parents speak with teacher

Apply Your Knowledge

Plan ahead to address concerns or resistance.

Resistance and pushback are frequent concerns for educators as they plan and implement inclusive practices and supports. You’re not alone if you’re asking yourself the following questions:

  • “What will the reaction be?”
  • “How should I respond if there is pushback from parents and caregivers? 
  • “Will others stand up for me?”
  • “Will I be supported?”

The more supported you feel, the more empowered you’ll be to create positive change. So it’s important to build a supportive community. Community building takes communication and lots of it! Before you incorporate anti-bias practices into your early childhood program, be sure to share your intentions with every member of your team. Discuss why these changes are not only necessary, but developmentally appropriate.

Next, reach out to the families in your early childhood program. Share information about the curriculum enhancements and learning opportunities that you’ll be implementing as part of your anti-bias initiative—and communicate why these changes are necessary. By being proactive, you can often prevent misunderstandings and allay concerns. 

Despite these proactive measures, you may still encounter some resistance. The following tips sourced from genderspectrum.org will help you stand firm in the face of opposition:

  1. If you find yourself in a confrontational or emotional interaction with a colleague or family member who opposes anti-bias education, try to model equanimity and restraint to avoid inflaming an already charged situation.
  2. Ask questions to convey a genuine desire to understand community members’ concerns. Summarize and reflect back what they have expressed to ensure that you understand their perspective and to communicate that you take their concerns seriously. Try to get a sense of the fears, needs and perceived negative outcomes that underlie these concerns.
  3. Make it clear that sharing a concern opens an important conversation. Model confidence that this communication be beneficial for all parties.
  4. Look for common ground. For example, try to show how your inclusive practices align with values and ethical standards that you share with the person expressing the concern. For example, inclusive practices address critical issues such as the safety and acceptance of all children and families, while teaching children important lessons about kindness, acceptance, respect, and speaking out against injustice. It can be helpful to point out that these values must apply to every child and every family.
  5. Communicate the ways that inclusive practices align with your program’s mission, values and standards—and how they reflect the everyday realities of children and families.
  6. Offer to share resources that will enable community members to explore these topics in greater depth. You may find what you need in our Resources section. 
  7. Keep the lines of communication open! Remember that the goal is to engage with and educate your early childhood community.

Finally, when you encounter resistance or concerns, don’t let it shake your resolve. There are many ways to be supportive, inclusive and involved. It is an unfortunate reality that LGBTQ+ rights are not always supported, and are often under attack, in educational settings. 

In some states or programs, it may be important to prioritize your own safety. If this is the case, you can still remain engaged as an ally to LGBTQ+ colleagues, families and children and support social justice efforts in your field. Visit our Be an ally to LGBTQ+ Families and Be a better ally to LGBTQ+ colleagues pages to find out how.