Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/building-a-classroom-culture-that-supports-anti-bias-education/5026086/
Five years ago, teachers and leaders at the Bennett Family Center in University Park, Pennsylvania, made a formal commitment to anti-bias education. Their goal? To work for a world in which every child and family is protected and honored, exactly as they are. They shared this goal with children and families, and engaged in reflection, conversations, and professional development that supported teachers in implementing classroom practices aligned with it.
As teachers and leaders explored ways to enact their goal of honoring everyone, they recognized their work had to be built on a firm foundation. That foundation was a classroom culture in which concepts like pride in individual identities, respect and appreciation of diversity, and the pursuit of fairness and justice were modeled and reinforced through classroom routines and interactions. Teachers knew that kids needed to feel these concepts in their classrooms before they could truly understand and apply them on their own.
This article shares the reflections and practices of three teachers, and their journey to build the kind of classroom community that is essential and foundational to anti-bias education. Edie Hillard, Traces Ryckman, and Lauren Valesey, who teach in a classroom of 3- 5-year-olds named Garden of Wonder, hope that ...