Suggestions for Self-Reflection
Download this scavenger hunt to help you explore the J.E.D.I. Toolkit!
- Heighten your awareness of bias externally AND internally
- Be brutally honest with yourself
- Require yourself to be uncomfortable
- Identify the root of a belief, look for data
- When encountering a stereotype, bias, preference or opinion with no data to back it, ask ‘why am I thinking this?’
- Pursue flexibility, resilience in the face of natural brittle response to any issues of race or difference. Let your defensive reaction guide your efforts.
- Invest metacognitive effort for awareness and change
- Examine your thinking and biases surrounding them
- Explore where this bias is rooted
- Investigate any groups of people you ‘don’t like’ find unpleasant or avoid in general
- Increase your exposure to someone in this group and connect with them (share a meal or beverage or a laugh)
- Develop strategies to mitigate or correct your bias. Look for opportunities to practice and do so.
- Examine how you delineate groups for activities or introductions? (boy/girl, black/white, height) Instead employ characteristics that connect:
- preferences – food, hobbies, fonts, mountains or beach? mornings or nights?
- skills – singing, dancing
- experience – been out of the country? ever run out of gas? broken bone or all intact?
Self-talk: Set or reset yourself
- I can be uncomfortable to make all students/colleagues/people we serve and EVERYONE comfortable.
- I want to be inclusive and have much to learn.
- Correction and error will help me get to my goal of inclusivity.
- This is not about me and my intent.
- Am I in a learning posture? Or defending something (what?)?