All Are Welcome: Creating a Classroom Community

All of us would like to believe that our classrooms are free of bias and racism, but the truth is that in many educational settings, a child’s race and ethnicity play a large role in the quality of education the child receives. Teachers are in a unique position to put in place structures and practices that can help dismantle racism in our society. This course looks at critical issues related to race and race relations and how they relate to early education. Teachers will learn about how bias shapes interactions between people, including how a teacher might perceive and treat children in their class. Teachers will also learn how to plan and implement a culturally competent curriculum and how to build a classroom community that implements the tenets of anti-bias and gives children the tools they need to build an anti-racist society. This is a 5 hour course that aligns with CDA Subject Area 8.