FACULTY AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Many believe that our educators are one of the most important influencers of our society’s future success. I whole-heartedly agree.
Not only are they key influencers on a macro level; they are a significant influence at a micro level for each child and young adult in their classroom. Whether these educators are teaching at a K-12 or a Higher Ed level, their students’ views and beliefs about themselves; the world around them; and the perception of their “place” in the scheme of things is strongly affected by educators. So what does unconscious (implicit) bias have to do with that influence educators have on their students?
Implicit biases exist in all of us. The key is understanding how early environments and experiences with others have affected our beliefs, our unique view of the world around us; and how those biases might shape our unconscious behavior towards others. Let me share some specific scenarios with you that might help paint a clearer picture:
A person grew up in a home where one, or both parents were educators.
They received significant academic support in their home environment. As a result they were able to grasp knowledge and the learning process relatively easy. Today, this same person is now an educator. They have high school student(s) that do not have any parental or home support for their studies. In fact some of these students are slow in grasping and understanding the materials. What do you believe might be the unconscious (implicit) biases this educator might have regarding those slower learning students. How might those implicit biases affect the behavior of the educator towards these particilar students
A person grew up in a very homogeneous community. This person attended an ivy league institution. This person had very little exposure to people who looked different from them. Today, this same person is now an educator. The university they are teaching at has a significant mix of races and ethnicities. How might implicit biases affect the behavior of this educator towards these particular students?
A person grew up in a family that had strong faith-based beliefs regarding the LGBT community. Today, this same person is now an educator. The community college they are teaching at has several student with same-sex preferences. . How might implicit biases affect the behavior of this educator towards these particular students?
These are some of the scenarios we explore in our workshops when the participants are faculty and staff members of educational institutions. It is amazing to hear some of the discussions and realizations that occur.
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