DEI

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Essential goals of education.

There are lots of people who specialize in DEI. I am not one of them. Except for this:

It seems to me that one way to incorporate DEI — and I mean “incorporate” literally, as “bring into your body,” “act upon it” — is to put your mind on each of your students for a little while.

At the very least, to meditate upon them. When I do this, I settle myself, close my eyes, picture my student (or any other person), and

crack an egg over their head.

Then I envelop the student (or other person) in sparkling golden light.

It takes, maybe, 5 seconds.

At the very most, teachers can form a Teacher Support Group (also known as “Personalized Professional Development” or a “Professional Learning Community” or a version of a “Critical Friends Group”). In this support group, teachers can think deeply about individual students.

They can think about what those students are teaching them about themselves, their identities, their developmental needs, their learning, their struggles.

They can think about the relationships those students are having with other students, the teacher, and the content.

They can think about how to use all these data to

attune the relationships

so the student can succeed in class, grow healthily, and

become freely.

It takes an hour and a quarter a week.

Mantra: Let me learn about DEI. Then let me — help me — embody it.