List two things you have learned from the course.
“Safety is not the same as being comfortable while learning” (Radd et al., 2021, p. 167). We have all been in uncomfortable situations that make for challenging conversations and lessons. This course has taught me strategies about how to navigate these situations as an equity leader. While I can look back on an event and reflect on the way I responded, it can be difficult to do this in real time. It is important to remain calm but acknowledge the situation, without upsetting things further.
I have experienced other colleagues or students challenge my position because they put their personal biases on me. They see a young teacher in the beginning years of their career and think they can challenge my authority. I feel like I have to speak more profoundly, dress more formally, and try to act older than I am to be taken seriously sometimes. It does not happen as frequently as it used to because I am familiar with my school now and have developed positive connections with the people there. But there are still some days when somebody undermines my good intentions. All I want is to inspire my students and do some good in this world. Through this course, I have learned that there will be some people opposed to our equity work. “Remember to not take it personally” (Radd et al., 2021, p. 201). I am learning to take things as they come and work diligently towards building equity-focused spaces with the people that have the same goal in mind.
The most important step is to work to correct any harm that may have been done and understand that everyone is human and makes mistakes. It is about learning from those mistakes and turning them into learning experiences.
References
Radd, S. I., Generett, G. G., Gooden, M. A., & Theoharis, G. (2021). Five practices for equity-focused school leadership. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, February 2020
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