In the past I have heard many groans from people when they hear that they should be more aware of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I believe one of the main reasons to be that people see it as a lot of work. However, I have adopted a few easy and simply strategies that have big impacts. My strategies mostly revolve around removing my own bias, and practicing equity, as well as normalization of inclusion and diversity within the classroom.
Removing bias can be incredibly difficult to fully overcome but I use a tactic during marking that has eliminated a lot of bias thus being more inclusive to all students as they are being treated more fairly. When I mark worksheets or tests I do not look at the name of the writer. I do this because it is natural to be more fond of certain students and less fond of others which manifests in situations where I say “oh they are a great student I’ll just give them the mark” or being more strict on students I know are not trying as hard. By not looking at names it not only removes some bias but also removes the possibility for those situations to even happen. This being said, if I have an ESL student in my class then it is a special circumstance and for written answers I keep in mind that they will not be able to explain things with the same efficiency as other students. This is one of the ways I try to be equitable to the different backgrounds’ students have.
One of the absolute simplest ways to be more diverse and inclusive is through word choice. Normalization of inclusive language is overlooked and can be as easy as introducing my name. When introducing myself to a class I also state my preferred pronouns. I have had many friends express difficulties with people not using their preferred pronouns so I know that I am supporting their cause by setting a standard that my classroom is a place where pronouns should be respected. I believe it is outdated to design test or worksheet questions with names because I think the names give nothing to students to actually understand the question. I remove names out of questions and instead write things like “students 1 gives sixty four watermelons to student 2” because students can picture whoever they wish to represent the students in the question. On the other side of this word choice issue is modifying examples of real world connections to material. For example when talking about natural selection and adaptation I will include real world examples of the First Peoples of Canada adapting to harsh northern climates through inventing and changes in thought process, or when talking about DNA not just talking about Watson and Crick but also Rosalind Franklin who was the woman to actually discover the structure of DNA. Word and example choice is incredibly easy, and I have not only noticed the more positive inclusive environment in the classroom but also students seem to enjoy learning much more diverse examples of what we are learning. I feel that the more connections that students with for example aboriginal backgrounds or females in male driven fields make then the more interested they will become and the brighter the future of science will look.
I know I still have much to learn and multiple more DEI strategies in which I wish to adopt but I think I have a strong basis that I can work from. Through practice of these simple strategies it not only makes me a better educator but also normalizes DEI within the classroom and teaches students (whether consciously or subconsciously) to be more aware of DEI issues in our present day.