As I begin my journey into the rewarding vocation of teaching it is important to recognize my biases, beliefs, and values. These values and beliefs will influence my teaching style either positively or negatively. However, by uncovering my own biases, I hope to recognize and even remove any potentially negative effects they may have on my teaching and my future students.
Let's first explore the concept of bias in teaching.....
- Should teachers be unbiased when teaching?
In a perfect world, teachers would be unbiased, however, it is unrealistic. Humans are shaped by their experiences, cultures, and personal beliefs which in turn help create biases. The best thing that a teacher can do is be aware of their biases to avoid being influenced by them and avoid using them in their teaching. Furthermore, it is important for teachers not to interfere with students developing their conclusions, critical thinking, and gaining a diverse perspective by forcing their own beliefs on them. Personally, I have become more in touch with my subconscious biases and thoughts through mindfulness. It's a super powerful practice that can help reduce stress, grow resilience, and learn more about yourself.
However, this practice of self-exploration is not easy. Michael Sandel while describing the practice of philosophy voices that it "teaches us and unsettles us with what we already know". I think this statement can also be applied to self-awareness. Most people run on a constant autopilot mode never critically looking at why they believe something or act in a certain way. If explored they may come across uncomfortable truths, such as unconscious prejudices or flawed certain long-held beliefs. These kinds of realizations can be both unsettling or even traumatic because they challenge our sense of self and force us to reinvent the way we look at the world.
2. How can you ensure this will take place?
The IB program has a built-in learner profile that ensures the teacher provides a well-rounded education. IB teachers encourage inquiry-based learning, where students engage with questions and explore topics from multiple angles. Teachers can cultivate this by encouraging students to ask questions and explore different perspectives on issues or by encouraging discourse using open-ended questions. Furthermore, the IB curriculum emphasizes global contexts, requiring teachers to introduce multiple cultural, historical, and philosophical perspectives on issues. In the BC curriculum, there is also the importance of First People's Principles of Learning which can greatly open the minds of students to new ideas. So teachers should also make sure to emphasize FPPL teachings in their courses and encourage students to seek them out.
4. If I believe in ……. should I tell students my thoughts on evolution, religion, capital punishment, and politics? How should I approach these topics with students?
It depends on the subject. It would probably be best to refrain from answering yourself and instead ask the students what they think. If needed, teachers can always point the students to their parents if they still have pressing questions. However, I do believe that at the point at which the student is making unethical or concerning remarks or statements, it is the job of a teacher to step in and correct the student. This can be done by asking them why they believe that statement is true and guiding them to a better answer.