Inclusion - A Pre-K Approach

 

Lainey
photo by Courtney Brown Caveny
courtneycavenyphoto.com

My son John was recently teasing his 4-year-old  daughter, Lainey.  I’m sure it was all in good fun, but John pushed her a bit too far. Lainey vigorously chopped her right hand into the open palm of her left hand. John continued to pester her, so she chopped again with more intensity.

“What are you doing,” he asked.

“I’m telling you to stop,” she replied.

“By chopping your hand?”

“Yes, Daddy. It’s sign language.”

“Where did you learn sign language?”

“At school,” Lainey responded.

This was news to John.

Lainey is in a Pre-K program in a rural, mountain school  made up of predominately white students. The school is in a tight knit community of families who have lived in that area for generations. It would be tempting to characterize it as a homogeneous community where people that are different may not be welcome. Tempting, but wrong.

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Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are hot topics around the country. Virtually all organizations are struggling with how to implement DEI strategies into their programs. For many, this stems from an increased sense of social awareness and the recognition of the changing societal norms. For others it is a sound business practice to have a workforce, board of directors or customer base that reflects the shifting demographics of our country, state and community.

But what does it mean to develop and implement DEI strategies? And even if we are committed, where do we begin? Maybe my granddaughter’s elementary school can shed light on this challenging topic.

One of Lainey’s classmates has a hearing impairment. An embarrassingly short time ago, this student would have been placed in a special needs class or sent to a school hearing impaired. Nowadays, these students are more likely to be placed in a mainstream classroom with other students their age. This creates a more diverse learning environment for all students. Of course, there are challenges that come with diversity.

How does a teacher communicate with a student who can’t hear or speak and hasn’t yet learned to read or write? In this case, an adult attendant, who is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), accompanies this student in the classroom. This attendant ensures proper communication between the student and teacher, and the student with other students. All students get the same message from their teacher and all have the same ability to interact in the classroom. This creates a fair and equitable learning environment for everyone.

The diversity and equity elements have been addressed by those in positions of authority. Policies or laws have been established and implemented to provide students with equal access to the classroom and once in the classroom, an equitable experience. But none of those practices necessarily creates an inclusive, welcoming environment for all students. To address inclusion, Lainey’s teacher decided to have a short sign language lesson each day. With the assistance of the attendant, their goal is to teach the students one new word in ASL each day. Not only is Lainey using this new skill in the classroom, she is also taking it home and sharing it with her family. Most important, it allows the students to engage with each other, and for all to feel included in the classroom and on the playground.

What is the lesson for us as adults?  Each of us carries (or drags) a suitcase through life filled with experiences that lead us to congregate with folks who look and sound like us, and who live similar lives. We tend to feel uncomfortable with people who are different which can lead to unintentional, and far too often intentional, acts of exclusion. And for those who are willing to take more inclusive steps, the fear of getting it wrong can lead to paralyzing inaction.

Organizationally, inclusion can’t be mandated by policy or enacted by law. Inclusion requires stakeholder involvement in identifying solutions. It requires new learning by those in the dominate culture and an increased awareness of the needs of those who may be marginalized in society. Including others doesn’t mean we have to compromise who we are or our culture – it means broadening the definition of how we define our community.  

Maybe we should approach this delicate topic like a classroom of 4-year-olds. Learn a new skill every day; have the courage and commitment to apply that skill; and show ourselves grace when we don’t get it right, but not let that stop (right hand chop into the left) us from trying again.