Catherine DiGioia-Weinfeld - Creating a Culture of Belonging

A culture of belonging includes diversity, the presence of differences in an environment, and inclusion, or making all community members feel included. Belonging is an outcome of those; it is a sense of acceptance, support, and inclusion in community. “When students and staff and families feel like they can bring their authentic selves, 100 percent who they are to that community, that truly turbo charges their contributions and results,” DiGioia-Weinfeld explained.

Schools can measure how the community—including families, students, and staff members—feels about certain topics to identify blind spots. “When we measure an ask, we have a chance to check in if our assumptions are actually a reality for our stakeholders,” DiDioia-Weinfeld said.

DiGioia-Weinfeld also suggests teachers write out student names and see if each one has a strong relationship with a teacher. “One of the biggest places to start is recognizing the difference between a positive relationship and an authentic relationship,” she stated. Positive relationships are beneficial but can be surface level, whereas authentic ones involve cultural backgrounds and more deeply knowing the person. “We tend to skip the relationship piece and just get right down to business. But it’s about modelling the relationships with teachers,” she said.

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