Start Seeing Diversity Blog: Creating Art

Throughout this class, I have learned to explore my biases and learned more about myself and how I view others. Exploring my biases, I found that to become an anti-biased educator, we have to be honest to ourselves and help children understand that it is OK to be different. I hope my collage shows that even though children are diverse does not mean that they cannot be friends.

"We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

A time when you witnessed an adult (or yourself) reprimand or silence a child after he or she pointed out someone they saw as different (e.g., “That lady talks funny,” “That man only has one leg!” “Why is that man so pretty!”). Include what the child said and what the adult did or said in response. (Note: If you cannot think of a specific time ask a friend or family member.)
About 10 years ago, I witnessed the following in a town center:
A mother and her child were walking in the street. The child was about 4 years old. The child pointed to a woman in a wheelchair and turned to her mom saying: "Why is this woman in a chair?" The mother turned bright red in embarrassment and mumbled to the child: "It is not polite to point." Then, the mother took the child's hand and rushed her off. The child had a rather confused look on her face but went with her mother.

What messages might have been communicated to this child by the adult’s response.

The child was curious about the woman and asked an honest question. However, the mother's response had a negative message for the child. Instead of taking an opportunity to talk with the child about disabilities, the mother felt embarrassed and rushed her off. This can teach children that if you have a disability is something you do not talk about or feel embarrassed about. The child seemed confused by the mother's reaction.

An example of how an anti-bias educator might have responded to support the child’s (or classroom’s) understanding.

An anti-biased educator can support the child's understanding by talking about different disabilities. This can help children understand that there is nothing wrong with disabilities. By talking about the disabilities, an educator can teach about inclusion. I remember the first time I saw "I am Tyler! Don't be surprised." Tyler talks about his own disabilities and how his teachers and friends challenged him and treated him as anyone else. He was able to feel and do things just as a regular teenager without feeling his disabilities are a crutch or something to be ashamed about. This movie was eye opening to me and I think we should teach all our children to include everyone no matter their race, religion, gender or ability.