Objectives:
A. Understand the nature and processes of systemic and internalized privilege and
oppression and their impacts on children’s identity development and learning.
B. Identify and assess the overt and covert ways in which stereotypes and prejudice are
learned.
C. Explore the unique and overlapping issues in racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism,
ableism, and ethnocentrism as they relate to children and to early childhood settings.
D. Explore and define issues of cultural identity including factors such as language,
ethnicity, religion, immigration, and economic class - in relationship to children, families,
and early childhood settings.
E. Define and assess the impacts of factors such as language, ethnicity, religion,
immigration, and economic class in the personal history of the student and the
subsequent impact on teaching young children and families.
F. Plan classroom environments, materials and approaches to effectively promote pride in
one’s own identity and delight and respect for social diversity.
G. Demonstrate strategies for helping children negotiate and resolve conflicts caused by
cultural, class and gender differences, with a focus on using anti-bias approaches in the
classroom.
H. Evaluate inclusive classroom environments, materials and approaches that are
developmentally, culturally and linguistically appropriate to specific groups of children.
I. Describe a variety of strategies for creating partnerships with parents through building
mutual, collaborative relationships, and to challenge bias and injustice in the lives of
their children.
J. Review professional ethics and responsibilities and legal implications of bias, prejudice
and/or exclusion.
K. Identify teachers' roles and responsibilities in creating a more just world for every child.
Content & Topics:
The highly diverse world in which children now live
Issues of inequity and access as they relate to young children in a world of diversity
The nature of systemic and internalized oppression and privilege and the subsequent impacts on children’s identity development and learning.
How children think: pre-prejudice, impacts of silence, overt and covert social messages
Stereotypes, “isms”, bias, prejudice, fear, hatred
Impact of privilege and oppression
Differences between individual prejudice and the systems within a society that maintain unequal access based on race, gender, economic class, ability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, culture, language and all “isms”
Clarification of terms: Sex, gender, gender role, sexual orientation; racial, ethnic, cultural, national identity; nuclear family, blended family, single-parent family, trans-racial family, gay or lesbian family, extended family, adoptive family, foster family; etc.
Identification of stereotypes and biased messages in the media and in the classroom and exploration of educational approaches that teach children how to challenge such messages and develop alternative behaviors
Culturally and developmentally appropriate classrooms: curriculum, environment, human relationships
Anti-bias approaches to all curriculum arenas, materials, activities, goals, assessment
Environments and curriculums that reflect children’s cultures and experiences and that expose children to the larger communities in which they live
Environments and curriculum that challenge children’s biases and support the acquisition of authentic information about human differences.
Effects of dominant culture holiday curriculums; examination of culturally and class embedded traditions of diverse groups
Children’s books and media to support identity development and anti-bias thinking and represent home language, culture, and traditions, songs and stories
Personal histories and experiences; internalized privilege and oppression; impacts on our identities, our choices, and our teaching with children and families.
The teacher as model: self knowledge; recognition and respect for differences; responsive behaviors; acknowledgement and struggle with bias; change agent for and with children and families.
Teachers and families: teacher responsibility to assess power dynamics; and commitment to co-creation of anti-bias approaches.