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Razan Abdin-Adnani, M.Ed

Educational Consultant + Coach
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Building Inclusive School Culture: Webinar (with RB Fast of Bee Line Consulting) Recap + Reflections

Razan Abdin March 6, 2018

Define “Inclusive:”

         Often times, in the field of education, ‘inclusive’ can be used to denote a classroom in which children with disabilities learn alongside their “typically developing” peers in an integrated classroom. So, to clarify, I use the term much more broadly. When I think of an environment as truly “inclusive,” I like to imagine a place where all people can show up as their whole selves, a place in which no one has to hide any part of their multi-layered identities (religion, race, sexual orientation, abilities, class, sex, etc.) in order to thrive, be accepted, supported, advocated for, etc.

         RB proceeded to make a beautiful analogy between this type of school culture and the principles of Universal Design, namely, environments that are inherently accessible to all people and in which all people—regardless of age, size, and ability can operate at their fullest potential. Additions to buildings such as ramps for the sake of accessibility are a good start, but designing a structure/environment in which everyone’s needs are met from its inception is even better!

So, what would an inherently accessible, inclusive school look like?

What does a liberatory environment in which ALL people can work at their highest potential and fulfill their cosmic tasks look like? Perhaps none of us have the perfect answer at this very moment, but I have been trying to consider the following questions in earnest:

(1)          What are the critical building blocks for transformative schools?

(2)          What are the biggest challenges in creating such an environment?

 

Isms in Schools:

 Business As Usual

         We discussed the many layers of discrimination and biases that often permeate school/organizational culture. A few (of countless) examples include:

(1)          Discriminatory HR Policies or notions of professionalism, which might be entrenched in racism, xenophobia, classism, and other ‘isms’ (e.g.-the assertion that black women’s natural hair is ‘unprofessional’).

(2)          Evacuation plans that do include children with disabilities (ableism).

(3)          Deeming cultural practices of students and families that vary from ours “rude” or “deficient.”

Does Silence=Loyalty to the Method?

We began discussing the Montessori world in particular. Of course, these issues are not limited to Montessori schools, but our schools are supposed to be more loving, more peaceful, more accepting.

“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”-James Baldwin


         How dare anyone criticize the Montessori Method/Movement? Well, precisely because we love it (and we want it to be better)! That which is essential to the method will not explode into a billion pieces if we are to acknowledge that Montessori worked in a different place and time and that we need to put on our collective anti-bias lens and start to do some critical re-considerations right now.

         There are many instances (both in my experiences as a student and an educator) that made me feel like schools are often not safe, inclusive spaces for all teachers and students. A few examples of painful/challenges situations in schools: (A) when a boss tried to discourage me from reporting suspected sexual abuse of a child in my care (against the law, by the way, as teachers are most certainly mandated reporters)—in case there was nothing going on—ya know, so we didn’t upset the family and lose their tuition or (B) when I heard fellow teachers making fun of black names in the teacher’s lounges of majority black schools or (C) hearing administrator’s say “these parents just don’t care about their kid’s education!” or “they just have no home training!” The tendency to focus on perceived inadequacies and deficiencies within marginalized groups instead of acknowledging the structural inequities that oppressed groups face is troubling to say the least. (I have so many stories to share. Stay Tuned!)

Teachers, Administrators, we simply must do better. As our schools become increasingly diverse, anti-bias, culturally responsive practices are more essential now than ever. Our staff, students, families, and communities deserve safe, inclusive, equitable schools!

So, what actions can we take now? A few things we discussed, in short:

(1)   The journey begins with us, as adults. We have to engage in some critical self-reflection, get to know our own multi-layered Identities and acknowledge/work to dismantle our own biases (yes, we all have them).

(2)   Create a safe space to discuss the often-uncomfortable topics of racism, xenophobia, sexism, classism, ableism, heterosexism, etc. Invest in staff development training in anti-bias, anti-racist practices.

(3)   Involve parents, caregivers, and families in meaningful ways. Get to know them. Establish trust. Build partnerships. Listen to their needs. Involve them in decisions that affect policy and the daily life of the school.

(4)   Home visits can be a great strategy for getting to know more an individual family culture more deeply. Of course, they must be carefully executed. All staff members should be coached through the process and obviously the families must be willing. They will not be required to participate against their will. We understand that some of them are not yet comfortable.

(5) Hire staff members who reflect the communities and families that your schools serves. Recruit and retain teachers of color (consider offering scholarships for training for people of color!), from all social classes, with varying abilities, etc.

(6)   Read my three part series on Building Inclusive Schools Culture on Bee Line Consulting’s blog in its entirety here: https://beelineconsulting.net/culturally-responsive/

         It if often difficult for educators to share their stories for fear that discussing their respective experiences in schools across the country would alienate them in the community. I made an enormous investment in time, energy, and money for this training in this field that often doesn’t feel like a safe space in which to work, learn, and grow. If our stories remain unheard, if our voices are silenced, we cannot truthfully say that our system does not perpetuate oppression. Since I’m fairly certain us peace-loving Montessori teachers are not yet willing to openly admit that we partake in a system that further oppresses the oppressed, let’s get the dialogue rolling. Let’s make some changes. The time is now.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this discussion! I look forward to learning and growing with you!

*I have consciously chosen not to publish the names of any institution with which I have been professionally affiliated so I can share my stories in an anonymous manner.

 

 

← Transformative Teacher Series Feature: Interview with Lucy Breidenthal Bernardin of Zanmitay CollectiveTransformative Teacher Series Feature: Czarina Francisco Jimenez →

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2018 was one of my most difficult years yet. Nevertheless, I’ve been really proud of the way I’ve learned (if only just a tiny bit) to surrender to the exhaustion, to the uncertainty, and just care for myself as I need to be cared for. No shame, just nurturing. .
In the midst of this, I’d almost forgotten how much I’ve been able to accomplish this year—despite all the upheaval. Here is a list of some significant happenings of 2018 (in no particular order):
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🗽 We moved to New York City, the city of our dreams (and, at times, nightmares 🙃). How have we gotten so lucky? This place somehow manages to simultaneously empower and humble me. Every. Single. Day.
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🌻 This Spring, I officially started a business in New York. That’s right, Razan Abdin-Adnani Consulting and Coaching, LLC is a woman of the global majority owned business which offers all services on a sliding scale basis in order to ensure accessibility. I’m so excited to see what’s in store for me in 2019 as an entrepreneur. .
👩🏻‍🏫 Had an opportunity to present at my first national conference (Montessori for Social Justice!) in St. Paul. MN and the entire event was utterly transformative.🌟 Read more about this experience on the blog, if you feel so inclined. .
👰🏻 Amine and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. Getting married remains the bravest and scariest thing I’ve done to date. We’re very much still figuring this out, together.
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🇨🇦 I was invited to speak at my first international conference in Toronto! The Canadian Association of Montessori Teachers annual conference was just beautiful and thoughtfully planned. I have a blog post up about this too! 😊
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✅ Very recently, my business was approved by the New York City Department of Education as a vendor. I look forward to partnering with NYC schools in the new year! .
📒A few moments ago (just in time!), I received this awesome new 2019 planner! I cannot wait to thoughtfully set my goals for this new year and put them in writing, but it was important that I reflected on this past year first...
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May the New Year be full of love, comfort, joy, rich experiences, growth, connection, abundance, and all things good. ❤️
I’ve been thinking about the word “JUSTICE” a lot lately and I’m not sure I’ve found a definition that speaks to me more. 🗣
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What’s your favorite definition of what justice looks like? 🌟
new headshots by @lelephantvert 📸
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During my recent trip back home, my long time friend took some photographs of me that make me feel beautiful. 🌟
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Womxn with bigger bodies deserve to feel good about themselves too! Thanks, friend! ❤️
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#photography #headshots #woc #bodypositive #selflove #curves #curlyhair #arabamerican #identity #pcos #entrepreneur #montessori #culture #teachersofinstagram #equity #naturallight
Are you a current/prospective school leader or educator who is committed to SOCIAL JUSTICE and EQUITY? .
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If so, this is for you! .
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On October 7th, I’ll be hosting an interactive* webinar with educators across the country. BUILDING LIBERATORY SCHOOLS: CREATING SAFE AND INCLUSIVE SPACES FOR ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF ALIKE.
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Join us as we engage in dialogue, critical self-reflection, and collective brainstorming. (*interactive=I’ll be hosting this one in meeting format so we can work together in real time!)
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Are you ready to… * Deepen your ability to recognize the ways in which oppressive and discriminatory practices present themselves in our schools—from HR policies to curriculum?
* Actively brainstorm ways to ensure that our policies and practices are inclusive and that our curriculum is culturally conscious, accurate, and representative of our increasingly diverse schools?
* EMPOWER STUDENTS AND FAMILIES?

Because EVERY child and family deserves to come to school and feel free enough to be their whole, full selves. .
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Get your tickets today on a sliding scale basis. Link in bio.
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If you’d like to attend this webinar, but cannot afford it at this time—please reach out to me and we’ll be sure you get a ticket!
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Razan Abdin-Adnani Consulting and Coaching, LLC is a woman (of the Global Majority) owned business in NYC. We offer sliding scale fees for all our services in order to ensure accessibility. .
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#equity #liberation #diversity #inclusion #teachersofinstagram #schoolleadership #schools #montessori #culturallyresponsiveteaching #culturalconsciousness #earlychildhoodeducation #antibias #antiracist #webinar #access
...and another one! ❤️✊🏼🌻
Today is Bi Visibility Day: a day to celebrate bisexuality and dismiss biphobia. Bisexuality is often seen as an invalid sexual orientation. Bisexuals who date people of their gender are seen as ‘going through a phase’ or ‘experimenting’; and when they date someone of a different gender they are seen as ‘straight’ again. To that we say: bisexuality doesn’t change with your relaitonship status. You’re bisexual no matter what gender your partner is - or if you’re single. And that’s something to celebrate! 🌈💖💜💙🌈 repost: @theequalityinstitute⠀
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[Image description: Handwritten text on a background of the bisexual flag which reads: "Bisexuality doesn't change with your relationship status". There are ticked boxes which read: "with a woman"; "with a non-binary partner"; "with a man"; "poly"; and "single".]⠀
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#feminism #genderequality #theequalityinstitute #theEQI #equality #feminist #bisexuality #bisexual #bivisibilityday #illustration #facts #infographic
On this beautiful day, I attended an Anti-Racism training led by @rachel.cargle. .
It left me with a lot to think about. I’ll be writing a reflection on the blog soon as I continue to process the emotions and dialogue from today. ✍🏼
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Happy Autumn Equinox, friends. 🍂 May we all constantly be growing into our anti-bias, anti-racist, anti-oppressive practices. Our students deserve it. Our communities deserve it. It’s our work to do together. ✊🏼
repost // @xicanisma_
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Bisexual Visibility Week started yesterday (through the 26th) with Bisexuality Day on the 23rd._ 
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I talk a lot about how I’ve struggled a lot since I was young with internalized biphobia caused by a religious upbringing and negative perceptions of bisexuality. I finally started undoing all of these things, and although it’s an ongoing process, its been liberating. Bisexuality erasure is real, along with many other things we’re subjected to. I want to dedicated these upcoming days to highlight bi stories, statistics, and bi folks. Feel free to send me a photo of yourself, or anything you’d like to share about being bi, and I’ll definitely post some of them.
This quote, from @corneliusminor ‘s powerful closing speech at last week’s Social Justice Saturday at Teachers College, resonated with me. The plight of the social justice educator! ✊🏼
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Retaliation is alive and well in schools and so often, we are afraid to speak up for this very reason...
I’ve been so good about not buying more books than I can read at a given time, but I finally caved and splurged on these three books to add to my personal library. 📚
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Happy Friday to me! 💕
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What education books are you currently reading?
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#teachersofinstagram #culturallyresponsiveteaching #bookstagram #educator #happyfriday #equity #montessori #teachersfollowteachers #consulting #educolor
Did you know? According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC), as of 2016, only 22% of children’s books featured people of color as protagonists. Many of our favorite books and films from childhood are chock-full of problematic, offensive content (think The Travels of Babar, Little House on the Prairie, anything written by Dr. Seuss, Aladdin, Pocahontas, [unfortunately, the list goes on and on…]). As a result, we must be ever so conscious about the literature and media we consume, especially when our children are present. Be prepared to directly address stereotypic content with your children when you encounter it. .  With regard to the arts, the music and art curricula to which we expose our children almost exclusively centers on artists and composers who are white/of European descent. Accordingly, be intentional about exposing your children (regardless of their racial backgrounds) to the intellectual and cultural achievements of people of color, as well as their resistance struggles. Research Black, Brown, and Indigenous inventors, scientists, writers, artists, musicians, thinkers, and activists/organizers (beyond Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks) and share those discoveries with your children. 🎨🎻🎸🎭🎹
.  Otherwise, children might get ideas about which cultures are “sophisticated,” while others are merely watered down to hurtful, often harmful stereotypes. Children notice that white people have positions of power, while people of color often do not. What message does this send to children? Perhaps they will start to interpret this to mean that the privileged, dominant groups in society became that way because they are somehow inherently superior to marginalized members of society.
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#teachersofinstagram #teacherbloggers #equity #diversity #inclusion #blacklivesmatter #blacklivesmatterinschools #poc #decolonize #education #representationmatters #arts #multicultural #parenting #radical #intersectionality #antiracism #antibias
Are you a school or organizational leader who is committed to creating a culture of inclusivity, equity, and diversity, but need a little help walking the walk? 🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️
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Don’t worry, you’re definitely not alone. Check out my most recent blog post for 7 guiding questions that we should be asking ourselves as we’re on our journeys of cultivating more equitable schools and institutions. 👩🏻‍💻❓
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Link in bio!🌻
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#diversity #equity #inclusion #school #nonprofit #nonprofitorganization #ngo #leadership #development #community #communityschool #teacherblogger #justice
Hello there friends,
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How are y’all? Thank you for your patience with my silence as I’ve been undergoing some major (and welcome!) transitions, both personally and professionally.
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As usual, I’m in the trenches of learning, unlearning, and healing. Healing is messy, heavy, and nonlinear (must. remind. myself. of. that.) I’m POURING myself into this content creation + business ownership thing full force! There is so much growth happening here. (Hence, the photo from one of my early childhood environments from a few years ago) 🌱
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So, during this time of change and newness, I’d like to share what you can expect from this (new and improved) space: —Consistent, weekly blog posts over at razanabdin.com/blog. As much as possible, I hope to create corresponding video content and some lesson plans to incorporate into your classrooms and homes as well. 👩🏻‍💻 —Monthly features spotlighting women and/or gender non-conforming people doing incredible work all over the world in the fields of education, activism, mental health/healing, etc. 💫 —A weekly newsletter. You can sign up on my website! 📝
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I am excited beyond measure about the possibilities that lay before me. NYC offers SO many FREE courses and trainings for women entrepreneurs and I am about to start taking advantage of it ALL! Other things I’m looking forward to in September:
🎼 @mashrouleila live in Brooklyn next week
👩🏻‍🏫Several free trainings for women entrepreneurs AND educators in NYC (from Creating a Business Plan to Cultivating Gender Inclusive Schools)
✊🏼Anti racism training with @rachel.cargle ✈️ A (long overdue) trip back home to Arkansas. 🏕 Camping in Eureka Springs. A break from the big city. Home.
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Thank you so much for being here and learning alongside me. 🙏🏼 🌈Tag a friend who you think might enjoy this page as it shifts and grows.🌿 xx Razan
We often talk about “peace” and “peace education,” with no clear consensus on what the term “peace” even means. .
When we say “peace,” do we mean “negative peace” (merely the absence of war) or “positive peace” (the presence of equity and justice)? What does peace education really look like in practice? 🌿
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In an inherently loving and liberatory educational environment, would we even need explicit instruction in the realm of “peace education?” As in, if we’re *honestly* in the business of fostering independent critical thought, building community, honoring the holistic needs of the child (not only academic, but also social, emotional, spiritual, physical, etc.), valuing collaboration over competition, implementing restorative practices, preparing children to participate in the democratic process—aren’t we already doing the sacred, foundational work that, by its very nature, leads to more peaceful societies?
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What does peace mean to you? How do you try to make your classroom a place where peace blossoms? ☮️🌺
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I’d love to hear about it in the comments below! ⬇️❤️
Hi friends! 👋🏼
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I’ve been incredibly busy these days. I’m so happy (and relieved) that my paperwork has now been completed in its entirety and I’m officially a business owner in the state of New York! ⭐️💃🏻
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My first webinar is TOMORROW! The topic is discipline and it will be relevant to educators, parents, and caregivers. 🌻
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Get your tickets today at a sliding scale fee! Link in bio. This session will be RECORDED for those of you who are not able to attend the live. Thank you! 🙏🏼💜
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#restorative #discipline #disciplineequalsfreedom #teachersofinstagram #equity #education #liberation #earlychildhoodeducation #elementaryschool #middleschool 
#rewards #punishment
Friday night work session. 👩🏻‍💻🌻
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Did you get a chance to read my most recent blog post regarding Transforming Our Ideas about Discipline? If not, check it out! Link in bio. 🌈🙏🏼
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Also, a reminder that my first official business endeavor is coming up THIS Sunday! I’ll be hosting a webinar for educators, parents, and caregivers on the topic of Freedom & Discipline. Get your tickets today at a sliding scale fee! Link in bio!🌿
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#discipline #teachersofinstagram #montessori #equity #parenting #nannylife #caregiver #earlychildhoodeducation #elementaryteacher #middleschool #educator #consultant #teacherblogger #homeschool

"After attending my first workshop with Razan, I started researching her next presentation location, following her online, and thinking deeply about inclusivity. Razan's presentation style is powerful because she asks her participants to bring their experiences into the light and discuss them. 

She asks questions that encourage participants to look with a critically conscious lens. The presentation was more than informative, it was transformative. If you have an opportunity to participate in a workshop led by Razan, do it and bring others with you. It is something that you will want to keep discussing, and it will make you an agent of change for the good. Her message is powerful, but accepting. The impact of this workshop empowered me to change some things in my own school immediately and for the better. Cannot recommend enough." 

-Kimberly Love Duncan

Educator, Consultant, and Mentor

@letsmontessori

“Razan is an excellent, dynamic presenter”

-CAMT Workshop Participant (Toronto, CA)

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