One World Language School staff recently attended a Browne Center Workshop.
The Browne Center’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) training in January 2023 was an important step for our non-profit to move forward. We want to empower our teachers from diverse backgrounds to make sure our classes are inclusive. We will be holding another session in October 2023. In the meantime, feel free to read staff quotes from the workshop.
“Loved, loved, loved this workshop! The experiential learning made the workshop memorable and I found myself processing the concepts for days to come as I remembered the games we played and group challenges we conquered. We learned a lot about each other and grew stronger as a team as we explored topics of identity, diversity, and inclusion. We also tackled more difficult concepts like microaggressions and I would very much appreciate the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of how I can best support my team and help them feel empowered to take on these more difficult challenges that we as a society need to confront. This was team building at its finest. I really hope we get the opportunity to hold another workshop at the Browne Center with their amazing facilitator, Angel, in order to be able to come up with clear strategies to confront stereotyping, prejudice, bias and discrimination.”
“I liked the team work we did which allowed us to get to know each other better. We learned that we have more in common than the differences that set us apart since we all come from different countries. In terms of our students, I learned how important it is to be more tolerant regarding differences and individual challenges that they might be facing and to focus on a more holistic approach to teaching.”
“I loved this opportunity to get to know everyone as well as finding out more about myself. The activity about distractions moved me. It not only opened my eyes to what my own distractions are and how they interfere with my ability to be my best self, but also helped me gain perspective and compassion towards my students and all the distractions and obstacles they bring with them to class. My takeaway was to be more sensitive to different learning styles to make learning accessible to all and adapt my classes to a wider array of abilities. In addition, the workshop made me realize the importance of integrating more physical activities into my Zoom classes”.
“This was an amazing opportunity to get a chance to know each other better and spend quality time together. My biggest take away – we all are working together to make One World as successful as it can be – we may just need to ask each other for help along the way. The workshop allowed me to better understand the needs of the organization and get to know the teachers more in depth. I am proud to be a part of this amazing group of people coming together to make language and cultural learning for children a possibility and broadening horizons in every sense of the word”.
“Today’s team building workshop was an eye opening experience for me. It allowed me to get to know my colleagues better and to gain a fresh perspective of our role as educators which goes beyond merely teaching language and culture. The activities we partook in inspired me to be able to do some perspective taking which I will carry with me for a long time to come. I would love the opportunity to participate in more workshops like this in the future.”
“Todays workshop made me realize that effective, supportive teamwork grows out of a better understanding of and communication with each other. I really enjoyed this workshop and would love the opportunity to partake in outdoor activities which the Browne Center offers in the fall and Spring. Thank you for organizing this event! I truly appreciated it!”
“I have learned a lot about how to communicate with people who have gone through what I have when I moved to this country from abroad. The team building that resulted from our shared experiences was powerful. In addition, I gained insight from this workshop on how I can be a better teacher. I would love to come back for another outdoor workshop in the future!”
“I learned that diversity should be appreciated! I feel like I am in a group of friends who help each other deal with difficult situations. I realized the importance of teamwork when it comes to overcoming obstacles!”
“I really enjoyed being here today! It made me realize that we share a lot of the same issues and that we can overcome them by supporting each other. I feel less alone in my struggle. Thank you so much for this opportunity. Looking forward to learning more from each other in the future as we solve issues together as a group.”
“This team building workshop was amazing! It gave me a chance to really get to know my peers better and allowed me to think about the bigger picture. There were some personal major takeaways that I will incorporate going forward.”
“As a board member, the workshop gave me an opportunity to understand our teachers better. Now I can put a face to a name. I also understand their personalities and their struggles better. Learning about the microaggressions teachers face was very helpful. I also enjoyed the positive aspects of the workshop like the games we played to understand each other better, the commonalities and differences activities and the distraction exercises.”
“This workshop was in line with our mission of exposing our children to a diversity of languages and cultures both locally and globally by endowing them with the tools and confidence to travel internationally and to build better understanding through communication. I am proud of this diverse group of staff that feels more like a group of friends than colleagues. My biggest take away was that I need to be able to build better bridges with administrators in our in-school programs in order to support my teachers more effectively.”
Visit the Browne Center. Go to: https://brownecenter.com/