Objective
To explore and reflect on strategies to use in your remote and hybrid learning environment that address stereotype threats by understanding our own biases.
This activity is estimated to take 20–30 minutes.
Read This E-Text
On page 28 of the NYSED’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework, a teacher expectation bullet states: “Continuously learn about implicit bias, with attention to identifying and challenging your own biases, and identifying and addressing implicit bias in the school community.”
In the blog post, “How to Recognize, Avoid, and Stop Stereotype Threat in Your Class This School Year,” the authors state, “We do have a lot of say about what happens within the walls of our classroom and whether or not ALL students feel welcome, safe, and successful.” Kelisa Wing and Megan Gross then share five strategies for addressing stereotype threats to use in your classroom.
Take Action
Psychologists at Harvard, the University of Virginia, and the University of Washington created “Project Implicit” to develop Hidden Bias Tests — called Implicit Association Tests, or IATs, in the academic world — to measure unconscious bias.
Take some time to complete the Race IAT. After clicking on the link, you may take the test as a guest by selecting your language/nation under “Project Implicit Social Attitudes” and clicking “Go.” Read the disclaimer before continuing. For the purposes of this activity, select “Race IAT (Implicit Association Test).” The test should take about 15 minutes, and the results are for educational purposes only. In this case, the purpose is to explore any biases you may have as they pertain to Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education and student achievement. After you’re done, reflect on the questions below:
- What was surprising to you about your results?
- What was not surprising to you about your results?
- How might unchecked unconscious biases lead to discrimination or stereotyping?
- Why is it important that our biases do not go unchecked? What does this look like in instructional environments?
- What will you do with this information now?
- How can stereotypes and biases be addressed in the instructional environment?