“Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.” -Brené Brown
With all the talk of ‘implicit bias’ in the media with regards to racism, it’s understandable that many people feel defensive and even ashamed of admitting and confronting any bias in their own daily interactions. BEE – Beyond Equity in Education knows that feelings of shame prevent growth from taking place. The blame-and-shame model is inappropriate and only serves to redirect our attention away from finding our collective humanity.
We are here to tell you that bias isn’t bad or good, it just is. So many factors go into how we form our implicit biases and it can take an entire lifetime to untangle and recognize them. But this is the work of being human, right? As educators, recognizing (and constantly assessing) one’s own bias is essential to seeing our students as complex individuals. And seeing each student this way is the first step to creating an equitable classroom.
We know that classroom educators are on the forefront of shaping the next generation and yet they are given woefully inadequate training and support as to how they will give life to this necessary work. Our mission is to support educators through their own growth as people who deeply (and daily) influence the next generation.
Our series of classes, Learning to Fly, offer an essential foundation to doing this work among like-minded educators committed to social justice and authentic change. Join us this summer for our inaugural class where you will find space for deep conversations and meaningful exercises to support you along this lifelong journey of wonderment and celebration of our humanity.
