I’d like to, if I may, post a few sentiments from my Changemaker Pledge email as they capture what I really want to say about the symposium and how it changed me.
Inner transformation (Who have I become now? What’s next?) I am almost at a loss to describe the ways in which this experience has transformed me because they are so very multitudinous. What I mostly feel is that I am seeing our shared experiences through new eyes. Whereas I previously viewed us as distinct systems with largely distinct challenges, I see us now as sharing so many of the same issues and concerns. There is a thread of connectivity between us that I did not perceive before. I perceive it now, friends and changemakers. And whenever I tug on it, I hope you’ll be there on the other end rooting for me in the same way that I’ll be rooting for you. Relational transformation (What have you learned from this experience about working with others?) I learned so much working with all of you. Mostly I learned to sharpen my ear and listen—for you have more things to teach me than I could ever perceive on my own. Working with you also reminded me of the importance of sharing ideas even if they are not yet fully formed. Even when we do not move forward with initial ideas and solutions, they give us a springboard from which to work in the future. Thank you for showing me this. Systemic transformation (How will this experience influence your leadership?) My own leadership is constantly in flux and situational; this experience has reminded me why that is so important and why I must reassess needs and contexts all the time as a leader. Nowhere was this more evident for me than it was working with French-speaking immigrant students in South Africa. My own research area is in linguistic imperialism and I often cognitively categorize French as a privileged colonial language. In South Africa, I was reminded that the privilege we ascribe to some languages shifts based on their location. This was an important leadership lesson for me because it reminded me that nothing is static, even commonly held narratives. The truth is that had you asked me prior to the symposium if I would have found it as transformational as I portrayed above, I wouldn’t have believed it possible. But, looking back, I realize how profound it was to sit with a group of (mostly) strangers and connect themes between our two countries in such an organic and honest way. The fact that we found as many commonalities as we did between the United States and South Africa was striking. In fact, few of the barriers we discussed were isolated to one country. And almost all of them were present in our course content, most notably the issues of language barriers addressed by Dr. Makalela in his presentation and in readings from Inclusive Education in African Contexts. It's interesting to think how I originally isolated the issues discussed in Inclusive Education in African Contexts to Africa whereas so very many of them, with slight contextual and policy shifts, are just as evident here. I knew that theoretically, of course, but sometimes it takes seeing it to really click. I was also struck by the fact that we were able to build empathy as quickly and authentically as we did. Our group felt vivid and dynamic. It felt real. Moreover, we not only identified but solved problems with respect. We listened. We evolved in our stances. We offered measured criticism and heaps of praise. No one dominated conversation. What this all suggests to me is that we, as learners, were receptive to learning. I could not have been more proud. Phasha, N., Mahlo, D., & Dei, G. J. S. (Eds.). (2017). Inclusive Education in African Contexts: A Critical Reader. Springer.
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AuthorI'm Kelly. I teach English as a Second Language, business English, and writing. I eat poems for dinner. Archives
January 2019
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