Inclusive Environments

In recent years, many of us have spent increased time and focus working to provide inclusive environments for all students.  Many staff have attended professional development or have created their own learning opportunities in their schools to support this important work.  Many teaching teams have attended the summer Inclusion Summit, which has been offered the last several years. The three day Inclusion Summit is very applicable for any teacher or leader, at any level, and is very well done.  When you see this advertised through email, please consider registering and attending.  You will not be sorry; it’s just that good.

Just as we open our hearts and our minds to our students, let’s remember to also open ourselves up to the adults who work alongside us every day.  Are we working just as hard to create inclusive environments for adults?  The community we build will serve as the foundation for the collaboration that is absolutely necessary to moving students forward.  This community-building requires listening to each other, understanding each other, appreciating each other, and building bridges.  Not just with the staff who each of us identifies with, and not just with the ones who are easy.   What if we all reach out to someone today...someone that we typically avoid, or even ignore a little bit?  What if we take one action today to include a student and an adult who has been marginalized or excluded?  Each of our efforts, multiplied, are the steps toward truly inclusive environments.