Nurturing Belonging

The Idaho State University College of Education Hosts the 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education Conference

Feminist Pedagogy – instructional practices that are based on concepts from Feminist Theory – focuses on eliminating biases and promoting diversity through learning and understanding diverse experiences. Sinha states that this pedagogical approach focuses on individuals’ experiences rather than their attributes and identities, building a learning environment in which every idea and opinion is valued equally.

Other talks at the conference included the benefits of increasing rural high school students’ exposure to diversity, how and why we might measure cultural competency, and methods for supporting multilingual students in general education classrooms.

There were close to 100 students, staff members, faculty members, and educators who attended this year’s conference. ISU College of Education and the DEI conference organizers and presenters hope to continue to help educators learn new methods of creating a diverse and inclusive learning environment in the coming years.

“The faculty, staff, and students in the College of Education are committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment. We are dedicated to preparing future teachers and school leaders who will promote equity and justice in their classrooms, schools, and greater community. This conference is an opportunity for all of us to explore critical issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion, to learn from one another, and to renew our commitment to being positive change agents in our community,” said College of Education Dean Jean McGivney-Burelle.

To learn more about the annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education Conference, visit isu.edu/education

by Laurel

It is the responsibility of educators not only to teach future generations but also to guide them safely into the vast and diverse world. But where do you start? What are the best practices? How do you expand your worldview enough to expand theirs? These are the challenges the Idaho State University College of Education aims to address in the annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education conference (DEI).

The 2022 DEI conference took place in late October 2022 and featured nine diverse presenters and keynote speaker Dr. Sheldon L. Eakins. The theme of this year’s conference was “Nurturing Belonging Among Diverse People and Spaces,” and Eakins led the conference with a talk on building culturally responsive teaching practices. Eakins is the founder of the Leading Equity Center, host of the Leading Equity Podcast, and author of the book Leading Equity: Becoming an Advocate for all Students

His time in education has taken him to different and unfamiliar settings and introduced him to diverse groups of students. From those experiences, Eakins has learned the value of diversity and the power of apologies.

To Eakins, culturally responsive practices are rooted in an educator’s ability to admit, apologize for, and learn from their mistakes. Educators who value diversity should seek out situations that will expand their cultural awareness, and in unfamiliar settings and scenarios, it is easy to stumble into accidental insensitivity. Eakins asserts that the important thing is not to avoid making mistakes but instead to act with confidence and address the mistakes you do make.

Other speakers included Suparna Sinha, a PhD student at ISU and a graduate student instructor for the ISU Department of English and Philosophy. Sinha discussed Feminist Pedagogy as a framework for creating diverse and culturally responsive classrooms.