Avoid using generalization language. For example, alternate the usage of "his" and "her" and don't make assumptions about student background and lifestyle. For example, it would be inappropriate to say, "When your parents were in college," since all the parents may not have gone to college and this statement excludes a piece of the population.
Include activities that encourage dialogue. Often, students will share narratives and bring up questions when given the opportunity. Don't overpack each day with lessons and activities. Instead, leave time for discussion and questions. In a safe classroom environment, students will feel comfortable extending the classroom activity in discussion by sharing how it connects to their home lives and literacies.
Keep students aware of inner bias and stereotypes. ReadWriteThink.org suggests an activity where students read classic fairy tales and write and discuss how the stories paint women, men and interactions between social class and gender. Allow students to discuss how stereotypes permeate their current lives.
Be aware of your own biases and take an active role in creating a new reality with less generalizations. Teachers walk into classrooms with schema that has been built from previous experiences, and often these experiences can create pre-conceived notions that can be detrimental to student populations. Teachers should be self-aware and continue to evolve in order to prevent stereotyping students and creating an uncomfortable classroom environment.