When talking about Anti-Biased Classroom, there are many attributes that work together to create this type of unbiased environment. Three areas that Louise Derman-Sparks works with are the aesthetic display of the classroom, the toys that are provided to the students, and teacher interactions.
The look of an anti-bias classroom is one of the world. The classroom does not focus on just one culture but many cultures. To create an aesthetic environment there should be many images of families and children of all cultures as well as the acceptance of these other families and cultures. The children should take part in art and look at books pertaining to cultures that are not just their own (Brown, DeBord, 1999). Art is a great way to teach students about different cultures. Display from artists of different cultures and encourage the children to do their own art similar to the art they see. Some other fun anti-biased activities to do in the classroom could include trying a new recipe from another culture. Not only will this introduce children to a different culture, it will also give children to opportunity to try new things that they may have not be able to try outside the classroom.
The second category to creating an anti-biased classroom is providing the right toys. The article 4 Toys That Promote Diversity, from the Scholastic Parents website, suggests toys that encourage exploration of cultures. But more importantly, this article talks about toys that will not only educate students on other cultures but will also make them feel comfortable working with these new resources.
To create a successful anti-biased classroom, the toys should be divided into four areas. The four areas suggested for stocking your play centers include: Wooden or plastic figures of diverse people and animals, food boxes from ethnic grocers, unique props for dramatic play, and coins and money from different countries (Scholastic, 2011). This is a useful step for child care professionals to begin creating an anti-biased environment in their classroom.
The anti-bias curriculum seeks to be active and committed to teaching children how to properly embrace and address diversity in areas of color, language, gender, culture, and physical ability. From a very young age children are aware of these differences and observe the attitudes and messages being reflected by those around them. In turn, the children take on these attitudes. It is the goal of the anti-bias curriculum to address negative attitudes and teach children to interact effectively with all people they meet.
In order to have an effective anti-bias curriculum, teachers must raise their own awareness. I can be very helpful for teachers and potential teachers to be part of support groups. These support groups include other staff members, parents, and other teachers, and they face questions like: When did I experience bias in my life and how did I respond or react? The group works toward facing any biases those in the group have personally.
There are so many ways to encourage an anti-biased classroom such as involving the parents in the classroom and activities, start teaching your students simple words in other languages, or try new foods from other cultures. Have a ‘Give the planet a hug rug,’ which has children of many different cultures on it, or a ‘Hands around the world rug’ that has the different countries and children of many different cultures holding hands around the edge. Another recommended idea is to make everything in the room accessible to all of the children, including children that may have a handicap.
The classroom environment, materials provided and the way the teacher interacts with the students and family are all very essential to creating an Anti-Biased Classroom. While creating an anti-biased environment can be somewhat challenging, it will benefit the children to learn about and accept other cultures. In the end, teachers can only hope this will be a step towards a more accepting world.
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