Creating Affirming Environments

The environment each child enters sets the stage for their understanding of other cultures, respect for others cultures as well as developing a strong positive sense of self. Children are not the only ones who need to feel welcome and accepted in the environment, but also the families. We need to talk with the families to show and better understand their family culture. Derman-Sparks & Edwards (2010) state that when we reach out to families to include them in aspects of our classroom they feel as though they are teachers' true partners. This is a critical foundation to set for children so they make the connection between home and school.
In creating my a classroom environment, I would first make sure it represents all the cultures within my classroom. I would make sure family pictures were placed on our classroom walls, to show the importance each of them play in our classroom community. I would also ensure that the pictures on the walls were not limited only to the cultures within the classroom, but others cultural groups as well. Derman-Sparks & Edwards (2010) state that during exploration of the classroom children are given a sense of the issues and people the teacher thinks are important and those who are not. Providing a large range of social and cultural identities helps children recognize the important placed on accepting everyone as as individual.
The classroom library is an area I find many children we gain as sense of who and what the teacher feels is important. The classroom library should display a wide range of cultures, class, abilities, family structures, and interests. I also like the idea of creating small personalized books possibly of the families within the classroom. (Derman- Sparks & Edwards, 2010). What better way to display respect and importance towards each child's family culture than creating a book just about them in the classroom library?
Another aspect I find very necessary in an anti-bias environment, is the use of community and group activities that involve working together, talking with each other and helping each other. Having a morning circle and share/exploration time is one way my school has made some progress in building the sense of community. By doing this we are also better able to display, and talk to each other about who they are, and display respect and acceptance of each other. 
Finally, I feel a critical look at all materials is significant in developing an anti-bias environment. Dolls, games, dramatic play, puzzles, and art materials are all components that can impact a child's sense of self in either a positive or negative way. For example, children would feel more comfortable knowing that as they color a picture of themselves they can use a tone close to their skin rather than simply black, brown, yellow, or white.  Even the smallest aspects such as this can play a role in a child's thinking towards others and themselves.

References:
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).