Skip to 0 minutes and 9 secondsHello my name is Helen Bilton and I'm Professor of Outdoor Learning at the University of Reading, and with me, I have Luke Davies who's Head of Drama, and Janine Evans John, who's a Teacher of Science and these guys are both at a secondary school. We all have values and beliefs which are formed over time through our families, our childhood, peers, schooling, all the experiences we have. There's also unconscious and conscious attitudes. And so, some things we do we don't even realise we're doing. What we're going to do today, talking to Luke and Janine, is just trying to unpick some of those things about values and beliefs within schools.

Skip to 0 minutes and 55 secondsSo Luke, can you talk about some of the assumptions that people make about children. I think you hear a lot about the children that you teach. So, instantly as soon as you hear one rumour or an off-phrase about a particular student, you start having your own thoughts about that particular person. Whether they're positive or negative, behaviour, ability, their special educational need, and those thoughts, unless you catch them and you're very aware of them, they will kind of, they'll mark your expectations of those children. Thanks. Janine? I


Skip to 2 minutes and 18 secondsYou know, put themselves in that place, you know that plays a part, I don't know.

Skip to 2 minutes and 25 secondsCan I build on that? In your careers have you noticed any biases in your practice you know, so sort of, key examples or other peoples' practices? I think in my early career, given my subject, when I'd find a child who was very, came across as quite skilled, or very energetic, or very enthused by the subject I think I would, unconsciously challenge them more than children who were maybe less skilled or weren't quite there yet.

Skip to 2 minutes and 55 secondsAnd I think that was, that was definitely an unconscious bias, I'm going 'Oh they're really they're really talented at this, so I should I should push them at this and I should give them more complex stuff' and I think that was wrong and it's a disservice to the children who maybe aren't there yet at that particular time. Interesting. But definitely something I was aware of, later on. What advice would you give those people to reduce their possible bias and the impact of bias?


Skip to 4 minutes and 1 secondCan I just drill down a little bit more? So, can you give some examples of how you manage your own value system? First for being aware of them. And then just remembering not to react to things. I think in, when you're kind of, you start building a relationship with your students, you can become very quick to interact with them, just through talking through setting up work and helping them.

Skip to 4 minutes and 23 secondsBut then sometimes they can say something, or they react to something in a very kind of shocking way, because it's very different to them or you suggest something, and they're very, kind of, very kind of, they come up against it and it's because of their own experiences at home, coming into school life and stuff, and you can try not to react to that, at controlling your own response to things as well. Can I give you a for instance, if secondary pupils may have a tendency to swear. You may have a value system that doesn't like swearing. How do you do with that?

Skip to 4 minutes and 59 secondsI mean, I think there are always certain, you know, levels of respect and you know I think every adult has an expectation, that they, they deserve respect because they simply are an adult. And that doesn't always figure with the students that you're teaching. But one thing I've learned is that you can't take things personally. Very much in my early career when students were, if they ever swore at me for example, or rude, or disrespectful, I would take it very personally and it would affect me deeply and I think it would affect then my relationship with that child going forward.

Skip to 5 minutes and 36 secondsI remember, one particular child came to me after he left and apologised for the way that he'd behave, and I realised that it was never about me. It was how that child was feeling at that time, on that day, influences. I think you kind of like, you, you model it don't you? Yeah. You want them to be respectful, and calm, and to talk things through, and kind of voice their opinions in an appropriate way. So, you have to do it. Yes. That way, to kind of show them how they should be doing it..

Teacher's view: Addressing bias in the classroom


In the first of our round table discussions, watch Janine Evans John, Science Teacher and Luke Davies, Head of Drama, both from The Hurst Community College, discuss with Helen the assumptions some adults make when working with students, how it can affect their learning, and how to recognise and overcome your own unconscious bias.


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This video is from the free online course:

Supporting Successful Learning in Secondary School

University of Reading