Black Teachers Connect
Black Teachers Connect was established in 2018 as a result of Rhia’s experience when applying to train to teach. When she was writing her application for her PGCE, she wanted to seek advice from other Black educators on their experiences in the classroom and of working in the education system. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find a network directly for this.
Rhia created Black Teachers Connect so nobody else would have the same experience as her. The aim of Black Teachers Connect is to bring together Black Teachers in the UK and Worldwide by providing them with network opportunities, advice, and support. It is widely known that some Black educators have experienced racism and discrimination at work with 53% of BME educators not seeing themselves in the profession in the next five years.
Our aim is to have a support system in place to not only help the recruitment of teachers but also the retention. We have connected with over 1,500 individuals via both Twitter and Instagram and we have recently launched a Facebook page to make it even easier for educators to connect and to create a further safe space for individuals.
We have helped to support aspiring teachers and training teachers as they begin their journey into teaching. We are providing virtual CPD sessions. We are also supporting all educators on how to tackle issues of race and diversity in the classroom, from having uncomfortable conversations to creating inclusive resources.