How might we create sustainable systems that empower students and staff to actively build and maintain an inclusive school culture?
My how might we question is still a work in progress. But at the moment, I feel it speaks to a few of the concerns and challenges that I am starting to tackle!
The chatbot was SUPER helpful in that, well first of all, it was a timesaver. This school year especially has felt as though time has just been slipping outside of my grasp. But more importantly it helped me to land on the term “sustainable”. I have been feeling like the work I have stepped into this year has been unsustainable. In searching for ways to create lasting, meaningful impact without burning out, I realized that sustainability isn’t just about preserving resources—it’s about preserving people. It’s about structures that don’t just demand more, but actually support those who uphold them.
This reflection has made me wonder: How do we build systems in education that don’t just function but actually nurture? How do we create a school culture where both students and staff feel empowered to sustain the work, rather than merely survive it? Connecting this idea of sustainability to my passion for inclusivity just set off a light bulb for me. How am I ensuring that the change I am advocating for is long-lasting, even beyond my presence at the school? Since the 2nd face to face meeting, I have connected with some wonderful friends, mentors, and colleagues to help fill up my cup before taking on this difficult work:
I have a few projects on the go, and am looking forward to creating a more intentional Action Plan.
- I just led a book club this week (29th) on decolonizing leadership through Helen Knott’s memoir Becoming a Matriarch. It was such a great group of us that came together at the school, and a really rich discussion was had about leading with love and honouring knowledge that has been passed on through the land, cultures, testimony, and ancestors. I felt that getting us adults in a space to talk about how we sustain our well-being amidst holding great responsibility was thought-provoking.
- Student Affinity Spaces: As a faculty leader of one of the student affinity groups, I am trying to create more community connections, so that the students feel connected to not only the school, but our surrounding community. I have also met the principal and vice principal to advocate for more support for faculty leading these affinity spaces, as the emotional labour can be overwhelming. As a result of this, us affinity space leaders will be receiving training from Rosetta Lee in the coming weeks! I am still feeling a bit like an island in this area though. There is a lack of Black representation at the school, and all of the planning for Black History Month has fallen solely upon my shoulders. I have an extensive and fun list of activities for the students planned, but it has been time consuming and hard to balance with my other work. Hence the delay for this post 🙁
- BSU Mentorship: I have connected with the Junior School VP to set up a program that used to run at our school called RISE. It was a mentorship program for Black senior school students to connect with Black junior school students and I am excited to get this back up and running. I think it will be great to have that connection between the younger and older students, and I hope it empowers both groups.
- Black Alumni: I have also connected with our Alumni team to bring Black alumni back into the school community. This collaboration will allow me to expand the RISE program by involving alumni who can share their experiences and serve as mentors for current senior students. By creating this intergenerational network, I hope to strengthen the ties between students and alumni.
I am a dreamer. I tend to have big visions, take on ALL of the projects, and find myself at the end feeling depleted. I blur the lines of contributing to “creating community” and just plain old “doing too much,” so support in finding that balance and setting much needed boundaries would be vastly appreciated.
I am looking forward to tomorrow!
@sfleming
Hi Sam,
Your How Might We question reflects both the practical and emotional realities of creating an inclusive school culture. The shift towards sustainability is an important one—building a system that doesn’t just function while you’re there, but one that lasts beyond your presence, is essential. It’s clear that you’re deeply invested in this work, and the challenge of balancing personal energy with meaningful impact is one that many educators face.
Below are some thoughts, resources, and next steps to support your action plan while also protecting your own well-being and sustainability in the process.
1️⃣ Designing Sustainable Inclusion Work: Avoiding Burnout While Building Impact
You mentioned feeling like an island when it comes to the emotional labor of leading this work, particularly in affinity spaces and Black History Month planning. Here are some strategies for redistributing responsibility so that the work is more collaborative and institutionalized rather than individual-dependent:
📌 Ideas for Creating Long-Term Structural Support:
✅ Formalizing an Equity & Inclusion Team: Rather than individual faculty members carrying this work, an established team or committee can set multi-year goals and ensure continuity.
✅ Building Capacity Through Student Leaders: Consider training students in affinity space leadership so that they take on co-planning responsibilities.
✅ Annual Planning Calendar: Instead of reinventing initiatives each year, a shared planning document (for events like Black History Month) allows future faculty to build upon what’s been done before.
✅ Mentorship Circles for Faculty Leading DEIJ Work: Connecting with other educators across CAIS schools in similar roles might help to lighten the emotional burden.
📌 Resources on Avoiding Burnout in DEIJ Work:
• The Emotional Labor of DEI Work – How to Share the Load: https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/spring-2021/the-emotional-labor-of-dei-work
• Radical Self-Care for Educators Doing Equity Work: https://www.npr.org/2020/10/07/radical-self-care-for-educators
📌 Reflection Question:
Who else in your school might co-own aspects of this work so that you’re not carrying it alone?
2️⃣ Strengthening Student Affinity Spaces & Community Connections
Your RISE mentorship program sounds like a powerful way to build connections across grade levels, and your outreach to Black alumni is another fantastic way to root belonging in intergenerational mentorship. Here are some next steps and resources that might support you in strengthening these spaces:
📌 Building Sustainable Affinity Groups & Mentorship Programs:
✅ Set Clear Leadership Roles for Students: Could students help organize monthly themes, guest speakers, or peer-led discussions?
✅ Create a Shared Repository for Resources & Best Practices: This could be a Google Drive or handbook that future leaders can reference.
✅ Engage External Community Partners: Look into local Black professionals or organizations that might want to partner with your students.
📌 Resources for Student Affinity Groups & Mentorship Models:
• NAIS Guide to Running Effective Affinity Groups: https://www.nais.org/articles/affinity-group-guide/
• Mentorship Toolkit for Schools & Student Leadership: https://mentoring.org/resource/mentoring-toolkit/
• Student Leadership in DEI Spaces – National SEED Project: https://nationalseedproject.org/
📌 Reflection Question:
How might your affinity group work be structured in a way that doesn’t require constant faculty oversight, but instead builds student leadership and autonomy?
3️⃣ Setting Boundaries & Prioritizing for Sustainable Impact
You mentioned struggling with taking on too much—this is a real challenge for educators who are deeply passionate about their work. Here are some strategies to ensure sustainability:
📌 Ways to Balance Vision & Energy:
✅ Pick 2-3 Key Priorities – You have multiple projects (book club, affinity spaces, Black alumni, mentorship)—which 2-3 will have the greatest long-term impact?
✅ Use the “STOP, START, CONTINUE” Method – What can you stop doing, start delegating, and continue refining?
✅ Set Micro-Goals – Instead of trying to launch everything at once, what are small, manageable wins for this year?
📌 Resources on Setting Boundaries & Avoiding Burnout:
• Educators Setting Boundaries for Long-Term Impact: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/boundaries-for-educators/
• Sustainable Leadership in Education – A Practical Guide: https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/sustainable-leadership-in-schools
📌 Reflection Question:
If you had to pause one project to ensure the sustainability of others, which would it be?
You mentioned wanting to create a more intentional action plan—here’s a possible timeline to help structure your work while maintaining balance:
🗓️ February-March:
✅ Finalize & Pilot RISE Mentorship Program with student leaders
✅ Begin a Resource Repository for Black History Month & Affinity Space Leaders
✅ Gather Student Feedback on Affinity Group Goals
🗓️ April-May:
✅ Host a Reflection Session with Black Alumni & students
✅ Evaluate Mentorship Impact & refine for next year
✅ Meet with School Leadership to discuss formalizing DEIJ support structures
🗓️ June:
✅ Document Lessons Learned & Recommendations for the next school year
✅ Ensure Future Student Leaders are Set Up for Success
Looking forward to continuing this conversation tomorrow at Montcrest, where we can refine and strategize together!
Hi Sam,
There is so much I enjoyed while reading your post! In particular, the notion that “sustainability isn’t just about preserving resources—it’s about preserving people”. There is always so much work that COULD be done but determining how to share the load or how to figure out which of the initiatives are most impactful are great ways to get started. Speaking of getting started, it sounds like you have done so much already! I am glad that while you are building this impressive supportive structures you are also ensuring that it is all manageable. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences so far.