Environment and Identity: A Fragile Balance
Written by Rachida Dahman
Rachida Dahman is an international educator, a language and literature teacher, and an educational innovator. She started her career in Germany as a teacher trainer advocating the importance of relationships above academics. She then moved to Luxembourg where she teaches German language and literature classes to middle and high school students. She is an award-winning poet, co-author of the best-selling book, ATLAS DER ENTSCHEIDER Entscheiden wie die Profis- Dynamik, Komplexität und Stress meistern.
In a complex world with complex problems, young people are struggling to uncover their identities. Social media and social constructs simplify thinking into binary perspectives that are limiting their capacities to grow and develop an understanding of themselves and the world. Unfortunately, some school curricula and environments may be contributing to this growing problem that directly impacts student wellbeing.
So much of students’ worlds seem to fall into a good/bad, right/wrong, preconstructed view of what they should think, believe, feel, and who they should or should not be. In this binary construct, students are not able to explore their own perceptions, opinions, or understandings because they have not had the freedom to develop the ability to observe, ask questions, discuss, and learn about differing perspectives in a constructive way. Schools should strive to create an environment that welcomes and encourages students to share, explore, and grow. In order for them to feel safe to do so, the atmosphere must not be argumentative. Rather, it must be one that approaches differences from a lens of love and learning.
It may seem easier to avoid discussing controversial topics in order to steer away from conflict and difficulty that stir emotions. However, when we participate in this avoidance, we miss out on an opportunity to teach students how to explore their feelings, have rigorous, meaningful conversations, and learn from those with differing viewpoints in a positive way. By modeling an avoidance behavior, we are inadvertently supporting this binary way of thinking that leads to a hindrance in student growth. In order to assist in students’ development, schools can create an environment where people are able to discuss controversial subjects in a respectful way that comes from a place of learning, understanding, and growing rather than judgment.
Schools should be a safe place for contemplation, evaluation, and learning and not one that prescribes what students should think and how they fit into a pre-described way of being. This freedom, or lack thereof, has a direct impact on student wellbeing. Educators should be inviting students each morning to feel strong and capable, supporting them in framing their own personalities and identities. In order to do that, they must feel safe sharing who they are in an environment designed to listen and learn without fear of others jumping into a defensive or attack mode. A safe space environment is cyclical in nature. In order for students to feel heard without judgment they must also learn to listen without judgment. One cannot occur without the other.
Students must learn to find value in the opinions, thoughts, and beliefs of others. Educators can assist in this learning by teaching students that there are 101 perspectives on the same problem. Rather than always presenting a definitive answer, issues can be explored from various angles. In addition, we must teach and model the use of kind words that are full of love rather than aggression, and that strive to unite rather than divide. As you enter your schools every day, ask yourselves these questions:
- Am I encouraging differing viewpoints and creating a safe space for them to be shared?
- Am I modeling a behavior of openness for judgment-free conversations?
- Am I demonstrating kind, accepting language?
- How can I help students to avoid defensive or aggressive language and responses?
The formation of identity and wellbeing is fragile. Schools have a responsibility to create environments that are conducive to open discussions, free from aggression, and safe for honest and authentic conversations geared toward learning, understanding, and growth. It is through this climate of successful cooperation and mutual support that we can counteract the negative impacts of binary thinking and help students create healthy identities.
Guidance for Navigating the DEIJ Journey
Written by Doline Ndorimana
Doline Ndorimana is a passionate educator dedicated to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) and advocating student voice and agency. She is a DEIJ Workshop Leader, Middle Years Program Language Consultant, an Accreditation Evaluator for the Council of International Schools, and a member of the TIE editorial team.
I love my job as an educator and I love spending time with kids, especially teenagers. I believe each child should feel a sense of belonging at school, that is why I champion the work of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ). However, it is not only for our students but also for our colleagues. If our colleagues don’t feel that they belong, they will not be able to serve our students well. This is what makes the job of a DEIJ leader in schools important and challenging at the same time. Experience over time has changed the way I see and do this work. Through frustrations, disappointments, failures, and good wins as well, I’ve grown to see DEIJ work as a complicated marriage worth fighting for. On the one hand, it’s conflict work and on the other hand, it’s relational work.
To deal with conflicts, we have to maintain an open dialogue where the goal is not proving that we are right but making things right. To maintain a good relationship, we have to constantly work on it. It’s not linear, but cyclical, and just because we have already dealt with an issue, does not mean that we will not deal with it anymore or re-adjust our expectations as we grow and change. It also means that, oftentimes, we will take one step forward and three steps back. Consequently, as DEIJ practitioners, we constantly negotiate and regulate expectations, norms, and practices, which can take a toll on us and affect us negatively if we are not careful. I’ve thought about a few guidelines that can help us maintain our sense of self and wellbeing so that we can continue to do this important, complex, and rewarding work.
Guide One: Get To Know Yourself as Much as Possible
It can be difficult to get to know yourself, especially when people are constantly evolving; but in this context, it’s an important task to undertake in order to effectively extend your thinking and make you a better version of yourself. Without personal introspection and understanding, unprocessed emotions and insecurities can interfere with your growth. It’s easy to get caught up in what other people think, wanting or even needing other’s approval and validation. But these external affirmations can put too much emphasis on the ego and without regular praise, you may begin to question your values and self-worth. Good, constructive feedback from knowledgeable and experienced people can be beneficial to your personal growth. However, if you don’t have a strong sense of self, rather than truly listening to and learning from this feedback, you may get caught up in hurt feelings, pushing back, or even trying to prove you’re right or justify your position.
When you are getting closer to knowing who you are, you will understand that serving the cause is more important than belonging to the cause. When the importance of belonging to a cause outweighs the importance of the cause, you are more focused on finding and creating opportunities that validate your choice of doing this work and belonging to the cause rather than truly serving the cause. In other words, you spend more time trying to show and prove to people that you’re right. Your focus then becomes things that are out of your control and that leads to burnout. But if the focus is on serving the cause, and in the case of DEIJ work, creating a culture of belonging and inclusion for all, then the focus is not on an individual’s vision. The cause is much bigger than that. You’re learning to know who you are and who you are becoming, and you don’t need to prove that to anyone. What actually matters is looking at how we can fix the problems we face. How do we get to a resolution? How do we find common grounds so we can all be part of the solution?
Guide Two: “The First Step to Engagement is Disengagement” (Simon Sinek)
As DEIJ leaders, we often face difficult conversations with our colleagues, particularly those who are resisting change, and sometimes this leads to insensitive comments that can trigger strong emotions. Here we have a choice. We can either act on those emotions and be confrontational with our colleagues and ultimately lose them, or we can stop, take a step back, listen, sit with our own emotions, and get curious. Why am I feeling this way? What is it that was said that got me this upset? What are my emotions telling me? Acknowledge and unpack these emotions. Once you know what’s going on, you can deal with them and then move on. Whether it takes 30 minutes or two days, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we work through this process, otherwise these unprocessed emotions become a distraction to our goals. Once our emotions are processed, we can then shift our attention to our goal and ask ourselves, what do I want from this conversation? Why did I go to speak to them in the first place? It’s only then that we can disengage ourselves and listen from our colleague’s frame of reference and not our own because the highest purpose here is progress or resolution. This is when we say to our colleague that “in the interest of building a safe place for everyone at work, I would love to have your thoughts. I want your input because I want you to be part of the solution. We need everyone, including you. Help me understand!”
Guide Three: Know Your School Community
As we get into these roles and settle in, it’s good to communicate and exchange with other DEIJ leaders from other schools to learn from each other, but we need to remember that our schools are different. Comparing and contrasting schools and wanting to do the same thing as another school did can be detrimental to our work. “The process is too slow and we’re not making progress. I need to push and challenge more, just like it was done at X school.” These are some of the thoughts I’ve had before. But X school’s DEIJ journey, as well as its environment, might be different from your school. If we think of DEIJ work as a complicated marriage that’s worth fighting for, then working on your marriage using someone else’s marriage toolkit might not work. You need to find your own toolkit and that requires spending time trying different tools until you figure out which ones work for you in your context. In order to find the right tools, it is important to get to know our own individual school cultures and members. Hearing and learning from other DEIJ leaders are important as long as we remember that our situations are different.
In their book School Culture Rewired, Gruenert and Whitaker offer a list of things that convey a school culture. They suggest we look at “the social glues that hold people together, the way things are done, deeply embedded beliefs and assumptions, the pattern behavior that distinguish us from them as well as a set of behaviors that seem strange to new employees” (2014). These things will indicate what ought to be celebrated, ignored, and ultimately what to anticipate. Spending time learning about our school communities will best prepare us for our roles as it will give us the knowledge we need to make a strategic plan with actions specifically designed for our schools and communities. But this can only be effective if done, planned, and mapped in conjunction with heads of school and senior leadership where questions, apprehensions, and negotiations will inform our work ahead, which brings me to the next point.
Guide Four: Have a Shared Vision and Values
It is important that DEIJ leaders and senior leadership have a shared understanding of the job responsibilities and challenges. It is essential to sit down with senior leadership and decide on shared values and a vision of what DEIJ work will look like and how it will show up in the community. Without shared values and a shared vision, it is easy for cliques to be created. It might seem to some that only a certain group does the work and others are viewed as “not willing” to do the work. This creates division and ultimately slows down the process and progress. Remember that our job is to bring people together and avoid the “us versus them” mentality. Moreover, without shared values and a shared vision, we end up being the only ones trying to make the marriage work, which never works.
Discuss what you want to see in your institution with senior leadership before going out on the field. For example, if one of your core values is to “embrace and respect the uniqueness of each individual of our community,” discuss what that means practically and how this shows up every day. Does that mean that we encourage everyone to live their authentic selves and show up as their true selves? Great! Do we have structures and systems put in place for people to be their true selves however they define it? This is important because we cannot ask people to be their true selves if the environment itself is not ready for people to see and support them. For example, if we have a teacher who shows up and asks everyone including colleagues, students, and parents to address them as “them” and “Teacher Smith” or “Mx Smith” because they are non-binary, are we going to be supportive? Will we as an institution be able to stand up to parents and other shareholders who express discontentment and say, “This is who we are and aspire to be. We are an inclusive school, and we embrace and respect the uniqueness of each individual of our community. We believe it is good for our students to be exposed to a great diversity of people and perspectives.” Can we as an institution do this, knowing that we might lose enrollments and the board might get involved. Does the board share our vision and values? This is only one example of the kinds of courageous discussions that we need to have before we tell people that they can be their true selves. If our answers to the questions above are no’s, see that as a first step in the right direction. We have had these important discussions and realized that we have work to do as an institution, and that is fine. What is not fine nor fair is to expect the DEIJ leader to fix an institutional challenge by themselves. Instead, a collective effort spread throughout the different parts of the organization led by both the DEIJ leader and senior leadership is required, so our school can live up to its vision and values.
This is a hard task to do. It is not only a step but an ongoing process, a strategic plan that represents mid-to-long term goals. It is both the foundation and frame of our DEIJ work. In other words, it is what will make or break our continuous efforts for making our schools a safe and inclusive place for all.
Guide Five: Explore Emotions
DEIJ work is both conflict and relational work and as such, emotions have a great role to play. When dealing with implicit biases, it can feel as if our identities are challenged and being confronted with the idea that we have either contributed directly or indirectly to systems that have harmed and left many people behind can be hard to take. Much harder is when, as educators, we come to realize that there is a chance that some of our students that we deeply care about were left behind due to our own implicit biases. In this case, grief, remorse, shame, and anger are only a few emotions that can be experienced. As DEIJ leaders, it is important that we recognize and understand this.
Susan David, in her book Emotional Agility, explains the importance of facing emotions with acceptance and generosity. If we want everyone to be part of the solution, it is important to give time to people to feel and validate their feelings because “when we don’t attend to emotions, they metastasize and they grow and when they grow, they can take over.” Consequently, we arm ourselves even more, and this can mean that we disengage completely and don’t do the work because it is very hard and painful to deal with our own emotions (David, 2016). Let’s say that we see a micro-aggression behavior. We should respond to that and speak to the person in private. I personally believe that a private conversation is always more effective than a public one (although debatable, depending on the act itself). As we’re having these conversations, we need to keep in mind that the purpose is not to shame the person, but to make space for a discussion on implicit biases and its impact on our students and staff. If the conversations become emotionally charged, it’s okay to give people space to feel and let them know that you understand. You can say something like, “I can see you’re upset. It’s hard. Yes, I know! And what I just said might feel like who you are is being challenged and that’s okay. I understand that this was never your intention. In some cases, like these, we need to move away from intention and focus more on the impact. Doing this work means that we’re just not going to feel good at times and that’s okay because it is through discomfort that we grow. We need everyone, including you, to make this school a place where everyone can belong. I am therefore asking you, as hard as it is, to fight the discomfort and not me.” You can even invite your colleague to circle back within the next few days and revisit this conversation. The point here is to keep people in the conversation and make them aware that it takes all of us to make it happen and that feeling the emotions we feel is part of the process for us to grow. As DEIJ leaders, coaching is part of our job as well.
Senior leadership needs to be in agreement on this practice because one thing that could ruin our efforts is that after this conversation, our colleague turns to leadership who then discredits the work done before. Which, on the one hand, takes away the opportunity for that person to lean into discomfort and to learn and grow. And on the other hand, perpetuates and safeguards exclusionary practices in our institution. This goes back to Guide Four. It is important to understand that by trying to reduce or avoid people’s discomfort, it can reinforce inequities.
The importance of knowing who you are and disengaging so that you can engage are even more important here because, as DEIJ leaders, we have to “be the bigger person.” Being a bigger person does not mean that we do not have boundaries. On the contrary, being a bigger person means that we understand that our mission is bigger than ourselves and that the highest purpose is improvement, not being right. It means that sometimes “we are way-seeking rather than truth seeking,” so when we have conversations with our colleagues, “we can instead look to tell, with them, the stories of their best future selves” (Alchin, 2022).
Guide Six: Make Parents Your Partners
Every parent wants what’s best for their child and, of course, they are willing to stand up for that belief. We, educators, may not always agree with what parents are fighting for or against but, ultimately, we have the same goal. We all want to develop well educated, thriving students. Oftentimes, we label parents as difficult, entitled, bigots, etc. when they push back against DEIJ work. But, what if instead of labeling them, we include them more in our conversations and initiatives? There’s a good chance that parents are afraid of a new initiative simply because they are misinformed, afraid, or have assumptions that might be wrong. It is up to us to reassure them and give them space to ask questions and hopefully relieve their fears. For example, if as a school we think it is important for our students to learn more about LGBTQ+ education, it might be a good idea to invite parents and share our plans with them. They might think that we are forcing on their children a certain set of values that is not ours to teach, but this will be our opportunity to set the record straight, discover their fears and apprehensions, and figure out together as partners how to deal with it while keeping in mind that we are preparing our students to become empathetic global citizens and that in our community each child should be treated with dignity and respect by everyone regardless of their backgrounds and identities.
If as a school, we believe in multilingualism and the importance of using translanguaging in our classes, teachers whose native language is not English are a great asset. Having parents’ meetings and informing them of our plans might remove the assumptions of some who believe their child won’t master English if they are not only taught by native speakers of English. Instead, we offer them another perspective informed by research and give them the opportunity to ask questions and express their concerns. This way, we can potentially change the narrative, inform parents, and hopefully bridge the gap between what parents think DEIJ work is and what we, as a school, believe it is.
Informing parents of any major new initiative will create important dialogues, get them involved, and inform us of what to anticipate and where the roadblocks are. More importantly, this will foster a relationship that can only be beneficial to making our schools more inclusive.
Guide Seven: Find Your People
Having a support system is very important as the work is extremely demanding and can take a toll on you. It is, therefore, important to be surrounded with uplifting, diverse, critical, honest, loving, and fun people to accompany you on this journey. You will need these people to swear, offload, to laugh, and feel loved; to hear that you’re doing the right thing and that they’re proud of you; to hear when you’re wrong but also to hear, “Here’s another perspective.”
These guides help me navigate the world of DEIJ, a world that I am passionate about and continue to learn from. However, this is only my perspective, and I am forever open to other perspectives.
References
Alchin, N (2022). Authenticity – what’s really going on? Retrieved from https://nickalchinuwcsea.blogspot.com/2019/08/authenticity-whats-really-going-on.html?q=authenticity
David, S. (2016). Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life. New York: Avery/Penguin Random House.
Gruenert, S., & Whitaker, T. (2015). School culture rewired: how to define, assess, and transform it. Alexandria, Virginia USA, ASCD.
Also Inspired by the work of Simon Sinek, TD. Jakes, Brene Brown, Chimananda Ngozi Adichie, Emmanuel Acho, Adam Grant, Anne Laure Buffet, and the amazing support from my People wherever you are in the world. My TIE editorial family and the many many conversations I’ve had with educators, students, parents, heads of school, support staff, and more. Thank you!
My Journey as a Part-time Senior Leader
Written by Harroop Sandhu
Harroop Sandhu is a senior school leader and professional coach, with 17 years of experience driving successful strategies and improving outcomes in various educational areas. Most recently she has led her school to successfully achieve the Send Inclusion Award, as well as spear-heading the organisation's DEI strategy. Her approach is to ensure that DEI work is integrated within the strategic aims of the organisation leveraging existing leadership tools.
Three years ago, the notion of transitioning to part-time work was nowhere on my horizon.
Life took an unexpected turn when one of my children fell ill, prompting a pause on my career to refocus on what matters the most. Amid navigating my child’s health needs, I found myself in survival mode. Emerging from this challenging period, I returned to part-time work after a two-month gap, encountering initial hurdles. However, as I gradually found my rhythm, an unforeseen preference for this new way of working emerged.
Within this experience, I’ve uncovered valuable insights.
Myth #1: Working Part-Time Means Less Effectiveness.
Contrary to common belief, working part-time doesn’t hinder efficiency; it can actually enhance it. The gift of more reflective time has nurtured my creativity and innovation.
Success in this arrangement hinges on disciplined time management; I remind myself I’m paid for three days of work, not squeezing five into three.
Liberating myself from guilt and the need to prove myself has been a pivotal realisation.
Tips
- Effective time allocation is key.
- Balancing work, family, commitments, and especially self-care all demand careful planning and allocation. Don’t put yourself last or squeeze it in.
- Silencing self-criticism about perceived weaknesses is part of the journey toward self-compassion.
Myth #2: Part-Time Work Signals Lack of Ambition.
Embracing part-time work has deepened my commitment to personal growth.
While some argue full-time dedication accelerates progress, I’ve found fulfilment in having the mental space for development and time to pursue other interests, aligned with my sense of purpose. I have found that I have more time for coaching and other professional development, which in turn benefits my employer and as well as myself.
This flexibility has also inspired others, resulting in increased requests for flexible arrangements—an indicator of impactful leadership.
Tips
- Celebrate your achievements and acknowledge your aspirations.
- When you silence doubts, your strength and dreams amplify.
- Before constraining yourself, seek input from others to broaden your perspective.
Myth #3: Missing out on Connection and Opportunities.
Initially, the challenge of navigating communication arose from a fear of missing out due to absence. However, I’ve learned that communication quality outweighs quantity.
Utilising strategies like follow-up emails and regular check-ins helps maintain involvement.
Open conversations marked by transparency with superiors foster mutual understanding.
Addressing unique experiences benefits not only you but also those around you.
Tips
- Express your needs openly with your line manager.
- Ensure your scheduled time with your line manager remains intact and isn’t cancelled.
- Propose suggestions and solutions, but don’t shoulder the burden alone.
Myth #4: Flexibility Equates to Unreliability.
Unreliability often arises from overcommitment or lack of planning. Overcoming guilt and the desire to overcompensate, by embracing strategic time management and open communication was enlightening. Prioritisation, clear communication, and collaborative solutions with my line manager helped navigate this. As well as, balancing tasks and seeking help as needed cultivating a win-win situation.
Tips
- Consider what you might need to say no to when saying yes to additional tasks.
- Involve your line manager in this process. It could involve acquiring more resources, creating space, or delegating tasks.
- Don’t hesitate to seek compensation for work beyond your designated hours.
- Effective leaders recognise their boundaries. Don’t be afraid to say no.
I believe that Flexible working is a solution for not only working parents, but for people that are looking to explore personal growth or navigate other areas of life outside of their work. This autonomy can lead to greater job satisfaction and happier employees who are likely to be more creative, innovative and productive.
10 Engaging Diversity Books for Children: Promoting Inclusion and Understanding
Written by Rachelle Carter
Rachelle Carter is co-director of Madeleine Lindley Ltd, a key children’s book supplier based in Chadderton, Oldham. Its staff are experienced and well-equipped to help primary schools rejuvenate and refresh their class libraries with the latest and most engaging books. The business has played a vital role in supplying many of the UK's primary school libraries for over 35 years.
Reading across a range of cultures and experiences not only broadens children’s worldviews but also nurtures an appreciation of the wider world. Being exposed to a range of books that cover different representations allows children to feel connected and included, and allowing a child to explore various narratives through books through a multitude of narratives is a cornerstone in exposing a child to inclusion and understanding.
Here, children’s literacy specialist Madeleine Lindley Ltd explores ten notable books that celebrate diversity, promote inclusivity, and stimulate the imagination. For primary school teachers, this list can serve as a great starting point from which to build a classroom library or wider school library with books that promote inclusion. It is important to remember that the representation of diversity will differ from classroom to classroom. Use this list to explore the types of books you can consider for your classroom, and explore the broad range of diversity and inclusion books yourself to find the perfect books for your children.
1. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding takes a delicate approach to introduce the concept of same-sex marriages. As the story unfolds, young readers journey alongside Chloe, the protagonist who initially fears she will lose her beloved Uncle Bobby when he announces his wedding. The story’s gentle narrative helps children understand that love transcends all boundaries and that families come in all shapes and sizes. Moreover, it instils the idea that a change does not equate to loss, a valuable lesson for children.
2. The Best Me! by Marvyn Harrison
In The Best Me!, Marvyn Harrison promotes the importance of self-esteem and individuality, focusing on the central character’s journey, Nia. Nia learns to embrace her unique identity and sees the beauty in everyone’s differences, breaking away from societal expectations. The book delivers the fundamental message that everyone should feel empowered to be their true selves.
3. The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali
The story revolves around Asiya’s first day of school, with her wearing a bright blue hijab. Her younger sister, Faizah, sees Asiya’s hijab as a symbol of pride and strength. The Proudest Blue introduces children to the concept of faith in oneself and the richness of cultural diversity, helping them recognise and respect religious practices that might differ from their own.
4. Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate
Grandad’s Camper presents a loving relationship between Grandad and Gramps. Following Gramps’s passing, Grandad ceases his adventuring until his granddaughter reignites his passion. The book addresses LGBTQ+ relationships and loss sensitively, fostering understanding that love is universal, extending beyond conventional family setups.
5. Speak Up! by Nathan Bryon
Speak Up! is a compelling narrative about using one’s voice to champion what’s right. The protagonist, Rocket, inspires children with her bravery, as she stands up for her community’s park. This story encourages children to be courageous, fostering a sense of responsibility, and motivating them to stand up for what they believe in.
6. Just Like Me by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Just Like Me is a collection of poetic narratives, celebrating diversity, self-love, and acceptance. Vanessa Brantley-Newton’s character-driven poems encourage children to explore and celebrate their identities, recognising that everyone’s story is unique and equally important.
7. The Bubble Boy by Stewart Foster
The Bubble Boy introduces the character of Joe, a boy with severe combined immunodeficiency who lives in a sterile environment. This narrative fosters empathy, giving children a glimpse into the lives of those living with health conditions, ultimately encouraging them to be understanding and respectful.
8. Jamie: A Joyful Story of Friendship, Bravery and Acceptance by L. D. Lapinski
Jamie paints a picture of an inclusive world where each individual is unique and cherished. The story explores themes of friendship, bravery, and acceptance, helping children appreciate the diverse characteristics that make us all human.
9. Fight Back by A. M. Dassu
Fight Back explores the resilience of a young refugee, teaching children about the realities of displacement and courage. This book encourages understanding of global issues and empathy towards individuals who’ve experienced adversities beyond their control.
10. No Ballet Shoes In Syria by Catherine Bruton
This book captures the experiences of Aya, a refugee girl in Syria who finds solace in the world of ballet. No Ballet Shoes In Syria allows children to empathise with the struggles of refugees and appreciate the power of passion, dedication, and the arts.
Find diversity books for your library
Cultivating an environment that values diversity is an important part of fostering an enriching, inspiring, and inclusive environment for your children. To help you in doing this, Madeleine Lindley Ltd helps curate an inclusive, engaging, and ever-evolving reading environment for your primary school. By filling your library with books that celebrate differences, you are not just introducing children to a multitude of perspectives, but also instilling a lifelong love for reading.
Exciting changes in the English Curriculum
Written by Samantha Wharton
Samantha is a seasoned educator from East London, with ancestral roots tracing back to the Caribbean nations of Antigua and Guyana. She brings a wealth of academic achievements, including a degree in Communications and Media from Brunel University, a PGCE in English and Drama from the Institute of Education at University College London, and an MA in Black British Literature from Goldsmiths University.
English teacher Samantha Wharton takes us through some of the exciting changes to the English curriculum – featuring stories of the Windrush generation.
As well as it being the monumental milestone of 75 years since the Windrush ship docked at Tilbury forever changing the fabric of the nation; this year 2023, also marks significant changes in the English curriculum. For the first time, two playtexts by Black British female writers will feature on the English specification across three exam boards! AQA, Eduqas and OCR have added Leave Taking by Winsome Pinnock and The Princess and the Hustler by Chinonyerem Odimba to their collection of texts for examination in 2025 (available to teach THIS September).
The play Leave Taking is considerably significant in its relations to the Windrush as the writer Winsome Pinnock foreshadows some of the issues that later arise in the 2018 Scandal. The play written 1997 and produced at the National Theatre (marking the first black female playwright to have a production in this space) tells the story of Enid – a woman in her forties that arrived in England during the Windrush era. She raises her two daughter’s Viv and Del in this new British landscape where she navigates some of the challenges of being Black in Britain. I believe this is a wonderful play that documents an important story that needs to be heard. It is part of our shared British recent history. It shares the universal themes of migration, parent child relationships and belonging. It’s a text that is accessible to all GCSE students and a play that young people will relate to – especially the parent/child clashes and expectations that parents have for their children.
This is a huge change in the curriculum and one that I feel is much needed. As a teacher of 18 years I have seen many changes in the curriculum that to some extent have narrowed the world scope for young people, especially those that do not read independently. There was very little to no diversity reflected in the texts available at GCSE in particular so this is incredible. I am excited to be teaching this play at my school: St Angela’s Ursuline in London, where we will be part of a pioneering group to teach this text in the first year of official study!
I believe that diversity in literature and a range of texts help to foster a love of reading. Generally, readers like to make observations about others and escape to new places through literature. Novels are our gateway to other cultures and ways of life that we may not be able to physically be a part of. It is important that students have this exposure to different texts within the classroom and not just as part of reading for pleasure.
I was also fortunate to be commissioned by Nick Hern Books alongside Lynette Carr Armstrong to create a study guide for Leave Taking. Combined we have over 50 years of teaching experience and have created a resource that will support the learning of this text for students and will also provide a source for teacher’s planning to teach this text in the future.
I encourage teachers, parents and young people alike to engage with these stories! They are an important part of our history and need to be heard!
For access to Leave Taking (play and guide) as well as AQA conversations for teachers see the following websites:
Text: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/leave-taking
Study guide:https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/leave-taking-gcse-student-guide
AQA: https://www.aqa.org.uk/professional-development/search?f.Themes%7CV=Spark
The Power of Networking
Written by DiverseEd
Diverse Educators started as a grassroots network in 2018 to create a space for a coherent and cohesive conversation about DEI. We have evolved into a training provider and event organiser for all things DEI.
#DiverseEd Table Photo
This Friday night we joined the team at Chiltern Learning Trust for their annual Racial Equity Network Dinner (#REND). We had been unable to make it the last two years running despite really wanting to attend and support it, but this year we were able to make it happen.
We sponsored a Diverse Educators’ table and invited some of our collaborative partners from the race section of our DEI DIrectory to join us on our table. It was brilliant to finally all be together in person! It is not very often we are in the same room, at the same time – the energy was palpable and we were very much the ‘naughty table’ as we needed to take advantage and connect whilst we could.
Thanks for joining the team from #DiverseEd:
- Nadine from Aspiring Heads
- Rhia from Black Teachers Connect
- Jemma from Let’s Start a Conversation Today
- Aretha and Youlande from Mindful Equity
- Louise and Marcus from MixEd
Getting to Luton for 6pm on a Friday night, at the end of a long year and a hard term, was not for the faint-hearted. Our table travelled from Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, Watford, London, Kent, the New Forest and Bath to attend the event. The journey to the event is very much a metaphor for the direction of travel of the work – it is non-linear, frustratingly slow and there are lots of obstacles to navigate including poor conditions and route closures.
We were delighted to be in the room where it was happening, along with 480 other attendees, who all care about and are committed to affecting change when it comes to racial equity in the education system. We had a lot of other connections and collaborative partners at the event including:
- Diana from the Academy of Women Leaders
- Frankie from BAMEed SEND
- Albert and Johnoi from Black Men Teach
- Iona and Sam from Edurio
- Daryl from Flair
- Paul and Andrea from the Institute for Educational and Social Equity
- Penny from The Linking Network
- Bukky, Flora, Yamina, Kiran and Emma from #WomenEd
In the more formal part of the event before the eating and networking started, there were a series of short presentations from a range of speakers:
- Sufian Sadiq – shared a heartfelt reflection on the fatigue and frustration of how slow the rate of change in this work is for him, his peers and his family. His call to action was for solidarity.
- Professor Paul Miller – shared the systemic data to highlight the structural and societal barriers for people of colour in our sector. His call to action was for allies to leverage their power.
- Sarah Owen MP – shared a personal narrative of being a biracial pupil and how this work could have helped her journey as a pupil but also now as a politician. Her call to action was to create greater belonging.
- Dr Patrice Evans – shared a quote from Obama and reflected on her journey being the only black woman in many spaces. Her call to action was to collect the stones and to use them to build empires.
- Hannah Wilson – shared her awareness of being a white person speaking to a room of global majority and then used the space to amplify the organisations in the room doing brilliant work in this space. Her call to action was to join the coalition.
- Assistant Professor Derron Wallace – shared a comparative lens to the data and the activity in the US compared to the UK and questioned what our collective strategy for racial equity is. His call to action was that everyone needs to own the role they have to play.
In the less formal part of the evening it was great to see, chat to and smile across the room at Alison from CCT, Mary from Myatt and Co, Tom from Ambition School Leadership, Phillippa and Sajid from PACT, David and Ena from Venturers Trust, James and Sharon from Inclusive MAT, Antonia and Bhamini from Pioneer Educational Trust, Adam from OTSA, Thahmina and Omar from CST, amongst others.
#REND is a brilliant example for the power of networking. The event was a magnet for people seeking a shared vision, a unified purpose, a collective agency. Together we are stronger, and we can go further.
Do check out the social media posts via the event hashtag #REND and put the draft date for the 2024 #REND event in your diaries: Friday 12th July. We will have a table there again and will invite new partners from our DEI Directory to join us. It would be great to see you there and they are increasing capacity to 600 for next year’s event.
DEI Directory Flyer
Pupil Voice and Agency – DEI Pupil Leaders
Written by Kiran Satti
Senior Assistant Principal; Primary Trust - Literacy Lead Practitioner; #WomenEd Regional Leader; Contributor to Diverse Educators: A Manifesto.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – what does it mean to the children we serve in our school communities?
One of our DEI Pupil Leaders shares what it means to her…
I am very proud of being a DEI leader because it is an important job. It is important because we are helping the children learn about the Protected Characteristics, we are reading important stories to the children to help them become aware and most importantly, help the children understand what it might be like for someone living with some of these Characteristics, such as disability.
The stories she is referring to are our DEI Story Escapes. At the beginning of this year, the newly formed DEI Pupil Leaders (another branch to our Pupil Leadership Team) sat and discussed which books they believed were best representative of each of the Protected Characteristics. Most powerfully, this group of Pupil Leaders were representative of the increasingly diverse learning community they are part of. The DEI Pupil Team have 6 members who are very passionate about equal and human rights – this was evident when I was sharing the Pupil Training, where we learnt about the Protected Characteristics and the importance of understanding intersectionality.
In alignment with the Pupil Training, I also delivered staff training to ensure the teachers and educators shared the same understanding of DEI as the Pupil Leaders. It was important everyone in our school community had a shared language and understanding to draw from as the children started to read the DEI Story escapes to the classes.
Here are some of the Pupil Leader’s favourite DEI Story Escapes:
My favourite DEI Story Escape we have shared so far is There is a Tiger in the garden! There is a tiger in my garden is my favourite book because it has amazing illustrations and lots of emotive language. “Wow!” says Nora is my favourite part of this book because of how beautiful the dragonflies were and how they drew them! This book is about the protected characteristic AGE – it doesn’t matter what your age is, we can all still use our imagination, young or old.
My favourite DEI Story Escape is Pink is for Boys. My favourite page is where blue is for girls and pink is for boys. Ut is my favourite book because it tells us that colours are for everyone – they are not gendered. There are no colours for particular people – all colours are meant for everyone.
Pink is for Boys is my favourite book because it shows us thar all of the colours are for everyone. My favourite pages are the ones with the unform and where it says pink is for girls and boys.
Sulwe is my favourite DEI Story Escape. It is my favourite book because at first she thought she wasn’t pretty because she wasn’t the same skin colour as her sister but then she realised people needed the darkness to rest – my favourite page is where they told her, “When you are the darkest is when you are most beautiful.”
The DEI Story escapes have been an incredible success, mostly because the Pupil Leaders have read and led the discussions. Pupil Voice is at the heart of our DEI work at Wallbrook Primary Academy because they are the future – the pupils are being enabled to use language which is instrumental to creating a future that accepts and nurtures differences.
Developing the power of story, the Pupil Leaders are currently sharing Braille stories with their peers. They lead on teaching their peers how to decode using Braille, and have developed several games to enable the children to learn and practise reading and writing in Braille.
I can not wait to see how DEI continues to grow and the DEI Pupil Leaders continue to flourish into the next academic year!
The impact of COVID pandemic on the mental health of school staff
Written by Amy Sayer
Amy Sayer is an associate, consultant, mental health trainer and content writer. She is a Leading Diversity advisor for the Chartered College of Teaching. She is the author of the book ‘Supporting staff mental health in your school’.
I work with many teachers and school leaders today from a range of settings across the country, and I am often reminded of the fact that they have had such little time to talk about and process any tricky feelings they experienced during the pandemic. It’s almost the elephant in the room.
The emotional impact of the pandemic for teachers was huge. They were having to quickly navigate setting up online classrooms, complete risk assessments to enter the building if they were classed as ‘clinically vulnerable’, support key-worker children, alongside trying to manage the general fear and uncertainty around a fatal airborne virus. Many were juggling caring for loved ones and making sure they could provide them with enough practical resources and emotional support whilst also carrying the emotional load of reassuring the children they were working with. Not having access to the usual self-care routines and social support due to the lockdown restrictions meant that there was no respite and recovery time in the way that staff would have needed to support their mental health.
Adapting to teaching ‘live’ lessons from their homes, reassuring worried exam classes about their grades, navigating moving between ‘bubbles’ to teach in a number of different classrooms across huge school sites etc. It all cumulatively increased the emotional load that teachers were expected to carry.
The feelings of powerlessness and fear caused by the pandemic may have ‘triggered’ really painful and tricky feelings linked to previous traumas in teacher’s lives which may not have been processed at the time. Many school staff found themselves feeling scared, unmanageably anxious, and unable to cope with the demands of school life in the way they had been able to prior to the pandemic. They may have felt ashamed of their feelings and alone because things were going back to ‘normal’ and outwardly they had to spend their emotional capacity reassuring all their anxious and worries students and their families.
Schools were one of the biggest institutions in society to be the victims of the ‘return-to-normal’ narrative, but the day-to-day reality was far removed from this. Protective masks were removed, the existence of the ongoing threat of COVID was normalised, and protective ‘bubbles’ were removed in an attempt to carry on ‘business as usual’. However, for many school staff, feelings were suppressed in order to function and get back to the jobs they loved. That may have been necessary at the time, but it does not work in the long-term. Many school staff today are finding themselves struggling with anxiety and need support.
Schools need to invest time and money into providing training for schools to ensure that all leaders are aware of how they need to talk to staff who are struggling with their mental health. They need to create a culture where asking for support is not a source of shame or embarrassment, but a strength. They need to look after their staff and give them the same time and support they will have given to others. Staff mental health support systems and services must be put in place to help staff who may be struggling to process the events of the pandemic. Those feelings are completely valid, and they may not be quick or easy to process.
Staff may have different types of support in their lives, but it is important not to assume or take for granted the support they may or may not have. People may feel too ashamed or vulnerable to talk to their partners or family about how they are feeling, and an appropriate and well-considered conversation from a caring colleague may be the first time they have felt able to talk about how things really are for them. A range of both in-school and external support options needs to be part of a staff mental health policy which is discussed openly so it can be accessed when required. Schools and MATs need to carefully consider how they can invest in telephone or in-person counselling services for staff so they will not have to wait for a number of months accessing NHS services. They need to understand the signs and behaviours of staff who may be struggling with their mental health so that they can pro-actively have supportive and caring conversations. The power of a safe space to be heard and validated cannot be underestimated and it is the least school staff deserve considering how much of an emotional load they have had to carry throughout the pandemic.
5 Ways to Imbed Inclusion and Diversity in EYFS Lessons
Written by Jess Gosling
An experienced international Early Years teacher, blogger and writer. She is currently writing a book for international teachers, 'Becoming an International Teacher'.
I am currently in my ninth year as an international teacher, and this article was written when I was working in a school with mostly local children in Taiwan. The problem I aimed to solve then was how to showcase and embed diversity and inclusion into our classroom environment.
Therefore, I have developed, and continue to develop here in Poland, a series of ways to bring up issues of diversity, gender, disability, and culture in a way that is relevant, informative, and engaging.
These are big topics for EYFS pupils but there are ways to bring them up organically alongside other areas of learning – often using texts to help naturally raise questions and discussions.
Cultural cues
Although in an international school, the children are from a similar ethnicity and therefore notice differences often.
One example of this was when we viewed a speech over which the guest had a strong Spanish accent. A child remarked, ‘that sounds funny’, and laughed.
As a class, we talked through her view. I related the experience to my own, speaking Mandarin with my ‘funny’ accent. I asked in this case if they would laugh at me. The class was in agreement that they would not. We explored the child’s perception and reasons why, overall, we have accents when speaking another language. I encouraged them to instead think about how smart the speaker was using a different language than their own. We created parallels with their own experience, as bilingual learners.
Gender
We have had a few instances where we have challenged and discussed gender as a class.
A boy in my class expressed his love of ‘Frozen’ and the character of Elsa in particular. He frequently leapt up to sing ‘Let it go’. Gradually, other boys have begun to join him. In this context, however, initially, there were some giggles. We unpicked this reaction and talked about how some girls love ninjas and superheroes and does it matter. Reversing the context helped those children understand that we are free to like whatever we like.
In another situation, I was concerned when several of my children were remarking that a new member of my team was a ‘boy’ as she had very short hair. I could see that the staff member was a little upset by the comments, so I stopped the whole class and I asked them to turn and look at the staff member. We do a lot of work on feelings and it was clear that she was upset. The children who had made the comments paused and looked at the floor. In this instance, I asked the class whether calling out gender names as a joke was a nice thing to do. The class, and the particular children involved, decided as a collective it was not. This behaviour was not repeated.
Discussing individuals who have taken different pathways
Integrity forms part of our school’s ‘learner profile’. To develop their understanding of this concept, I showed a recording of ‘We will Rock You’ by Queen and their frontman, Freddie Mercury, to prompt a discussion about him.
I wanted to illustrate how being honest and true to yourself is as important as being honest to other people.
We looked at how he took a different path in life than what he was expected to do, to remain honest with his hopes and dreams as a musician. The children were incredibly engaged in both the music and his life story.
Recognising cultural differences
When texts are selected carefully, they can illustrate a diverse representation of cultures. This includes environments, rituals, clothing, and religions that differ from my students. Following a book share, we discuss any perceived differences and similarities, encouraging questions.
However, it is important these stories show children living around the world, often with similar experiences to the children. One example is ‘The Proudest Blue’ about a little girl’s first day at school experiencing at the same time her sister’s first day wearing a hijab.
The little girl, Faizah, feels so excited for her sister but instead, other children use harsh words which confuses Faizah.
The children are drawn into the book by the fabulous illustrations. They picked apart what was unkind about the situation but also why others’ may make these remarks. Often I find children are not sure why people would say cruel things to point out a difference. We discussed together how certain words can not only affect one individual (Faizah’s sister) but also ripples to others, who hear and see them.
Showing differences, such as disability, as part of the ‘norm’
Furthermore, I endeavour to show texts which show children and adults with disabilities. One such example is ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, which shows a child in a wheelchair. These messages are more discrete as it is not a central aspect of the book. Additionally, I don’t always point them out. As these differences have been already discussed early in the year, I want the children to recognise, as with different racial identities that diversity such as disability is commonplace and part of our lives.
Indigenous Knowledge is Integral to Diversifying the Curriculum
Written by Rob Power
Dr Rob Power is an award-winning teacher, educational consultant and cultural historian specialising in global history and indigenous knowledge. Before returning to academia as a lecturer at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2018, and more recently as founder of Powerful Histories, Rob was Head of History and Politics at a leading independent school in Oxfordshire.
Indigenous Knowledge should be central to curriculum diversity initiatives
On 13th September 2007, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted The Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Enshrined in the document was a commitment to uphold standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the Indigenous peoples of the world.
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of incorporating indigenous knowledge into education. Indigenous knowledge refers to the unique knowledge, traditions, practices, and beliefs of indigenous communities. It is knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation and encompasses ways of knowing, being, and doing that are rooted in a deep understanding of the natural world and the relationship between humans and the environment.
As schools throughout the world begin to consider ways in which to develop sustainable practices, the prioritisation of connection to our living environment occupies centre stage. It is in this context that Indigenous knowledge can be particularly impactful. Inclusion of non-appropriated Indigenous knowledge into our teaching – on issues such as the environment, community, climate, medicine, economics and science – isn’t just about creating a culturally relevant and culturally responsive curricula. It can also help to create a more equitable and inclusive learning environment that recognises and values diversity within our own communities.
The community-based approach to problem-solving that lies at the core of Indigenous knowledge systems should have a place in every school. Whilst honouring the robust and deep knowledge held by Indigenous communities, we help our learners to bridge divisions between cultures and constructed knowledge hierarchies and develop a holistic understanding of history, culture and the natural world. It can be a powerful tool for promoting social justice, encouraging pupils to critically reflect on the effects of forced assimilation, cultural genocide, and ongoing social and economic marginalisation of indigenous peoples.
Indigenous Knowledge in the Curriculum
Incorporating Indigenous knowledge into our teaching should go beyond rudimentary case studies. Prioritising the voices and experiences of indigenous peoples and communities, involving indigenous community members in design of curriculum and assessment materials, and utilising knowledge acquisition pathways of the communities we are studying is essential. Prioritising Indigenous knowledge thus not only affords an opportunity to diversify our curriculum, but to globalise our teaching.
Valuing, respecting, and integrating Indigenous knowledge into the curriculum involves developing an understanding of knowledge and knowledge acquisition within Indigenous communities. Oral tradition, ceremony, connection with the natural world and spiritual practice are integral to the continuation of Indigenous ways of being and convey deep meanings and concepts that are not easily translatable in Western codes of learning. It can thus be helpful to focus on four principal pedagogical approaches when teaching Indigenous stories and experiences: land-based teaching, storytelling, performance-based teaching and experiential teaching. The incorporation of Indigenous languages can also be beneficial.
When incorporating Indigenous knowledge into your curriculum, it is important that that knowledge takes centre stage. This means refraining from treating the study of Indigenous communities as case studies and instead placing those communities – and their ‘ways of knowing’ – as the lens through which we learn. Not only does this create an opportunity to truly globalise our pedagogy, but so too it affords space for interdisciplinary learning. Let us say, for instance, that rather than teaching the topic of ecology or biodiversity through a Geography or Biology curriculum, we instead delivered a series of lessons focusing on the semi-nomadic Chahdegal Balouch peoples in Iran. A focus on the community would not only allow the study syllabus-specific content – on environmental management, land distribution, sustainability and migration, for example – but would open opportunities to consider the interconnectedness of socio-cultural values and the living world. This is of course an isolated example, but think of the possibilities that a curriculum centred on Indigenous knowledge could offer.
Global Teaching in Practice:
Incorporating indigenous knowledge into the classroom is an essential step towards providing a more inclusive, diverse education. It is about reimagining what education means and looks like, developing an approach where knowledge hierarchies are deconstructed, disciplinary barriers are challenged and all communities are valued and respected. Collaborating with those communities is essential, not only in providing a culturally relevant education for pupils, but also as a means to develop culturally sustaining pedagogies that frame diversity in a truly global context.
My work with schools through the Global Teaching Project primarily involves supporting teachers to recognise the importance of Indigenous knowledge and de-centring dominant narratives responsible for the creation of exclusionary barriers. In a recent project at a school in West London, teachers came together to transform a Year 8 module on ‘The Americas Before Europe’. Together, they worked to challenge dominant Western narratives presenting Indigenous American communities as homogenous, passive, and situated within the past. Drawing on newly-made connections and interviews with Indigenous American artists and community leaders, teachers centred the perspectives of indigenous voices. Pupils responded by curating a virtual exhibition which celebrated the stories and experiences of Indigenous communities. This was not co-option of community knowledge but a conversation between learner and community members.
The Global Teaching Project, and its focus on Indigenous knowledge and global pedagogies, forms an important part of ongoing learning and self-reflection about issues of power and privilege. More work is sorely needed in this regard, not only in critical reflection of what our pupils learn, but also in consideration of the impact that diversifying a curriculum through content change alone can have in the long term.