What does inclusion mean to you?
For me, it is a fundamental human right…NOT just a rite-of-passage. It is when we experience a true sense of belonging.
In this PreK Teach and Play podcast episode, I talk with Ijumaa Jordan and Isela Garcia about what inclusion means and we share our top inclusion tips for early educators.
This conversation was originally recorded for the 2020 Summer Leadership Institute sponsored by Inclusive Schooling and hosted by Dr. Julie Causton and me. The recordings from over 30 hours of expert conversations about inclusion from Pre-K to post secondary is available NOW on-demand!
During my conversation with Ijumaa and Isela, we explored:
- How to shift our mindsets (regardless of where instruction takes place) to see our work as being with children vs. doing to children
- Barriers to inclusion and how leaders can work to remove them
- Tips about what makes inclusion a true possibility
Listen Now
Click here to download the transcript for this episode.
SHOW NOTES
What’s at your Core?: Mindset before methods is more than a mantra; mindset impacts our thoughts, feelings, actions, and decisions and it is important to understand the role mindset plays in our day-to-day decision-making. This short blog includes an opt-in for an activity to help you and others identify your core values.
We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Speaking and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom: This book by Bettina Love draws on “personal stories, research, and historical events, and offers a vision of educational justice inspired by the rebellious spirit and methods of abolitionists”.
The Power of Our Beliefs: A short excerpt from Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak’s Early Childhood Investigations Webinar on Inclusion that talks about why we have to first be clear on the power of our core values.
Pop-up Webinar- A Critical Conversation with Ijumaa Jordan: This recording focuses on how to build awareness around how racism is manifesting during the pandemic, explores tips on how to address it, and invites us to take at least one anti-racism action.
Ijumaa Jordan is a fat, Black, cis-gendered woman (she, her, her’s) daily engaging in the beautiful struggle of life, doing the internal and external work to abolish systems of oppression such as racism, sexism, transphobia, and classism, etc. Ijumaa shows up for this work with intensity and passion, being joyful, thinking critically, and holding a learning space with care and grace. She loves afternoon naps and snacks, you can usually find her online looking serious and laughing loudly.
Dr. Isela Garcia’s passion lies in reflecting upon who we truly are—in the quiet of our own silence and in the presence of others. As we learn to become more consciously aware, we become better able to identify our own values, beliefs, and biases. This is where the real work begins. It’s where we can get honest about how these values, beliefs, and biases show up in our lives particularly in our work with children…and with one another.