... Did They Really Say That? Addressing Bias in the Classroom

Have you ever been in a class discussion when a student said something biased, but you were not sure how to respond as the instructor? Whether due to high pressure, not being an expert on the identity group being targeted, or simply not knowing what to say in the moment, many of us struggle to address biased comments in the classroom—especially if we are not sure whether the student making the biased comment meant to cause harm.

As educators, we must be empowered to take action when bias manifests in our classrooms so that we can build inclusive connections with all students. This session will incorporate research related to the bystander effect, microaggressions, perceptions of bias in college classrooms, and benefits of creating inclusive learning environments. This session will equip participants with actionable skills to facilitate educational conversations in response to comments/actions that are racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, etc., rather than eliciting a defensive reaction from the student who has (perhaps unintentionally) caused harm through their biased remarks. Participants in this session will thus learn how to communicate effectively in challenging situations through the employment of strategies that can be tailored to the circumstances at hand.

You may register here