Listen, Believe, & Act

Summary: This document is meant to help educators support marginalized students. It includes data that showcases how BIPOC students are excluded throughout education, and it presents a framework called Listen, Believe, and Act in order to better support them. 

Listen: Create a supportive space where students feel safe to share their experiences.

Believe: Validate student’s feelings and lived experiences.

Act: Take appropriate measures to ensure all students feel safe and supported.

Case Study #2: Joaquin can support Abigail using the Listen, Believe, and Act framework. 

Listen: Joaquin can speak to Abigail after class and check in with her. He can offer to speak to her other teachers and alpha vice principal to let them know what is going on. He can ask if she would like him to check in tomorrow.

Believe: Joaquin can validate Abigail’s experiences by listening to her and acknowledging her worries and frustrations. He can continue to remain empathetic, knowing the reason for her lateness is out of her control.

Act: They can make a plan that will support Abigail if she has to come late to class. For example, Joaquin can have the lesson sheets ready for her to pick up when she arrives, and pair her up with somebody in the class to check in, if she misses the lesson. Joaquin could also touch base with Abigail’s other teachers and alpha vice principal to coordinate a supportive plan for Abigail. He could redirect her to some of the school’s support groups such as lunch time extra curricular activities, peer tutoring, or community support groups that visit the school weekly, in order to connect her with more people.