Unravel Old Perceptions

11/03/2017

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
Maya Angelou, 1928-2014, American writer and civil rights activist

"Why are black preschoolers in America more than three times as likely to be suspended than their white classmates?" ask Emma Brown in a 2016 Washington Post article. Here’s how she answers:

"Perhaps because teachers are more likely to expect young black children — especially young black boys — to misbehave, according to a new Yale study. The study, conducted by researchers at the Yale University Child Study Center, asked more than 130 preschool teachers to watch video clips of children in classrooms. The teachers were told to look for signs of 'challenging behavior.'

"The children in the videos were actors, and the clips did not actually show any challenging behaviors. But the teachers didn’t know that. They were anticipating trouble. And as they scanned the video clips, looking for signs of that trouble, they spent more time looking at black children than white children, according to equipment that tracked their gaze.

"The teachers spent even longer looking at black boys. That's a sign that teachers expect problems from black children, and especially black boys, said lead researcher and Yale child psychology professor Walter S. Gilliam. It’s a finding that shows how deeply rooted racial biases are, he said, and how badly teachers need training to confront and unravel the knee-jerk perceptions of their students — perceptions they often don’t even realize they have."

Source: "Yale study suggests racial bias among preschool teachers," by Emma Brown, The Washington Post, September 27, 2016

Childcare Education Institute - Teacher Enrichment Training Solutions.

Gryphon House - New Infant Toddler Learning Activities.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.