Teaching Strategies That Confront Bias by

jacdowns — 2025-09-14 23:39:08 UTC

I am using this for the first strategy, which involves utilizing children's literature to address the bias of racial diversity. There are so many great children's books that celebrate racial diversity that can be used in the classroom. This is for the elementary age range. I am planning to teach primary school students, specifically those in grades K-2.

Reference

Spriegler, J. (2016, June 16). Teaching Young Children Abiyt Bias, Diversuty, and Social Justice. Retrieved from edutuopia: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-young-children-social-justice-jinnie-spiegler

jacdowns — 2025-09-15 00:00:42 UTC

One of the most effective strategies for teaching anti-racism is to model it for your students and to ensure that you advocate for them. This is again for the elementary age—primary elementary education.

References

Anti-Racism in the Classroom: Tips & Resources for Teachers about Racism. (2022, March 15). Retrieved from School of Education American University Washington DC: https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/teaching-about-racism/#:~:text=anti%2Dracist%20curriculum.-,Modeling%20Anti%2DRacist%20Behavior,to%20highlight%20anti%2Dracist%20issues.

jacdowns — 2025-09-15 00:19:46 UTC

My favorite strategy in this article is called Challenge them. Basically, it says that even though they may have less access, be sick more, and so on, they still should have the exact high expectations. This is a strategy for elementary aged-primary grades.

Reference:

Hayes, J. (2019, 18 September). 5 Ways Teachers Can Address Socioeconomic Gaps in the Classroom. Retrieved from Social Studies School Service Blog: https://www.socialstudies.com/blog/5-ways-teachers-can-address-the-poverty-gap-in-the-classroom/?srsltid=AfmBOoqDOWOqVEHcsfk5yJ6NafhqoiZYlgD9hwr-uexlxSzIKfMUW26P

jacdowns — 2025-09-15 00:32:18 UTC

Although this is from the same article, it is a different strategy. This strategy outlines the importance of teaching social skills to students at every grade level, from turn-taking to making new friends. This should begin at the start of every school year and focus on developing skills throughout the year. I think this is a great strategy and can see this being beneficial at my own school district.

Reference

jacdowns — 2025-09-15 00:43:46 UTC

The first strategy suggests not addressing your class as boys and girls, but rather as students or friends. I think this is great! I saw a teacher who calls her students "littles", and another who simply says "class class". I chose this strategy because it is an effective way to address gender bias in the classroom.

This is also an elementary age strategy.

Reference

Teachers: 20 Ways to Reduce Gender Bias at School. (2019, August 15). Retrieved from Think or Blue: https://thinkorblue.com/teachers-reduce-gender-bias-at-school/

jacdowns — 2025-09-15 00:56:42 UTC

This strategy suggests using open-ended materials for activities and avoiding the traditional pink for girls and blue for boys color scheme in general, which I think is an excellent idea. This is why I picked this strategy—going with more neutral colors and avoiding gender-assigning colors. This is another elementary-aged strategy.

Reference:

JANICE KROEGER, A. E. (2019, MRCH). Tate and the Pink Coat: Exploring and Enacting Anti-Bias Principles. Retrieved from naeyc: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2019/exploring-gender-enacting-anti-bias

jacdowns — 2025-09-15 01:10:33 UTC

The strategy Be The Change really stuck with me. Using strategies like Pair-Share to expand equity in the classroom. I really like this idea. I have seen how children can be incredibly supportive of students with special needs in their classrooms when they are paired with them for activities. This is for elementary-aged children.

Reference

Bowman, K. D. (2020, August 4). Strategies for Countering Unconcious Bias in the Classroom. Retrieved from NAFSA Connecting People Changing the World.: https://www.nafsa.org/ie-magazine/2020/8/4/strategies-countering-unconscious-bias-classroom

jacdowns — 2025-09-15 01:19:04 UTC

2. Avoid separating children based on gender. Do you ask students to line up for the bathroom or recess by sex or gender? Are they grouped for activities this way? If you make sex a distinctive category frequently, children will think it matters more than it does. It will also present a tough challenge for children questioning their gender.

I thought this strategy was great! I know that the school where I am employed has most of its teachers line up the students in numerical order and then send them to the bathroom a few at a time, and I love this! This is why I picked this strategy to remind me that I want to do this! This is an elementary age strategy.

Reference

Teachers: 20 Ways to Reduce Gender Bias at School. (2019, August 15). Retrieved from Think or Blue: https://thinkorblue.com/teachers-reduce-gender-bias-at-school/

jacdowns — 2025-09-15 01:26:06 UTC

I chose this for the strategy that focuses on creating activities that enable children to share and celebrate their identities.

I thought this was a great strategy to confront the bias of religion. This is an elementary or even a primary education strategy.

Reference

Gienappv, R. (2021, January 7). Five Anti-Bias Education Strategies for Early Childhood Classrooms. Retrieved from PBS SoCal: https://www.pbssocal.org/education/teachers/five-anti-bias-education-strategies-early-childhood-classrooms

jacdowns — 2025-09-15 01:31:51 UTC

Involving family and the community! What a great strategy! I chose this strategy because there is no better way to gain proper information about a religion and culture than from the family. This is a strategy for the elementary classroom.

Reference

Gulati, M. S. (2020, August 31). Five Essential Strategies to Embrace Culturally Responsive Teaching. Retrieved from Faculty Focus: https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/equality-inclusion-and-diversity/five-essential-strategies-to-embrace-culturally-responsive-teaching/