Aside from the fact that I desire to teach to all my students’ individual needs, there is the reality is that I need to become aware of those needs and seek tools that help me see past my own experiences (subjectivity) to actively & authentically listen to theirs (objectivity). In modern teacher training, there’s a dogmatic approach to diversity in the classroom and yet it still an ongoing process of learning and becoming aware, sensitive, and understanding, before integration of methodology. Hey, I keep saying I’m a life-long learner and this is a perfect place to practice that statement. Teaching philosophies almost always express a desire to create an inclusive space where students feel safe to learn and express themselves… ok, sorry, I’m rambling the point into vagueness. Let’s just say that this course reinforces another concept of privilege… become aware of our privilege and then be mindful of when, why, and we might impose it. I’m not saying that we MUST NOT ever do anything… what I’m saying is that we MUST embrace a continual learning mindset and we MUST embrace a co-learner mindset: OUR STUDENTS ARE OUR BEST TEACHERS!
Over the last few explosive learning experience-filled years, I’ve learned that all I can do is accept my ignorance is temporary. I choose to learn all I can to understand my students and hopefully, with their patience and guidance offer better teaching experiences for them. Build welcoming learning environments (and/or situations) and the learners will learn… including us teachers.
While this course was doubly aimed at managers and online teachers, I feel the mindfulness concepts and reinforcement of certain statistics are easily pertinent to the classroom and relationship building with colleagues and our students’ parents.
Course Description: Diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DIBs) isn’t just a buzzword. DIBs programs can have real impact on employees’ productivity and welfare. Think about the best group you ever belonged to—where you felt like everyone cared about you, understood you, and valued you as a part of the group. That is the kind of environment that promotes sharing, innovation, and growth. This courses shows HR leaders how to develop a DIBs strategy that builds diverse, inclusive environments where everyone feels like they belong. Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson explains how to create a strategy for your organization and start integrating DIBs into core HR activities, such as recruitment, training, performance evaluations, and promotions. Plus, learn how to get buy-in and evaluate the ongoing success of your program.
The New Renaissance Mindset 