Being a Black male educator working in a public school doesn’t necessarily mean I am qualified or have the expertise to lead a conversation about race and equity. However, it’s something I have been asked to do along with many other Black Male Educators. We often find ourselves taking the lead either by choice, request, or appointment, having received very little (if any at all) training or ongoing support.
To address the “opportunity gap” for Black Male Educators, I designed and launched the BMEsTalk Leader Lab in February of 2021. This virtual workshop series offers Black Male Educators (BMEs) the rare opportunity to hone leadership and facilitation skills within a professional learning community of BMEs. Take a look.
From classroom teachers to assistant principals to superintendents to community leaders, I am bringing Black Male Educators together to developing promising practices of:
- Equity-Centered Facilitation: The art and science of helping bring about the conditions within a group so that one’s identity does not predict how they will engage in professional learning experiences.
- Self Care: Deliberately engaging in activities to take care of one’s health and well-being.
- Mentorship: Periods of time in which one receives inspiration, guidance, or direction given by an experienced and trusted adviser.
- Resources Sharing: Collaborating to maximize access to a larger array of resources by sharing their individual collections (lived experiences, expertise, knowledge, etc.) of the cooperating people or pooling funding to purchase shared resources.
To learn more about the BMEsTalk Leadership Lab, visit our website: https://bmestalk.com/leadership-development.
Written By Ayodele Harrison, Senior Partner, Education
