Listen, Learn, Evolve

I just finished reading White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo .  Our Equity team decided on this book as a summer book club.  It was a great read because it gave me so much to reflect on as an administrator.  So many times as I read I would stop and reflect on my actions of the past in the context of white fragility.  I am looking forward to the conversations with our Equity team and how we can bring our learning to our staff through our next steps.

If you are in education and/or taken a course related to special education there is no doubt you have seen one or more of the images below and had a conversation about equality versus equity.   If you attended a faculty of education, which image(s) were you shown? Are any of these images problematic? Which image is the best image for representing this message?

In my learning and conversations around Anti Black Racism, the term "reverse racism" comes up from time to time.  My understanding of this term has evolved over the years.  I have struggled at times to explain it to others.   Debbie Donsky shared a youtube clip from Aahmer Rahman that I think captures a great explanation well and with humour.

Saw this on  Greater Good Magazine .  

If you are in education and/or taken a course related to special education there is no doubt you have seen one or more of the images below and had a conversation about equality versus equity.   If you attended a faculty of education, which image(s) were you shown? Are any of these images problematic? Which image is the best image for representing this message?

I started a Twitter account years ago and let it go dormant for some time.  About 3 years ago I dusted the account off and started to use it again.  It was during a PD session through our Equity Leads that we were asked to do an audit of who we followed on Twitter.  I didn’t actually follow that many people, but I started to see the power in Twitter to gather and capture information/perspectives.  In my learning I also started to understand whose voices and perspectives I was getting all the time through the people I follow and whose voices and perspectives I was not getting at all. Recognizing that I needed to grow my understanding of Anti Black Racism and the lived experiences of Indigenous people to be a better administrator, I sought out perspectives that were new to me.  Here are a few people I follow now: Emmanuel Acho Jeewan Chinaka Kike Ojo-Thompson Tanya Talaga Jesse Wente Nick Bertrand Debbie Donsky Desmond Cole I enjoy reading their perspectives and spend much time reflectin

So I can't really go anywhere these days without having a conversation that inevitably leads to being asked about what September will look like.  I always answer the same way saying, "We will get a better indication on August 4th, but we will definitely be back!" I'm not complaining about these conversations because I reflect on this frequently too.  I find myself envisioning school in different ways: What will school look like in September? What could school look like in September? What should school look like in September?   I'm optimistic about our return in September.  I'm excited about the changes that will be coming.  I think the education system is often so slow to evolve and that this is an incredible opportunity. The system and those that work and learn in it will come out of this better.  We will be more engaging for students and families.  I have seen incredible growth from staff over the past 4 months as they were forced to move learning online.  T

I'm starting this blog as part of my OPC Principal's Development Course (Module 5).  The process of writing my thoughts for all to see is more than a little unnerving for me.  My preference has always been to let my thoughts roll around in my head for a few days or weeks before sharing them.  However, much like this past year has taught me with job action and school closure, it is important to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.  The skills that we gain as we navigate a consistently changing work environment are crucial for long term success in education as well as many professions.  As a school leader, I know I need to model and further develop the attributes that we need to see in our staff.  Being comfortable with ambiguity and finding strength in self efficacy are important.