Notes

ANTI BIAS EDUCATION IN ACTION

“Making sure everyone feels welcome is an important goal to set, especially in a school setting. Educators should understand and affirm the many ways in which children and families are different, such as gender, religion, economic class, physical ability, and native language.”
“Whether it is a child’s race to the way they express their gender, it is important to help affirm the child to realize that this all just puzzle pieces of who they really are and not what should define them as a whole. It is also important to help make sure these differences are viewed positively, whether it is their economic status or gender identity.”
“Using simplified language to talk about marginalized groups and telling children some people don’t think their ideas are important and that those groups are not listened to. Making sure to empathize that these people have good ideas and these people need to be heard in ways the child can empathize with is important.”
EX: When reading a book about a religious holiday that is “outside the norm”, maybe have an activity for the children afterwards to talk about what they think is fun about it.
“Making sure to use this language with families as well and encouraging them to use this at home in the same simplified terms also helps. It is important to prepare the parents with answers to questions about diversity or bias via letters or other talks.”
“Another way to help kids understand the concept of prejudice is to connect it to their own experiences. Children in preschool will often call out things they deem unfair and giving them an emotional connection to them while also making sure that it isn’t exactly the same as the things they think is unfair is important.
“Making sure children can stand up for activism is another important way to help them. Whether it be asking why all their teachers are white or why they don’t feel represented in certain books, making sure children know that they can push for what is right is just as important.”
“Another entry through anti-bias education is through families. Perhaps a child and their parents are from another country and can be asked to come for class to show the different dishes, traditions, and just general everything they used to do in that country for the class. Incorporating something that is part of that culture into their lesson will help them understand it more.”
“Whether it be reading a book about what you do during kwanzaa or visiting an older gay couple to talk about what love means to them, showing all families are special in their own way will help kids relate to them more.”

CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER: TALKING WITH CHILDREN ABOUT BIG ISSUES

“It is important to help children make sense of what is going around them, especially when it’s something bigger then they could ever imagine. It helps us teach children and engage them in conversations about identities, human diversity, fairness and unfairness, and the right of people to stand up for their beliefs.”
“Children should rely on trusted adults to help make sense of this confusing message the world sends them about what is okay and correct. They need direct, truthful responses shaped to meet their developmental level of understanding. Its just as important to address their confusion or fears directly instead of passively reassuring them about the issue.”
“Staying silent when a child makes a biased comment is similarly incredibly hurtful. This sends serious, hurtful messages and could show that by not addressing it will show that it is okay to talk this way.”
“As trusted adults, it is our responsibility to help give accurate, developmentally appropriate, matter of fact information that helps children develop the conviction that even when the world feels unsafe, there are still people around them making it safe. They similarly need information to help thrive in a world of diversity.”
“Basic Guidelines to hold meaningful conversations with children in the fact of difficult events/situations:
Make it safe: Reassure the children it is a safe and reassuring place for all of them.
Find out what children know: Without judgment, find out what they are feeling and thinking and how to make sense of the situation. Listen carefully and verbally reflect children’s feelings back to them(even if it’s inaccurate). Give names to their feelings.
Tell the truth: Say, “Here’s what I know that is happening” or “This is what I think you saw/said/did”. Clarify misinformation as factually and simply as you can. For example: “Some people call it the “China virus”, but that’s untrue. It’s all over the world.” Think about what information children need for processing their feelings/clarifying misinformation.
State the justice issues: Talk about what is hurtful or helpful, what is fair or unfair in each situation. Share your own/school’s: “In our family we/in our school we…”
Give children something to do to make it better: Tell the children that there are people fixing the problem. Ask them of ideas of what they can do to help. Support children or do something age appropriate in the situation.
“Sometimes it’s hard to find words. It can be hard to simplify such complicated issues. But, don’t just let this slip away and say “This is really important, and I need to think about how we can talk about it.” “I’m not sure what words to use right now, but I’m going to ask someone else to help me with it and we can talk about it tomorrow.” “When I was your age, nobody helped me with this, so I’m not sure what words to use. But I’ll think about this and we can talk later.”
“Make sure to follow up and begin a new dialogue that’ll continue for several days.”
Key ideas to share with children about COVID-19:
“There is a bad illness happening around us. It makes some people very sick. People can get sick from tiny germs called viruses, which are too small to see. These viruses float in the air when sick people cough or breathe on people. That’s why we have to wear masks and wash our hands a lot.”
“It’s the grown-up’s job to keep you well. That’s why schools and stores were closed for a while so a lot of people aren’t close together. That’s also why we have to wear masks and not get too close with other people.”
“Everyone can help! That means you too! You make sure to keep yourself and others from getting the virus germ by washing your hands and wearing a mask.”
Key ideas to share with children about anti-racism demonstrations:
“A lot of people are angry that many other Black men and women were killed by police officers when they shouldn’t have been. They’re angry when black people are treated unfairly when they go to the doctor, when they go to school, when they need a place to live. So many people are marching the streets to let the world they want things to be fair.”
“All people are the same on the inside, but it still means we’re different in our own special ways. You cannot tell what a person is like by the way they look. Some people think one way, some people think the other- here, this is what we think like.”
“Scary things are happening in the world, but it doesn’t mean there’s a lot of grown-ups trying to make it right. There are things you can do to help.”