Beliefs and Biases: Practice Note and Reflection Guide

Improve your practice and the experience of children, families and colleagues by examining your beliefs, biases, and assumptions.


2022

Why it sparks inspiration

How do your beliefs and biases impact your practice as an early childhood educator? This practice note and reflection guide can help early childhood educators understand and address their conscious and unconscious beliefs and biases.

The practice note provides guidance on critical reflection, understanding the profession's ethical values, and taking action to identify and challenge harmful assumptions. The reflection guide is an interactive journal with questions to examine your beliefs, biases, and assumptions relating to identity, disability, gender expression, families, language (verbal, non-verbal, written, and body language), race, ethnicity, and culture, as well as creed and religion. You will also find other useful resources linked on the webpage.

By engaging with these resources, educators and program leaders can create more equitable, inclusive, and respectful learning environments that honour diversity and support the well-being of all children, families, and staff.


"With this growing awareness and knowledge, you are able to work toward dismantling oppressive, racist and discriminatory structures that may be present in policy, programs and practice."


How it can inspire your practice

Educators and program leaders can:

  • Engage in critical self-reflection to identify and challenge their own beliefs, assumptions, and biases that may influence their interactions with children, families, and colleagues from diverse backgrounds.
  • Examine how societal messages and power structures contribute to biases, and actively seeking out diverse perspectives and information sources to broaden their understanding.
  • Implement the "Taking Action" steps provided in the resource to develop greater self-awareness, explore the origins of their beliefs, and commit to changing practices that may unintentionally exclude or harm others.
  • Collaborate with colleagues to review and revise policies, practices, and curricula using anti-biased and anti-racist approaches, ensuring diverse community perspectives are included in this process.

Click here to learn more about the College of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario.

This resource is also available in French.
Cette ressource est aussi disponible en français.


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