Nichols makes a distinction between being "culturally responsive" and "culturally responsible". The former implies taking action and the latter refers to the forward thinking of being inclusive and culturally literate. I like that she encourages us to think first, then act. When we ask "why do I think that way" or "why did my brain go there," it's not to condemn one's own thinking, but to understand it and potentially act sensitively in the future.
The word "bias" has quite a negative connotation. Our biases are made up of our experiences and they're part of who we are. Instead of suppressing or denying such biases exist, having a greater awareness our these biases might influence how we as educators interact with our students and teach can produce healthy introspection.
The word "bias" has quite a negative connotation. Our biases are made up of our experiences and they're part of who we are. Instead of suppressing or denying such biases exist, having a greater awareness our these biases might influence how we as educators interact with our students and teach can produce healthy introspection.