On Wednesday’s Early Release Day, the entire PreK-12 faculty and IAs engaged in professional learning focused on Diversity Equity Inclusion & Justice (DEIJ). As outlined on the ISB website and articulated in all ISB job descriptions, ISB is committed to this important work (see ISB DEIJ Statement).
During our session on Wednesday, our elementary school DEIJ leaders facilitated discussions focused on ensuring that all students have a strong sense of belonging at ISB. We learned that historically marginalized identities are more likely to experience behaviors such as microaggressions, stereotyping, or even bullying, from others due to identity-based biases. Our leaders invited us all to consider ways in which we can address this in our classrooms and in our ongoing discussions with students. Because identity-based bias behaviors target who the student is—a core part of their identity—it can be especially harmful. They taught us that this can cause targeted individuals to question their identities and internalize negative attitudes about themselves, leading to low self-esteem. In discussing this with young people, they reminded us that it’s important to make the point that these behaviors happen because of the bias that is held – not because of the target’s identity. One should never blame the target. A person is not stereotyped because they are disabled, a person of color, speak with an accent, etc. That person is targeted because of the bias against that identity group.
The session focused specifically on allyship and how we can be allies to students with marginalized identities. The session included a lot of active participation and discussion from the session participants; we were able to learn helpful strategies and ideas from each other that will allow us each to be strong allies for ALL of our ISB students.
Wednesday’s session reminded me of this TEDtalk by one of our former ISB students…if you haven’t had a chance to see Amani Kaiya’s “The Impact of Diversity from a Peculiar Perspective”, check it out!
Your partner in education,
Michael Allen
michaela@isb.ac.th
