Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/another-training-tip-training-for-anti-bias-practices/5007437/
In my work with child care staff, I have three great passions: training to value and promote play in children; training for anti-bias practices; and training for staff self-esteem and advocacy. The work to promote children's play and staff advocacy is very rewarding. I get lots of enthusiastic feedback and soon see new behaviors emerging. These topics strike a chord of excitement in teachers. They seem motivated and eager to learn and change any self- or child-defeating practice. With anti-bias activities there is more hesitancy. What will motivate child care staff to grow in this area as well? In training for anti-bias practices, our goals for staff are twofold:_ re-examining multicultural curriculum practices to weed out any materials and activities which reinforce stereotyping and enriching the environment and curriculum with elements that represent the everyday living of the diverse human family; and
_ pro-actively planning and working with children, staff, and parents to overcome the biases of our dominant culture, modeling activism in countering injustice.
I think the starting point for this training is to provide an activity which quickly reminds us of the biases and injustices that pervade our lives. To do this, ...