Posts by Dr. Debbie McKelvey Brown
The Building Blocks of Brave Spaces Part I: Group Norms
How would you rate your comfort level with having difficult conversations? For school leaders, navigating challenging dialogues and discussions are part of your everyday work. Whether within the context of educational practices, performance reviews, student achievement or something else, it is simply part of the job. However, when it comes to conversations about diversity and…
Read MoreCreating Inclusive School Cultures Part III: Reframing Mindsets in Real Time
Welcome to part three of our inclusion series. In my previous post, I shared a few questions to help you get outside of your comfort zone and reflect on: Your perceptions of those who think and behave differently The impact of self-awareness on perspective-taking Opportunities to flex to communicate more effectively I hope you had…
Read MoreCreating Inclusive School Cultures Part II: Leaving Your Comfort Zone
Welcome back to our inclusion series! I hope you had an opportunity to engage in our critical self-reflection activity. If you haven’t, I encourage you to do so before reading on, as those initial insights are essential to our next steps. Through the previous exercise, you made connections to your Emergenetics® Thinking and Behavioral preferences…
Read MoreCreating Inclusive Cultures Part 1: Use Emergenetics to Enhance Self-Reflection
How is your school progressing with its diversity and inclusion efforts? As our classrooms continue to grow more diverse and vibrant, many educators are committing to building an environment that welcomes, honors and celebrates the brilliances that come from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Whether you are making early strides or have well-established programs, critical…
Read MoreRecognize the Bright Spots from Your School Year
With the end of the school year beaming like a light at the end of the tunnel, many school administrators are likely gravitating toward a third-third Assertive pace to get the year over with, so their teams can take a much-deserved rest. Before you send your staff off to their summer break, I invite you…
Read MoreAmplify Learner Engagement Using the Emergenetics® Attributes
I have a quiz question for my fellow educators: Are your unit plans primarily designed to engage: A) Your students? B) Your curriculum guidelines? C) Yourself? At the heart, educators always prioritize answer A: your students. In practice, however, it may turn out that your plans more closely reflect your own learning preferences or the…
Read MoreBuild Trust with Your Educators by Starting with Self Reflection
With only a few weeks left in 2020, educators are likely feeling stretched thin. I remember experiencing this energy dip each year when I was a principal as I helped my staff navigate the hectic time before winter break. This year, that weight may feel heavier. Along with learning new processes and platforms, staff have…
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