Implicit Bias Test Results and Action Steps

I took four implicit bias tests: sexuality, skin tone, race, and disability. I opted to take both bias tests on race and skin tone because the majority of my students are multiracial, so it was important that I examine implicit biases related visible racial differences and differences in skin tone where race may not be easily discernible. The results for all of my tests are included below.

The most important results to be aware of are the ones that presented an implicit bias. These were a slight preference for white people over Black people and a slight preference for gay people over straight people. As a straight white woman, the results on race were unsurprising, yet the results on sexual identity were surprising. It is not just enough to study and be aware of your biases, but I must also examine the ways in which these biases can come into play in my teaching practice. I see both of these as particularly important in setting high expectations and goals for all of my students. It is important that I continue to check myself and what I believe all of my students are capable of in line with my understanding of my own implicit biases. This is especially true for the ways in which I set expectations for Black students. Though the vast majority of my students are not Black or white, it is still crucial that I examine my apparent biases toward white students and are not lowering expectations for Black students. An additional action step that I will take is to develop relationships with families and seek understanding of students' outside lives so that I am not making assumptions based on preconceived notions or subconscious tropes related to my biases.

I also have an ongoing commitment to reflecting on my bias and informing myself of the best practices to create a culturally relevant classroom. I joined my school's Gay-Straight Alliance group this year as a teacher ally and gave the staff in charge of the group my unequivocal support in their endeavors and advocacy within the school. My involvement in the group meant that I received both a pride flag and a rainbow "safe space" marker with our school mascot on it, both of which work as visual cues for students to understand that my classroom is a safe space where their identities are celebrated.

I have also committed to furthering my understanding of student identity outside of the classroom in professional development opportunities. I participated in a workshop on supporting students through GSA as well as a lesson on ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, which is the Hawaiian language (not to be confused with Hawaiian Pidgin). In these workshops, I learned the basic phonics and history of the Hawaiian language as well as concrete skills for communicating with administration regarding GSA advocacy efforts and navigating the balance of advocating for students amidst pushback from administration or other colleagues.

I also am committed to furthering my understanding of culturally-informed practices through my own research and self-education. In recent weeks, I have specifically looked for insight and academic guidance on celebrating and empowering Hawaiian Pidgin in my classroom. As is true with many creoles or cultural vernaculars, there is sometimes a punitive approach to the use of Pidgin in the classroom and it is denoted as "improper" English. I have limited understanding of Hawaiian Pidgin but want to ensure that I am using culturally-informed practices in the classroom in terms of including the language into my understanding of classroom literacy. I have recently turned to a wide range of sources to further my education and understanding of this dynamic, including peer-reviewed articles as well as local journalism.

Two resources that I have recently used to further my understanding are the articles included above. Siegel's work provided a helpful framework for me to understand the history and prominence of Pidgin as well as the oft covert or subconscious ways that educators can diminish or demean the role of Pidgin in the classroom. The Honolulu Civil Beat article provided me with many non peer-reviewed perspectives from people who are personally familiar with the question at hand and can speak to their personal experiences with Pidgin and Hawaiian public education. Both of these sources helped me understand the complex and deeply racialized notions of Pidgin as a language as well as the way it has been discouraged in academic and professional settings. Though the Civil Beat article presented contrasting opinions on the question of Pidgin in the classroom, my understanding of this debate is that as someone who does not speak Pidgin, I am in no position to be firmly on any side that would diminish the value of the language or push it out of my classroom. This does not go to say that I am discrediting the opinions advanced by those quoted in the article who believed Pidgin was harmful to their academic experience, but rather that I understand my position in the debate as an outsider, both culturally, racially, and linguistically.

Part of my Long Term Family Engagement Plan outlines the importance of connecting with families of culturally and linguistically diverse students. This is particularly important given the results of my implicit bias test and will continue to be an action item throughout my teaching practice.