“She looks like my mommy. She wears a hijab.” That’s what this sweet kindergarten student said aloud while I was getting my technology ready for the OELPA assessments. This child has never been in my office. This was the first time I met her and because I’m helping with testing, our first encounter was going to be about a test.
But when I designed my coaching office space, I still designed with children in mind. I know that teachers are the ones that will be in my office the most. And yet, I design it like I would design my classrooms. My design principles are based on these two questions:
“What am I centering in this space? Who am I centering?”
These two questions have served me so well because they ground me in beliefs. Alignment with my values and my beliefs about children and adult learners is important and on-going work. So when this child, sees a picture that reminds her of her mom, she felt happy. Her eyes, behind that mask, could tell me she was excited to see this poster (art from amplifier.org). Then she proceeded to tell me about her mom, about Morocco and about speaking Arabic. I know that at that moment, oxytocin was released. The power of that happy chemical in the brain should never be overlooked. She felt seen. She felt heard. We continued with the task at hand but at that point she was relax in an unfamiliar environment.
Art and books. They are such powerful mirrors for our BIPOC children and the endless benefits of those moments are ever lasting.
Thanks for that reminder sweet child.
