Overcoming bias/appreciating home and community literacies

I just read an article by a teacher-research study group in which they set out "to read, engage, and discuss how the group might identify, value, and utilize the multiple literacies of diverse students, especially in regard to classroom practice." (Hamel, Shaw, & Taylor, 2013) For the duration of nearly a year, this group including a kindergarten teacher, a first grade teacher, and a doctoral student met every other week toward that end. Though their goal was to develop classroom practices centered around home and community literacies, they found that much of their time was focused inward. Through readings, discussions, and self-reflection they confronted and addressed their own biases in the classroom. They felt like their real accomplishment was developing a new lens for viewing families, communities, and literacy while developing a "new mindfulness."

Citing Brown and Langer (1990), the authors "describe mindful teaching as: a) seeing the world through multiple perspectives, b) honor the process of learning over outcomes, c) recognizing the evolving nature of learning, and d) valuing the fluidity of knowledge." With this in mind, the group sought to appreciate diversity rather than view it as a deficit."

One of the revelations of the group also struck me, though given my recent study, perhaps it shouldn't have. They felt they needed to broaden their definition of literacy to include "storytelling, talking, environmental print, looking up a phone number, reading a book, making a list, looking at pictures." It is easy to fall back into the school-centric view of literacy, so even when one has learned that literacy includes much more, it is useful to be reminded of that fact.

Examples the teachers experienced included letting a student use a large portion of the school day to share the stories and literacies he used while he visited family in India. Another teacher was able to make a connection with a student and his family when he was invited to share his race-car knowledge with the class. His parents brought a race-car in to show to the class, thus sharing some of their lives and becoming more engaged with the class and teacher. That teacher felt there were positive impacts on that family subsequent to that visit. It reminds me of a statement made by one of the teachers. Sally Shaw said, "I am trying to think about or trying to listen for things that [the children] enjoy, to things that they're good at."

The above example also illustrated overcoming a bias. That family had previously seemed unengaged with the class/teacher. It is not hard for a teacher to judge a family and think they don't care. Instead, what may be needed is a connection to build upon. Similar to finding things children enjoy and are good at, we can look for the similar things for our families to be able to share. That may help us to adjust our lens and appreciate home/community literacies.

Hamel, E. C., Shaw, S., & Taylor, T. S. (2013). Toward a new mindfulness: Explorations
             of home and community literacies. Lanuage Arts, 90 (6), 428-439.

Brown, J., & Langer, E. (1990). Mindfulness and intelligence: A comparison. Educational

             Psychologists, 25, 305–336. doi:10.1080/00461520.1990.9653116