Understanding bias

     Recently I watched a TED talk about diversity and bias.  It was very interesting to think of my own bias'.  Outwardly I would like to think that I don't have bias' but I know that subconsciously I have several.  There are so many stereotypes that I have ingrained in myself that I was unaware of until after I watched this video.  I look at homeless people who stand on the street corner with signs asking for help and I think that they are most likely uneducated and lazy.  I have seen those same people get into nicer cars than I drive and I automatically think that all of the people are the same.  I need to realize that not everyone with a sign is lazy and just wanting to con hardworking people out of their dollar bills.  There are bad people in every group.  People who take advantage of others are not just the homeless on the street corner.  A small number of people have influenced my outlook on the entire group.
     I live in a very rural, middle class, white-dominated society currently, but I have lived in Namibia. The culture of Namibia is predominately black and poor.  The racial hatred in Africa runs deep, not only between white and black but all shades of black against one another.  There is a class system defined by the shade of your skin.  There were times when I was uncomfortable being a white woman in situations.  I was the minority in almost every situation I was in.  They looked at me with distrust and sometimes aggression for being white and being female.  It was a different and sometimes frustrating situation to be stereotyped for my race and gender.  Looking back, I am glad that I lived there and was able to experience discrimination so that I understand how people feel who are discriminated against.  I walked in this shoes for a time and it gave me compassion for the cause.  I wish I could say it changed my subconscious bias'.  I may have compassion, but I would still hold my purse tighter when faced with a lone black man in a parking garage.  It is frustrating to me that I have had no bad experiences with another race, or social or economical class, but I still harbor feelings that must have come from the media or another source that has taken hold in my subconscious.
     I am currently taking an education 2204 class that is required for my education degree but I found myself enjoying immensely.  It has brought up several questions that are hard subjects to tackle, but need to be.  The way we treat people is such an important topic that needs to be taken from the intellectual discussion to practice in real life.  I believe that the most important thing I have taken from this class is that everyone is an individual.  We may be Chinese, Hispanic, Muslim, poor, educated, uneducated, whatever our labels, we are individuals first.  Everyone is a person, with hopes, dreams, struggles and bias'.  If we would treat others with empathy and compassion, the world would be a better place.

School Board Meeting

     I attended a school board meeting for my local district on October 13th.  The school district is small, one elementary school made up of only 52 students in 9 grades.  There are 3 elected board members, the superintendent and a secretary that make up the board.  The meeting focused on upcoming calendar days and the purchase of a new school bus.
     There has been an ongoing debate for the past couple of years about increasing the days taught.  The school currently teaches four days more than the state requirement.  This year, there is a new superintendent and 2 new board members that would like to increase those teaching days.  This is very important to the students and their ability to perform in comparison to other schools.  Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks have been shortened to allow for more days in school.  Swan Valley is a very rural school, the school board has made allowances for certain activities that are common there but not in other schools.  There is now a fall break on the calendar that coincides with hunting season.  The students no longer get a week long spring break to make up for the fall break.  This board recognizes that they have to tailor the schedule to fit the school's individual needs.
     The purchase of a new school bus was also on the agenda.  There was a discussion about depreciation of new buses vs old.  The decision was tabled until next meeting.
     My recommendations for the issues addressed were to increase the days taught.  I believe the students need as much time in the classroom as the school permits.  Just getting by is never the answer.  Parents and community need to get together to let the school board know how the feel about the issues.  Their input is very important.  I see the bias in some community members that what has been done in the past is good enough for the future.  They need to see the studies that show how much better children do when they exceed the minimum.  I think the school board has a tough job at times, trying to balance the best interests of the students with the views of the community.

Volunteering

     I volunteered at my local elementary school one morning in October.  Its a place close to my heart.  My dad, myself and my daughter all went to school there.  Its a small rural school, currently boasting 52 students in grades kindergarten to eighth.  I have been involved in the schools for years.  I was PTO president for more years than one should.  I have read to the students, chaperoned field trips and volunteered with different school functions.  This particular morning, I volunteered in the kindergarten, first and second grade class.  Twelve students make up these three grades and all share one classroom.  What a great class of kids.  They are so energetic and fun.  I was greeted with hugs and laughter.  They fought over who got to read aloud to me.  The most popular books of choice were on animals; in particular whales because they had just learned that some whales are bigger than school buses and that fact was mind blowing to six year old brains. I love the books that are tailored for that age group.  They have the best illustrations and are so fun to read out loud.  I helped them with word worksheets and handed out stickers for the finished product.  One exercise was on sentence writing.  I showed them a picture of scary Halloween eyes and they had to write a sentence (kindergarten and first graders) or a paragraph (second graders) on who the eyes belonged to, what they were doing and where they were at.   Most of the students said they belonged to a ghost or a witch.  My favorite response came from a second grader who said they belonged to a killer mountain goat who chased people in the haunted mountains.  We had a discussion about what food groups were included in their cheese and cracker snack.  I didn't want to tell them that the processed cheese resembled dairy about as much bean curd.  This age group was a lot of fun.  They are so enthusiastic about everything and they get excited about nearly everything.  They can be a little rowdy but the teacher had terrific transitions and attention getters that kept the classroom running smoothly.  I really enjoyed my time spent there.
     I'm going into elementary education, so this type of volunteering is actually career prep.  Although I loved spending a day with this class, I believe that I want to teach grades that are a little older.  The 5, 6, and 7 year old have so much energy and I believe that I would be exhausted at the end of the day from the constant wrangling.  They are a little bit like herding cats, so much energy and not much direction.  People sometimes believe that they have nothing to offer when it comes to volunteering but the simple act of letting the kids read to you does so much.  The teacher has more time to spend with other students and you get one on one time with a child who is thrilled to have you listen.  I wish more people would step into our schools to help out.  The teachers and students are very appreciative of any efforts that are made.