everyone in the class, not just children of a dif-
ferent ethnicity or background. In fact, singling someone out to teach about diversity is
the exact opposite of what one should do - it is very counterproductive. Furthermore,
keeping in constant communication with all families in the classroom not only helps
teachers understand classroom behavior, but it also gives them insight into other cul-
tures so they can be considerate of each childs beliefs and way of life.
Something I noticed about other philosophy statements on diversity is that a lot of
the people who are interested in the topic have personal experience being discriminated
against in the school system. I think it is slightly easier for someone who has experi-
enced a bias against them to implement an effective anti-bias education. That makes it
that much more important for people like me, who have not had this first-hand experi-
ence, to be extremely mindful and understanding of other cultures and ways of life!