Biases in History

As a learner I am very intrigued with History and Social Studies. At this point in my life as I look back upon my educational career I am beginning to question just how valid textbooks are. As a student I was never taught to question what I learn, I was just taught to treat whatever is in a book as 100% truth. Now that I think about it, I truly wonder just how much I have been taught that is biased and perhaps inaccurate. I want to always remember as an educator to teach my students to not just except everything they are told. Questioning, unless done disrespectfully is a great way for students to learn new things. If we teach students this way, they will end up thinking for themselves, and not believing everything they are told.
I am baffled that it took me so long to realize this, and cannot even think about how many other people my age still do not have this mind set.

As I begin to teach Social Studies I will have numerous examples of biases and be able to teach students about this. Students need to know that there are two sides to every story, perspectives. I often times wonder what a child in Japan learns in school about Pearl Harbor and Atomic Bombings. Does anyone ever stop and think of the impact we have on our children when we allow biases to become 'fact'? History is a fascinating piece of life that students can use to understand the world around them. It is something that they can learn from, and grow from.

There is a growing number of English Language Learners in our school systems. With them they bring rich cultural experiences, that can bring diversity and new ideas into our classrooms. I think it is important to embrace every culture in our classrooms and use them it to learn from. By teaching students about biases in textbooks it will allow students to not see their culture and themselves as 'rigth and the only culture' or the center of the world. There is so much culture and diversity around the world, and the idea of perspectives and biases is a great way to both embrace ELL's and to teach all students of new perspectives, beliefs, opinions, lifestyles and ideas different from their own.