Introduction
understand different experiences, we should understand that our ideas may be in first-draft form and not quite perfect.”
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Resist perfection: “There is no single perfect way to engage in these dialogues. And there is not one linear path toward understanding identity. We must acknowledge that this work can sometimes be messy and that messiness is part of the experience.”
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Assert that allowing messiness does not give participants permission to be oppressive: “We need to acknowledge when oppressive behavior and experiences have entered the space. We must name and interrupt the behavior and then identify a pathway to recover from and dismantle that oppressive behavior. While we may not intend to be hurtful or harmful, our actions and words might have caused harm. We should take ownership when those moments result from our actions or words.”
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Discuss the difference between unsafe and uncomfortable: “We say, ‘We want safe spaces for dialogues,’ but too often, that really means, ‘We don’t want to feel uncomfortable.’ Discomfort is part of the growth process in this work. Let’s discuss what this looks like in our group.”
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Commit to a time limit: “This work is ongoing. We might be tempted to go beyond our allotted session time because we feel the need to come to some sort of resolution. But resolution isn’t always possible in identity work, so we’ll prioritize respecting our time commitment. Let’s create a time limit for the conversation. Knowing that we could spend forever on each chapter topic, we should limit group discussion on a chapter to sixty to seventy-five minutes, after we’ve done the individual work within the chapter.”
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Create social opportunities: “This work is serious and heavy, and we can make it more sustainable if we also experience connection, community, and joy. Let’s brainstorm ways to make this work social: Perhaps we can host discussions in different locations. A different person could serve as the facilitator for each meeting. We could have food and drink themes for each event. Let’s make it a priority to bring joy into the space in order to connect our conversations to positive feelings and associations.”
Reading This Book The Identity-Conscious Educator: Building Habits and Skills for a More Inclusive School gives you the tools to start an identity-conscious practice in your personal life and professional life so that you may, in turn, support your students, your coworkers, and your school community in doing the same. The book uses a three-part structure, which mirrors the model I introduce for developing the identity-conscious practice: (1) build
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