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I'm thinking about something... going to share out the beginning thoughts.. this might amount to nothing.. but follow along if you want.
Today I went to a workshop. The facilitator asked us to think about things that were essential before in our classrooms/schools that suddenly weren't in pandemic "teaching" and what might not have been essential that then became essential.
We went to breakout rooms to discuss. Overwhelmingly my room was filled with teachers and educators talking about their physical environment that they had spent a lot of time thinking about and putting up visuals that demonstrated many things
I'm an art teacher, so I get this completely. I'm also a big fan of using the classroom walls as a teacher too. I thought a lot about what I put up in my classroom, in my office currently, and what I carry around with me at school now as a coach.
But again, I'm constantly brought back to my dear friend and mentor @MisterMinor reminding me.. It's not who we proclaim to be, but what we actually do.
So how often have I (we) depended on a poster or a sticker or a tshirt to communicate what I value or believe in while not communicating it outwardly, openly, explicitly? How often have I relied on a poster to say that I care about Black kids?
This is making me think hard about how my behavior, my words, my tangible actions each and every day, moment need to modeling my values. I can't depend any further on these accessories - the accessories are great but not enough
How will I hold true to my values? How will I use my words with teachers and administrators to hold true to my values? How will I say clearly every day that BIPOC and LGBTQ students and educators matter and should be prioritized and listened to?
How will I be held accountable around these areas? Who will ensure that I am not being silent and relying on my accessories? How will I ensure that folx know where I stand clearly?
I've got some deeper thinking to do around this as I move forward with teachers and educators and administrators. Any one have any ideas?
