When Does Social Bias Begin?
Did you know that social bias has been proven to start at a young age? Although this topic might feel uncomfortable for some, we like to think of this truth as a learning opportunity!
Of course, at this age, any preconceptions or judgments children have are innocent. They do not yet have an understanding of the systems that reinforce social bias and marginalized people. This behavior is learned, and what can be taught can be redirected, retaught, and unlearned if need be!
In TK, we have been diving deeper into an appreciation for the diversity of people in our communities. To celebrate this and to honor each child’s unique awesomeness, we each created an affirmation poster! Using our skin color paint, we transferred our hand prints onto card stock, and for each of our five fingers, we came up with an affirmation. After reading a few books about affirmations this past week, it was easy for kids to come up with words to describe themselves like brave, creative, strong, and caring.
How can we take these affirmations and what we know about fairness and be agents of change? We are helping the TKers understand that their power as changemakers enables them to 1) take action against unfair treatment, 2) empower each person to tell their own story, and 3) to appreciate others for their part in our community.
We are not surprised at the enthusiasm we have heard from every single student in our class to make the world more equitable and equal for all people.
