Cohort Post: Understanding Implicit Bias

Implicit biases are unconscious beliefs and are involuntarily activated in the mind.  We are not even aware that they exist, yet they can have a tremendous impact on decision making. I took two of the Implicit Association Tests (IAT).  I took the sexuality and race IAT.  I like to think that I am a very open person to not only one’s sexuality but also to one’s race. Despite expanding my life and inner circle of friends, family members and colleagues over the past ten years, these quick tests revealed that I still have a ways to go. I was moderately faster at sorting “Black people” with “Bad” and “white people” with “good” than “white people” with “Bad” and “Black people” with “good”. While it was only a moderate difference, it still lets me know that my mind needs to continue to work on this.  My days are spent with students from the BIPOC community.  I feel that I am immersed in my days with them. Despite this, there is still room for self-improvement on an unconscious level.  I like to think that I’m continuing to improve each day by taking the time to reflect on how I say things and to whom. There are so many chances in a teacher’s day to be quick and reactive just due to the nature of our job and the amount of immediate decisions that need to be made.  This survey has shown me the importance of continuing to try to slow down not only my response time but also the time that I take to process things.

One Response to “Cohort Post: Understanding Implicit Bias”

  1. kcappy-pine

    “There are so many chances in a teacher’s day to be quick and reactive just due to the nature of our job and the amount of immediate decisions that need to be made. This survey has shown me the importance of continuing to try to slow down not only my response time but also the time that I take to process things.” Yes!

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