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This is a big topic in our society today. We have so many students that are refugees. This article gives examples that help support students that are refugees. This is a great article for all teachers of all ages.
Thomason, R., Costello, M., & Ehrenhalt, J. (2017). Immigrant and Refugee Children: A Guide for Educators and School Support Staff. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/spring-2017/immigrant-and-refugee-children-a-guide-for-educators-and-school-support-staff

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This guide was created for educators, school support staff and service providers who teach, mentor and help open the doors of opportunity for undocumented youth and unaccompanied and refugee children currently living in the United States. Educators, school support staff and service providers are often the first individuals a student and/or family comes out to as undocumented.

Moreover, they are often the first ones to witness the impact of increased enforcement measures on students and their families.

Schools should be safe havens that embrace all students and families, regardless of citizenship and national origin, and that includes unaccompanied and refugee children. The 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe ruled that undocumented children have a constitutional right to receive a free public K-12 education, which provides the means to becoming a "self-reliant and self-sufficient participant in society," the court wrote, and instills the "fundamental values necessary to the maintenance of a democratic political system." However, today's increased enforcement measures by the Department of Homeland Security and campaign promises made by the incoming administration threaten that right for thousands of undocumented youth and the 4.1 million U.S.-born children who live in mixed-status households with at least one parent or family member who is undocumented.

Facts About Undocumented Students

An undocumented student is an aspiring citizen who came to the United States without legal documentation or who has overstayed his or her visa. These students:

Often don't know they are undocumented until they begin the college application process;

Don't qualify for federal grants or loans, even if they are in financial need and their parents pay taxes;

Are racially and ethnically diverse, from all corners of the world, and are part of the 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.

Educator's FAQ About Immigration Raids

What impact do raids have on children and youth?

Research consistently shows that immigration enforcement actions have a harmful impact on the health, safety, academic performance and overall well-being of children, including U.S. citizen children living in mixed-status families. According to a 2010 report by the Urban Institute, children who witnessed parents or family members apprehended in a home raid were much more likely to experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder than children whose parents were arrested in other settings, including greater changes in sleeping and eating patterns and much higher degrees of fear and anxiety. Several teachers in North Carolina also reported significant behavioral changes and increased absenteeism among students following a local community raid, including among U.S. citizen students.

Are there places where raids are prohibited?

Yes, with exceptions. According to a policy memorandum released by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in 2011, commonly referred to as the "sensitive locations memo," ICE officers and agents are to refrain from enforcement actions at least at the following locations and events:

schools (including preschools, primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities, and other institutions of learning, such as vocational and trade schools);

hospitals;

churches, synagogues, mosques and other institutions of worship, such as buildings rented for the purpose of religious services;

funerals, weddings and other public religious ceremonies; and

public demonstrations, such as a march, rally or parade.

Note: The sensitive locations policy memorandum may be reversed. School leaders should stay informed about possible changes.
Is there a federal law that prevents schools from sharing student information?

Yes. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), schools are prohibited, without parental consent, from providing information from a student's file to federal immigration agents if the information would potentially expose a student's immigration status. If ICE agents present a school with a removal warrant (deportation order), the school is still permitted to refrain from providing student information, as the warrant is administrative, not judicial. Under FERPA, schools may disclose directory information without consent, but they are required to allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Some schools [and the Southern Poverty Law Center] have also interpreted the Plyler decision as prohibiting them from requiring students to provide Social Security cards or birth certificates as a condition of enrollment, test taking or participation in school activities. For more on FERPA, see familypolicy.ed.gov.

What Educators, School Support Staff and Communities Can Do

Issue a statement-in English and in other languages spoken at the school-articulating that the school supports immigrant students/parents and affirming publically that it is a welcoming site.

Stress the importance of taking proactive steps to ensure the safety and well-being of children and entire communities.

Distribute "know your rights" materials to students, families and communities about what to do if a raid occurs or an individual is detained.

Identify a bilingual person at your school who can serve as the immigration resource advocate in your building or on your campus.

Work with parents to develop a family immigration raid emergency plan.

Provide a safe place for students to wait if a parent or sibling has been detained.

Provide counseling for students who have had a family member detained by ICE.

Work with your school board to pass a resolution affirming schools as welcoming places of learning for all students, distancing the schools from enforcement actions that separate families.

Strengthen relationships with local institutions of higher education and community-based organizations that can support the needs of unaccompanied children and students with interrupted formal education.

Maintain-in English and in other languages spoken at the school-a list of resources, such as the names of mental health providers, social workers, pro bono attorneys and local immigration advocates and organizations that can be shared with your students and their families.

Partner with a pro bono attorney, legal aid organization or immigrant rights organization to schedule a "know your rights" workshop on campus to inform students and families about their rights.

Find out if there is a local immigration raid rapid response team. These teams usually consist of attorneys, media personnel and community leaders who may be able to provide support.

Participate in National Educators Coming Out Day, held annually on November 12, and "come out" in support of undocumented students.

Participate in National Institutions Coming Out Day, held annually on April 7.

For additional tools and model resolutions to create safe, welcoming environments for all students, visit aft.org and see the toolkit for this story.

Taking Action Beyond The Classroom

Advocate to stop raids and halt deportation proceedings.

Unaccompanied children and youth should be in school, not in detention centers awaiting deportation. Educators can play an important role in protesting raids and halting deportation proceedings. For example, if a student has been detained by ICE, you can send a letter of inquiry to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, asking for prosecutorial discretion to be exercised or considered, or you can file a formal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.

You can also distribute the United We Dream deportation defense guide, which was published to inform members of Congress and other elected officials about the role they can play in stopping the deportation of their constituents and other community members.

Elected officials have successfully advocated for individuals in removal proceedings for years and continue to employ this process to help immigrant communities even today. The guide is also a useful resource for community advocates and people in deportation proceedings seeking support from their elected officials. Download the guide here.

Adopt resolutions.

School districts are responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of all their students while they are in school. One way to create a welcoming school environment and protect undocumented students while in class and on school grounds is to pass a resolution that restricts ICE agents' access to school property, similar to the one the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) passed in February 2016. The LAUSD resolution:

Forbids immigration enforcement agents from going on campus without approval from the superintendent and the LAUSD law office.

Forbids school staff from asking about a student's immigration status or that of family members.

Provides teachers, administrators and other staff with training on how to deal with immigration issues and how to notify families in multiple languages of issues.

Asks all schools to treat students equitably, including those receiving free and reduced price meals, transportation and other services.

Requires the superintendent to come up with a plan to provide assistance and information for students and families "if faced with fear and anxiety related to immigration enforcement efforts."

Such resolutions can also improve protections for students by affirming that the schoolhouse doors are open to all students, no matter their prior academic attainment or their language proficiency. For additional information about what actions cities and counties can take to protect immigrants and make communities welcoming places for all, visit Cities for Action.

Make public statements.

Educators, administrators, students and community allies can make public statements denouncing immigration enforcement raids to reassure students and families that their local school remains a safe haven.

Create an online petition to prevent a student's deportation.

Online petitions are powerful tools for building public awareness and community support. See the NotOneMoreDeportation.com petition for 19-year-old Kimberly Pineda Chavez, who was detained in the United States after escaping violence in Honduras.

Organize a rally or walkout opposing ICE raids and deportations.

In February 2016, educators and community allies in Durham, North Carolina, organized a rally in support of a high school student detained by ICE. Actions like this help to support individuals fighting their deportation cases. The student's teachers even mailed school assignments to his detention facility to help him stay on top of his work. "There is nothing that will hold me back from giving a kid his classwork and finish their education and graduate," teacher Ellen Holmes told a local news station.
Editor's note This content was originally published by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and its partners: United We Dream's Dream Educational Empowerment Program, the National Immigration Law Center and First Focus. This excerpt was adapted and reprinted with generous permission from the AFT.

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Immigrant and Refugee Children: A Guide for Educators and School Support Staff

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This guide was created for educators, school support staff and service providers who teach, mentor and help open the doors of opportunity for undocumented youth and unaccompanied and refugee children currently living in the United States. Educators, school support staff and service providers are often the first individuals a student and/or family comes out to as undocumented.

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I chose this article because it is such an important topic in schools today. It is a newer thing that students are expressing their sexual orientation. A lot of students need someone to talk to about what is going on in their bodies and sometimes students go to teachers rather than their parents because they are a trusting adult. It is so important for teachers to take the time to get to know all of their students and support them no matter what. This article talks about ways to stand behind your LGBT students. This is a great tool for middle school and high school teachers.
Six Ways to Stand Behind Your LGBT Students. (2017, August 2). Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/six-ways-to-stand-behind-your-lgbt-students

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Six Ways to Stand Behind Your LGBT Students

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During the back-to-school season, prioritize LGBT inclusivity in your classroom and school.

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I thought this was a great idea to add this article because ELL students are on the rise in Ohio. This article is from OSU and it talks about ELL students and the biases teachers have towards them. It is really important for teachers to be able to find ways to help this students so that they can learn everything that they are supposed to be learning. It can be a challenge to teach students that do not speak the same language as you but it is our job to make sure the student is learning and that we are working with the ELL teacher to make sure that they are succeeding in school. This is a great article for all teachers of all ages.
Ahmed, S. (2015). Implicit Bias Training for Classroom Teachers of English Language Learner Students. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from http://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/implicit-bias-training-for-english-language-learners/

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By Sahra Ahmed

"Racial and implicit bias is inherent in our classrooms. Our classroom walls, the expectations we set for our students, our body language, how we connect with families, what resources are available, what we choose to say or not say, all give students a clear message about how we feel about them" (Agarwal-Ragnath, 2017).

Today's classrooms are increasingly diverse- both culturally and linguistically, and given the increase in the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) in US schools, all teachers need to be prepared to address this emerging population. Current research shows that by 2024, 29% of all students will identify as Latinx, 6% as Asian/Pacific Islander, and 15% as African American (Puzio, et.al., 2017). The National Center for Educational Statistics indicates that 9.2% of the total student population are classified as English learners (2017). With the current demographic changes in the U.S. population, it is more than likely therefore that many teachers across their careers will at some point come into contact with students who do not have adequate sufficiency with the English language and are unable to fully access academic content in a traditional classroom (Ballantyne, Sandeman, & Levy, 2008). Over the past few years, there has been more attention given to preparing mainstream classroom teachers to work with ELLs, but there still remains a growing need for knowledge and practical based ideas on exactly how to prepare teachers for this student population. I am very passionate about the topic of Preparing Mainstream Classroom Teachers for English Language Learners because of my first hand experience of working in majority ELL schools. During my own teaching career, most of the teachers I encountered viewed ELL students mainly in deficit terms. They emphasized what ELL students cannot do, rather than what they can do, and equated their ELL status with a disability. Ortemeier-Hooper (2008) referred to the "ELL Label" as a "Deficit Model" or as the "Glass Half Empty" approach, because it tends to institutionalize students to labels that are mostly problematic and rarely helpful. When it comes to the deficit model, Bishop (2016) built on the work of Valencia (1997): "In effect, if we think that other people have deficiencies, then our actions will tend to follow our thinking and the relationships we develop, and the interactions we have with these people will tend to be negative and unproductive" (Bishop, 2016, p. 411). I heard countless of stories from my fellow teachers on how they were ill prepared to "handle" ELL students. These classroom teachers did not quite know how to deal with "these" students, and also had a difficult time communicating with them because of language barriers.

In fact, the majority of schools I worked in were No-Excuse schools where zero tolerance policies were harmful to the students. In these schools, students were often silenced and their independence and interaction skills were muted. It was always silence at all time- silence in the hallways, silence in the classroom, silence in the lunch room, and so on. If students dared to misbehave in class, they were automatically sent to the detention rooms where they had to write over and over again that they will obey classroom rules and listen to the teacher at all times. My worst experience was having to witness youngsters in kindergarten walking with their lunch trays to the detention room because of some minor classroom infraction. It was heartbreaking to say the least. Many teachers practiced this No Excuse policy to the extreme since they were not equipped with other alternatives of classroom management or discipline procedures. If students misbehaved, and benching, detention, suspension, etc. did not work, teachers felt their last resort was somehow to push these children who were at times rowdy to the special education track.

In essence, what the accountability discourse in educational policy such as No Child Left Behind does is to hides the structural and ideological roots of the rampant disparities in urban public schools across the country. Our current obsession with testing and accountability in educational policy has led to a 'sorting machine' mechanism in which minoritized students are systematically tested, failed, expelled, sorted, labeled, and pushed out in order to funnel them into the school-to-prison pipeline. Research has shown how zero tolerance school policies and practices with its continuing i mplicit biases and systemic inequities have on a larger scale, harmed students of color than their White counterparts (Lipman, 2011). According to the Kirwan Institute, implicit bias is defined as "attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner" (2016). Implicit bias should not be confused with known biases in which people can choose to reveal or conceal when they want to, but is in fact gained through serious thought, and developed at a very early age. Furthermore, it directly results from association we often tie to specific groups of people. Therefore, if we are constantly bombarded with knowledge that associates certain groups of people with particular characteristics, we unconsciously associate the signifying identity with the characteristics, even though the association in not aligned with reality.

It is evident from the above discussion that mainstream teachers have many misconceptions regarding ELL students. It is very important to change these unwarranted and baseless views about ELL students, since they affect classroom practice. Fortunately, implicit biases are not at all resistant to change and can be altered through: education via the Implicit Bias Association Test ( implicit.harvard.edu), taking action and widening our social contacts, and taking accountability for our action and beliefs.. If it is possible to change i mplicit bias through professional development strategies, then it is very important that mainstream teachers of ELL students receive this training. Walker et al. (2004) found that "even a little appropriate training can go a long way in preventing and improving negative teacher attitudes" (p. 142). Professional development efforts that are at aimed towards ELL teachers ought to be comprehensive and continuous. The rapid increase in the number of ELLs in the US requires that all teachers be prepared to address ELL needs in mainstream classrooms. By adopting new beliefs for successful inclusion of ELLs, mainstream teachers will have the tools to successfully teach ELLs in their own classrooms.

References

Agarwal-Ragnath, R. 2017. How can teachers approach race and bias in the classroom? In: blogs.edweek.org

Ballantyne, K. G., Sanderman, A. R., & Levy, J. (2008a). Educating English language learners: Building teacher capacity. Vol.1. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. Retrieved from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/practice/mainstream_ teachers.htm.

Bishop, R. (2016). Freeing ourselves: An Indigenous response to neo-colonial dominance in research, classrooms, schoools, and education systems. In Denzin, N. & Giardina, M. (Eds.). Qualitative inquiry- Past, present, and future: A critical reader. New York, NY: Routledge.

de Oliveira, L. C., & Yough, M. (2015) (Eds). Preparing teachers to work with English language learners in mainstream classrooms. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing and TESOL Press.

Lipman, P. (2011). The New Political Economy of Urban Education: Neoliberalism, Race, and the Right to the City. Routledge.

Ortmeier-Hooper, Christina. (2008). "English may be my second language, but I am not 'ESL'." College Composition and Communication. 59.3, 389-419.

Puzio, K., Newcomer, S., Pratt, K., McNeely, K., Jacobs, M., & Hooker, S. (2017). Creative Failures in Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy. Language Arts, 94, 223-233.

Stinson, P. (2016). Implicit Bias Review: The Kirwan Institute. http://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/implicit-bias-2016.pdf

Valencia, R.R.(1997). The evolution of deficit thinking: Educational thought and practice. London: Falmer Press.

Walker, A., Shafer, J., & Illiams, M. (2004). "Not in my classroom": Teacher attitudes towards English language learners in the mainstream classroom. National Association for Bilingual Education Journal of Research and Practice, 2, 130-160.

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Implicit Bias Training for Classroom Teachers of English Language Learner Students

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By Sahra Ahmed Today's classrooms are increasingly diverse- both culturally and linguistically, and given the increase in the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) in US schools, all teachers need to be prepared to address this emerging population.

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This article is a great read and it really shows the abilities of students with disabilities. Just because a student has a disability it does not mean that a student is not able, we as teachers just have to find another way to help the student complete the task. I chose this article because this is the area that I want to work in as a teacher. I think it is so important to make sure that our students with disabilities are able to have the same opportunities as those of their typical peers. This article is a great tool for all teachers of all ages.
Hehir, T. (2007, February). Confronting Ableism. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb07/vol64/num05/Confronting-Ableism.aspx

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This article covers all different types of biases in the classroom. I think that it is a great tool because it points out things that teachers may not even know that they are doing. It can be used for all types of classrooms and all different types of ages. It also shows teachers how to eliminate their biases. I think that this is a great tool for teachers.
Austin, E. (2018, August 27). Teacher Bias: The Elephant in the Classroom. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.thegraidenetwork.com/blog-all/2018/8/1/teacher-bias-the-elephant-in-the-classroom

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Teacher Bias: The Elephant in the Classroom – Marco Learning

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The principle is the same—whether it’s gender or race, student preference or handwriting, any factor that causes a teacher to have higher…

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This article covers many different types of diversity and how to over come the two different types of biases, implicit and explicit biases. This is so important for all ages and all classrooms.
How to Promote Diversity in the Classroom: Recognize and Challenge Implicit Bias. (2019, June 28). Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.waterford.org/education/implicit-bias-in-education/

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At the foundation of early education is the belief that all students have inherent worth and should be treated with equity. Regardless of a child's gender, socioeconomic status, or other background factors, every person has the ability to succeed in school.

But even when we want to promote tolerance, subconscious attitudes can prevent us from treating students fairly.[6] These attitudes are called implicit biases, and they often rely on inaccurate or stereotyped information. If we're unaware of them, however, they can be particularly difficult to correct.

By understanding your own implicit biases, you can make your classroom a safer place for everyone. Read on to discover a few examples of implicit bias and how educators can combat them to promote diversity in schools.

Defining Implicit vs. Explicit Bias

To better understand how teachers can prevent implicit stereotypes from entering the classroom, it's important to understand what, exactly, they are. The definition of implicit bias is an unconscious attitude or stereotype that affects our actions, beliefs, and memories.[1] When we're unaware of these attitudes we may hold, they can lead to unintentional discrimination.[21]

Why do implicit biases happen? Our minds process about 11 million bits of information every second, so our brains often resort to stereotypes as a shortcut to make sense of so much information quickly.[9] The more information we're exposed to, even if the information is unfair or inaccurate, the stronger and more deeply ingrained our biases become. Our cultural backgrounds, lived experiences, and exposure to certain beliefs can all contribute to our implicit biases.[22]

There is a difference, however, between an implicit and an explicit bias. Explicit biases are conscious attitudes that a person holds, which can be measured through self-reports in ways that implicit ones can't. In many cases, a person's explicit biases might not match their implicit biases.[8] Someone could, for example, explicitly believe in gender equality but implicitly treat women unfairly.

Though unintentional, these subconscious attitudes can create destructive outcomes like gender or racial biases in education.[22] For this reason, it's all the more important for teachers to recognize and overcome their implicit stereotypes.

Implicit Bias Can Worsen the Achievement Gap in Education

Even when teachers have good intentions, implicit biases can cause unfairness and discourage diversity in education.[9] Part of this is because the makeup of the teaching field does not represent the demographic of students they serve. Minority groups, for example, make up over half of all U.S. students, yet 84% of all teachers are white.[1] In part because of implicit biases, minority students are at a higher risk for school failure and negative experiences with their teachers.[17]

Because of this disparity between minority students and their predominantly white teachers, an educator's implicit biases can cause them to project different outcomes for marginalized students and unconsciously help them less.[14] Achievement gap statistics show that children from under-resourced and minority families are most likely to fall behind in school, but not due to their own potential. And due to limited time and resources at home, many under-resourced children are already behind by the time they enter school.[20]

Unconscious racial bias is one of the biggest barriers to closing the achievement gap between white children and students of color, particularly those who come from under-resourced homes.[12] In these cases, socioeconomic disparities between students and social segregation within schools can also worsen existing achievement gaps.[13] Without training on how to better accommodate these students and avoid implicit biases, teachers may treat them differently than their peers.

Teachers are most likely to act on their implicit biases in the following situations:[9]

When they have vague or incomplete information about a topic or student

When they're acting under time constraints

When they're tired, burned out, or have a lot on their plate

Unfortunately, teaching is such an intensive job that many educators work under these situations every day. But culturally responsive teaching can help close the achievement gap and prevent discrimination in school.[11] By recognizing examples of implicit bias in education and making a conscious effort to improve, teachers can make their schools a better place for each of their students.

How to Use Implicit Bias Training to Embrace Diversity

Although many teachers understand the importance of diversity in schools, few are good at estimating their own implicit biases.[17] Teachers from privileged backgrounds, for example, are more likely to show subconscious biases than their colleagues with marginalized identities.[15] Luckily, educators are starting to understand the benefits of inclusion training to combat implicit bias and close the achievement gap.

Implicit bias is like a bad habit: with practice and self-awareness, we can reduce it over time. A 12-week study found that implicit bias training can significantly reduce racial biases.[2] In addition to implicit bias activities and training, teachers can take an Implicit Association Test to discover their own subconscious stereotypes.

Harvard University's Project Implicit offers a variety of free online tests to help people measure their implicit biases related to a variety of different factors, such as:[10]

Race or ethnicity

Disability

Gender or sexual orientation

Religion

Skin tone

Simply being aware of what implicit biases are and how they can affect judgment can help educators better treat their students and colleagues with equity.[1] Adding antidiscrimination laws to your school or classroom rules can also help everyone feel safe and like they belong.[4] Additionally, administrators can work to hire faculty members from a variety of different backgrounds and lived experiences. Friendships and regular contact between people from different backgrounds is particularly proven to fight implicit bias.[3]

5 Tips and Activities That Promote Diversity in the Classroom

Teachers aren't the only people who can make their schools a safer place through diversity training. Children also often display implicit biases from a young age, especially those who come from privileged backgrounds.[5] But luckily, implicit bias activities can teach students to avoid treating their peers unfairly because of subconscious stereotypes.

Use these five diversity activities and teaching tips to help your students recognize and overcome implicit biases against their classmates:

Get-to-know-you games can help students bond over similarities instead of differences. Whether you're closer to the first or last day of the school year, use icebreaker activities to bring your classroom together.[19]

Mindful meditation can reduce implicit bias by encouraging reflection and self-awareness. If your class is too young for a full meditation session, try practicing breathing exercises instead.[7]

Teach curriculum that promotes tolerance towards people of all backgrounds, particularly those from stigmatized groups.[8] A few children's books that encourage inclusion are Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson, Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, and Lovely by Jess Hong.

Celebrate holidays that promote inclusivity in class, like Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Autism Awareness Month.

Adapt school activities for students with disabilities so that every child in class can play. If you have a student who uses a wheelchair, for example, find ways to include them in outdoor games.[18]

Sources:
The National Education Association (NEA). Confronting Implicit Bias Through Exemplary Educator Preparation. Retrieved from nea.org: https://www.nea.org/assets/docs/23840%20Confronting%20Implicit%20Bias%20Thru%20Exemp%20Teacher%20Prep-v2.pdf.[1]

Devine, P.G., Forscher, P.S., Austin, A.J., Cox, W.T.L. Long-term reduction in implicit race bias: A prejudice habit-breaking intervention. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, November 2012, 48(6), pp. 1267-1278.[2]

Aberson, C.L., Shoemaker, C., Tomolillo, C. Implicit Bias and Contact: The Role of Interethnic Friendships. The Journal of Social Psychology, June 2004, 144(3), pp. 335-347.[3]

Beagenstos, S.R. Implicit Bias, "Science," and Antidiscrimination Law. Harvard Law and Policy Review, 2007, pp. 477-493.[4]

Newheiser, A., Olson, K.R. White and Black American children's implicit intergroup bias. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, January 2012, 48(1), pp. 264-270.[5]

Kelly, D., and Roedder, E. Racial Cognition and the Ethics of Implicit Bias. Philosophy Compass, May 2008, 3(3), pp. 522-540.[6]

Lueke, A., and Gibson, B. Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Implicit Age and Race Bias: The Role of Reduced Automaticity of Responding. Social Psychology and Personality Science, 2015, 6(3), pp. 284-291.[7]

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Implicit Bias. Retrieved from stanford.edu: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/implicit-bias/.[8]

Staats, C. Understanding Implicit Bias: What Educators Should Know. American Educator, 2015, 39(4), pp. 29-33.[9]

Project Implicit. Take a Test. Retrieved from harvard.edu: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html.[10]

Howard, D. Want to Fix the Achievement Gap? Reconsider How You Teach. Retrieved from educationpost.org: https://educationpost.org/want-to-fix-the-achievement-gap-change-how-you-teach/.[11]

Harrington, T. Educator asks teachers to examine unconscious racial bias. Retrieved from edsource.org: https://edsource.org/2018/closing-the-achievement-gap-requires-teachers-to-examine-their-unconscious-racial-bias-teacher-trainer-says/595408.[12]

Johns. D.J. Disrupting Implicit Racial Bias and Other Forms of Discrimination to Improve Access, Achievement, and Wellness for Students of Color. Retrieved from ed.gov: https://sites.ed.gov/whieeaa/files/2016/10/Disrupting-Implicit-Bias-FINAL.pdf.[13]

Castillo, J.E., Downer, J.T., and Corbin, C.M. The Link between Teachers' Implicit Bias, Exclusionary Discipline, and Expectations for Students: Does the Racial/Ethnic Match between Teachers and Students Matter? Retrieved from virginia.edu: https://curry.virginia.edu/uploads/resourceLibrary/SURP_2017_Research_Presentation_Jasmin_Castillo.pdf.[14]

Schlosser, E. Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Implicit Bias: Implications for Closing the Achievement Gap. The University of Southern Mississippi Center for Science and Mathematics Education, December 2017, pp. 1-71.[15]

Diallo, A. Teachers go to school on racial bias. Retrieved from hechingerreport.org: https://hechingerreport.org/teachers-go-to-school-on-racial-bias/ [16]

Van Den Bergh, L. The Implicit Prejudiced Attitudes of Teachers: Relations to Teacher Expectations and the Ethnic Achievement Gap. American Educational Research Journal, June 2010, 47(2), pp. 497-527.[17]

West Virginia University Office of Human Resources. Diversity and Inclusion Activities. Retrieved from uh.edu: https://www.uh.edu/cdi/diversity_education/resources/activities/pdf/Inclusion_Activities_Book.pdf [18]

Clark, D. Diversity Activities and Ice-Breakers. Retrieved from nwlink.com: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/diverse2.html.[19]

Reardon, S.F. The Widening Income Achievement Gap. Educational Leadership, May 2013, 70(3), pp. 10-16.[20]

Payne, B.K., and Vuletich, H.A. Policy Insights From Advances in Implicit Bias Research. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2018, 5(1), pp. 45-51.[21]

Handelsman, J., and Sakraney, N. Implicit Bias. Retrieved from archives.gov: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/bias_9-14-15_final.pdf.[22]

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How to Promote Diversity in the Classroom: Recognize and Challenge Implicit Bias - Waterford.org

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Discover a few examples of implicit bias in education and how educators can combat them to promote diversity in their schools.

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It is so important for us as teachers to make sure that we do not make biases towards the gender of our students. This article gives examples on how to have a gender equal classroom and how to teach without having biases. I choose this article because I think it is an important issue in our society that gets over looked. This could be used in all types of classrooms and all age groups.

Voa. (2017, August 24). Addressing Gender Equality with Teaching Strategies. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/promoting-gender-equality-with-teaching-strategies/3986846.html

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The best educational environments are those that are fair to all students, male or female.

But in many places around the world, female and male students do not always have the same chances for a good education.

In today's teaching tips, we will discuss supporting gender equality in the classroom. We also will discuss how to create a more equal and balanced learning environment.

​ Helping future generations

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) says access to a good education is important for getting out of poverty.

An educated individual is more likely to grow up healthy and have more opportunities for employment. This increases their chance of raising healthy children, and supporting them to also get an education. When all students, both male and female, have equal access to educational opportunities, the results impact future generations.

Creating more equal educational opportunities for students begins in the classroom and with the teacher. A strong teacher is one who treats their students fairly and creates an environment where students feel equally able to take part.

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​ 1. Tips for learning environments

Teachers can create the appearance of gender bias through unintentional, nonverbal actions. The first step to correcting this problem is to organize your classroom in a way that makes all students feel equal.

It is important for a teacher to establish a set of rules from the very beginning that promote equality. An effective way to do this is to create class rules with students. Ask students to suggest ideas for how to keep an equal and respectful classroom.

This permits the teacher to point to the rules as something that the whole class has agreed on. It is important to include rules that deal with respecting students, respecting the teacher and participating in class.

Have a classroom seating plan that supports equal participation.

If you find that certain students, regardless of their gender, are not participating in class, try to change your class seating plan. For example, try having students who usually sit in the back come to the front.

Teachers tend to interact the most with students sitting closest to them. For this reason, it is important to change the seating order (if possible) to give all students a chance to sit near the teacher.

Have equal academic and behavior expectations for all students

Teachers should try to avoid making things easier for either male or female students by giving them easier questions in class, or trying to solve things for the students.

Doing this can create the perception that certain students are not as smart as others. Teachers should hold the same expectations of all students.

Often there will be some students, male or female, who are not comfortable speaking in front of large classes. But, they may feel more comfortable speaking in small groups. In order to give all students the opportunity to take part in class, try doing some activities in small groups of three to four students.​
2. Tips for classroom strategies
After organizing your class in a way that promotes equality, the next step is to consider the effects of your actions in class.

One of the main opportunities students have to participate in class is when they are answering teachers' questions. Teachers need to call on or talk to both female and male students in a balanced way. Research shows that both male and female teachers often call on male students to speak in class more often than female students.

Provide enough wait time to answer questions.

Some students, male or female, may need time to think about the answer to a question when called on by a teacher. When calling on students who seem to wait longer to answer a question, make sure to give students at least four to five seconds. Research shows that giving students more time to answer will increase the number of students who participate.

Sometimes in English people use male pronouns when referring to a group. But, this can make female students feel left out. Teachers should use gender neutral pronouns whenever possible. One example is, instead of saying "guys" when referring to a class or group (which is common in American English), say "everybody" or "everyone."

Teachers may not realize that their body language with female students might be different from what it is with male students.

Whenever male or female students are talking, use respectful, listening body language. Face the listener, do not walk away, and do not interrupt students.

Also the teacher can move to different areas of the classroom while speaking. This is important because students sitting further from the teacher tend to participate less.

Be aware when male students insult female students, or female students insult male students.

If the insults appear to be gender-based, students may be discouraged from participating in class in the future. Be quick to intervene and discipline the students making insults. This shows students of either gender that they will be supported.

However it is important that both male and female students are given the same discipline for the same actions.

These strategies will help teachers create a more equal classroom environment for their students. They will also help teachers effectively manage their classrooms. Remember: The best form of teaching is the fairest form of teaching!

I'm Alice Bryant

And I'm Phil Dierking
Phil Dierking wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. What other teaching strategies help promote gender quality in classrooms? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story

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Addressing Gender Equality with Teaching Strategies

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The best educational environments are those that are fair to all students, male or female. But in many places around the world, female and male students do not always have the same chances for a good education. In today's teaching tips, we will discuss supporting gender equality in the classroom.

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It is okay to teach about different religions. This shows students that it is okay to be different and it shows the students do respect other peoples religions and beliefs. It also teaches them that it is okay to talk about their religion and beliefs with their friends that worship and believe in different things. This article shows how to and what is okay to teach different age groups.
Religious Diversity in the Classroom. (2020). Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.tolerance.org/professional-development/religious-diversity-in-the-classroom

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Teaching Tolerance and the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding teamed up to offer educators a free webinar series: Religious Diversity in the Classroom.

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This article is a great tool for high school teachers. It gives the students a chance to express how they feel about racism. I have included this article because it is really important to teach students the differences in races and how they can come together and beat the biases that society has set.
Spiegler, J. (2017, September 27). First Encounters With Race and Racism: Teaching Ideas for Classroom Conversations. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/learning/lesson-plans/first-encounters-with-race-and-racism-teaching-ideas-for-classroom-conversations.html

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First Encounters With Race and Racism: Teaching Ideas for Classroom Conversations (Published 2017)

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Using firsthand accounts from teenagers to guide classroom discussions around race and racism.

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Sometimes as teachers we do not realize what we are doing. This can really effect our students. It is so important to make sure that all of our students feel welcome and we need to make sure that we are watching what we are doing and saying. This can help any teacher at any level of teaching. I have included this article because I do not think that we as teachers do not think about our actions and words and how they effect our students. This gives us a chance to reflect and think about what we should say to our students.
Suttie, J. (2016, October 28). Four Ways Teachers Can Reduce Implicit Bias. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_teachers_can_reduce_implicit_bias

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A friend of mine recently told me about an incident involving students at Berkeley High School. On the first day of classes, African-American juniors and seniors were being asked by their honors course teacher to show him their schedule when they entered the classroom. The teacher, who was white, apparently assumed the black students were lost and in the wrong room, and his gesture made them feel unwelcome and humiliated.

This is an example of implicit bias-a behavior that arises from subconscious associations, which may even contradict someone's explicit values. Implicit racial bias plays a role in many classrooms and schools with potentially devastating effects. In one recent experiment with preschool teachers, researchers found that when teachers were primed to look for behavioral problems while watching a classroom video with black and white children (none of whom were misbehaving), teachers gazed much longer at black children than white children, as if anticipating the behavioral problems would come from the black children.

In another experiment from the same study, teachers read a vignette about a behavioral problem with a preschooler randomly identified as a black boy, black girl, white boy, or white girl, and then were given details about the child's background or not. Providing the background information on the child increased the severity of suggested disciplinary actions when the race of the teacher didn't match that of the child, supporting the idea that we are more inclined to punish those who look different from us.

In fact, disciplinary actions are more likely to be perpetuated against African Americans-boys and girls alike-than any other group of students, regardless of the infraction. And while it's understandable that teachers would want to prevent disruptions in the classrooms and take actions to avoid them, some seem to have little idea of how to do that without turning to ingrained biases.

Of course, teachers are not alone in having racial biases. Their behavior reflects how social messages are hard to escape, even for people of color. But studies like these show how racial disparities can be perpetuated in classrooms, too. If left unchecked, this kind of biased treatment can haunt a student well into elementary school and beyond, making the promise of "schools as the great social equalizers" a false one.

The good news is that teachers can learn to combat their prejudice, even the implicit kind, if they become more aware of it and take steps to actively fight it in themselves. Here are some of the ways that might help educators treat all of their students with dignity and care.

1. Cultivate awareness of their biases

Teachers are human and therefore influenced by psychological biases, like the fundamental attribution error, when we assume that others who behave in a certain way do so because of their character (a fixed trait) rather than in response to environmental circumstances. In-group bias leads us to assign positive characteristics and motivations to people who are similar to us.

Biases like these are natural, used as cognitive shorthand for making quick social judgments in ambiguous situations, especially those involving people from unfamiliar ethnic or social groups. They become a problem when we're not aware of their impact on other people. And if we're part of a majority group with more social, economic, or political power than a minority one, then accumulated unconscious bias can be extremely destructive, limiting the life opportunities and hurting the well-being of the minority group.

Many researchers believe that becoming more aware of our biases can help us improve our interactions with others, decrease our sense of unease in interracial contexts, and make better decisions. Though most of this research has been done with other professional groups or the general public, the same lessons are likely to apply to teachers.

However, many teachers feel pressures not to cop to those biases, perhaps out of fear they will be accused of racism. This leaves them blind to the ways that biases work at an unconscious level. Pretending to be colorblind is not helpful and in fact adhering to a color-blind philosophy has been shown to increase implicit bias, at least in college students. Admitting that we are all subject to biases creates a safer space to examine them more carefully and to take steps to fight them.

2. Work to increase empathy and empathic communication

Empathy -the ability to understand another's perspective and emotions-is important in all human social encounters, including teaching. Yet, often teachers have little understanding of the communities where their students live and have trouble understanding their perspectives, leading them to treat these students more harshly.

One solution: learning about the lives of students and showing that you care. At least one study has found that actively trying to take the perspective of another person-as opposed to trying to be "objective"-increased one's ability to not fall prey to stereotypical views of others. Actively inducing empathy for another person has been tied to a willingness to consider environmental circumstances more closely when handing out punishments for misbehavior. And, one recent study has found that training teachers in empathy cut down student suspension rates in half.

Though perhaps more research has been done on empathy in other professionals (such as physicians and police officers), teachers may want to take note of the ways that they have learned to increase their empathy through a combination of stress reduction, learning how to manage difficult emotions, and practicing empathic communication. Treating students with kindness and consideration is a sure way to bring out kindness in them, too.

3. Practice mindfulness and loving-kindness

Mindfulness practices-such as paying attention in a nonjudgmental way to one's breath or other sensations-has been shown to decrease stress in teachers, which can indirectly have an effect on reducing bias. But according to some research, mindfulness may also have a direct effect on bias reduction as well.

In one study, young white participants who listened to a 10-minute audiotape with instructions in mindfulness showed less implicit bias towards blacks and older people than those who listened to a 10-minute discussion of nature. This suggests that nonjudgmental awareness, even when not specifically focused on reducing prejudice, can help reduce unconscious biases.

Loving-kindness meditation-a practice that involves consciously sending out compassionate thoughts toward others-may also help. In a recent study, the random assignment of a short-term loving-kindness meditation reduced implicit bias toward a targeted group, though it didn't decrease implicit bias for other groups not targeted by the meditation.

4. Develop cross-group friendships in their own lives

While it's important to take steps in the classroom, the relationships we form outside of the classroom can also have an impact on bias.

Cross-group friendships have been shown in several studies to decrease stress in intergroup situations, to decrease prejudice toward outgroup members, and to decrease one's preference for social hierarchy or domination over lower-status groups. These findings alone might encourage teachers to seek out cross-group friendships in their lives so that they can be more receptive to the diverse students they find in their classrooms.

Another reason for teachers to consider developing cross-group friendships is that they may influence their students to do the same. When people see cross-group friendships working out in positive ways, they tend to be more willing to engage in cross-group friendships themselves.

In addition, positive cross-group friendships can have contagion effects in other people within social groups, turning whole communities into warmer, more receptive spaces for cross-group interactions. All of this bodes well for teachers role-modeling the kind of behavior they want to see in their students.

Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean teachers should indiscriminately approach someone just because they are from a different racial group. Instead, teachers can reach out to colleagues at work, or get involved in activities or perhaps attend events where people with different backgrounds and perspectives come together for a common cause. Developing friendships can be one of the best ways to break down barriers of prejudice, and it's more easily done when people have some common interests.

Is this a lot to ask, given all the burdens our society heaps on teachers? Perhaps. Teachers should get more support than they do, and, ideally, school districts should make reducing implicit bias a priority backed up with money, policy, and training. Individual teachers can only do so much.

Luckily, the teaching profession tends to attract altruists who want to teach in a way that helps their students. By working at countering implicit bias in themselves, they can truly make a difference in the lives of their students, making them feel safe, cared for, and welcome in the classroom.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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Four Ways Teachers Can Reduce Implicit Bias

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We're all subject to bias. Here are tips to help teachers treat all of their students with dignity and care.