Description: Racial inequities have long been present in our educational system. Recently, there has been a growing emphasis on the role of implicit bias in how programs discipline children, implement classroom practices, and establish teacher-child relationships. This session aims to support early childhood professionals in reducing implicit biases and using culturally responsive practices. Specifically, the session will focus on (1) identifying barriers to equity in early childhood environments for children of color (L7; E1); (2) defining implicit bias and its role in perpetuating inequitable practices (L7); (3) describing strategies for identifying and overcoming implicit bias (INS6); and (4) providing specific culturally responsive practices that can be used in early learning environments to promote equitable outcomes for children from culturally diverse backgrounds (E1; INS2; INS6). This session will actively engage participants in learning self-reflection and debiasing strategies, and how to use culturally responsive practices.
After taking part in this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify barriers to equity in early education, specifically related to the disproportionate number of Black children who are suspended or expelled from programs.
- Have a basic understanding of implicit bias and its role in early childhood education.
- Describe specific strategies for identifying and overcoming implicit biases.
- Describe the components of a culturally responsive teaching practices, including an emphasis on family involvement, how to view child development through a culturally responsive lens, and specific culturally responsive strategies designed to prevent challenging behaviors within early learning environments.