Bringing people together: Diversity & stories
With today being a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., #VUHRD is thinking about diversity and inclusion, which resonates with people across all age groups and career paths. Working in education at various levels, I have seen both the successes and the struggles when diversity and inclusion are a focus. Bringing people from diverse backgrounds together is often not a smooth process, and often requires a shift in behavior and mindset from all those involved, as we learned from Todd Corley in his speech at #VUHRD’s 2016 Annual Networking Reception.
With greater levels of diversity, “you have to think about what your behavior looks like, because you have to do things differently.” – Todd Corley
As a high school teacher, I have worked in two very different school settings: one in a more urban location and housing a diverse population of students, and another school with little diversity – roughly 6% of students – in a more rural area. The challenge to connect students to each other was greater in my less diverse school. In that setting, it was often more of a challenge to develop a sense of community among all students in the room. Students often seemed to feel disconnected from one another; they felt they were unable to relate or connect.
Because I taught English, sometimes one way to help students bridge perceived gaps between each other were the texts we read. Stories, both fictional and nonfictional, show us that people relate to each other in fundamental, human ways – no matter where we are from, what our backgrounds are, or what experiences we have had. Students could read one text and in discussing it with other students in the room, they could find something that resonated with both of them, or something that confused or excited both of them. There are shared, common experiences that make us human and that transcend our differences.
As Todd Corley expressed, we do have to think and operate differently when we are considering more diversity in our schools and in our workplaces. We need to consider how we will fit together with those who have had different experiences from us; how can we make them feel connected to our classroom, or our team, or our business? What new insight do they bring to the table?
_________________________
Shea Mazar is an Administrative Assistant in the #VUHRD office at Villanova University, and a graduate student in Villanova's MA in Education program. Connect with her on LinkedIn here!
