Members of the school’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Collective recently led a new series of Teachers Teaching Teachers (TTTs) workshops. Each session offered an opportunity to engage in thoughtful dialogue, reflect on practice, and learn alongside peers in a collaborative space dedicated to deepening how we construct an inclusive working and learning environment, where all students and teachers are seen, safe, and supported.

 

In an interview, High School Assistant Principal and DEI collective member Laura Brown shares more about the focus of the sessions, and on the critical impact of continuously weaving DEI principles into the school’s culture and daily practice.

 

 

The TTT sessions are directly aligned with ASH’s schoolwide goals, particularly the goal of intercultural competence, cultural responsiveness, and inclusion into daily practice. Workshops in this series ranged from student-led panels on microaggressions and contemporary slang, to sessions on emotional regulation, identity, and perspective-taking as pathways to belonging. As Laura explains, the aim is “to integrate these principles into our day-to-day practice in order to create conditions where everyone can thrive.”

 

 

Laura’s own session focused on creating classroom spaces where multiple perspectives are not only welcomed, but understood as essential to learning. Using the picture book Zoom, teachers explored how perspective shapes interpretation, empathy, and connection. “It’s about structured opportunities for students to consider different viewpoints,” Laura notes. When students learn to listen to and value perspectives different from their own, it directly strengthens their sense of belonging and their ability to engage meaningfully with others.

 

In an international school setting, where students often navigate layered identities and complex cultural narratives, this work becomes especially powerful. “There are so many different cultural perspectives and stories of identity,” Laura reflects, “and therefore so many opportunities to learn and grow from one another.”

 

 

Ultimately, safe spaces are built through shared understandings of communication, behavior, and a continuous willingness to reflect and adjust. In an international school like ASH—where students from vastly different backgrounds come together—ongoing dialogue is essential to building trust and belonging.

 

For this reason, the DEI Collective promotes an approach of “calling in” rather than “calling out” when addressing moments of harm, misunderstanding, or tension. Laura emphasizes the importance of presuming positive intent: “We always assume this is an opportunity for someone to learn and grow.” By treating moments of conflict as learning opportunities, educators place awareness and curiosity at the forefront, supporting growth, building intercultural competence, and keeping relationships at the center of discipline and dialogue. At ASH, we acknowledge that inclusive learning environments are not free of discomfort. Rather, that discomfort can be productive when approached with care, curiosity, and trust.

 

 

What makes Teachers Teaching Teachers particularly powerful is its peer-led approach. These sessions create intentional space for educators to share effective classroom practices across divisions and grade levels, while learning alongside colleagues they may not otherwise have the opportunity to collaborate with. In doing so, these sessions become one of the many ways our faculty actively and collectively contributes to building a culture of belonging, safety, and inclusion—laying meaningful groundwork for a school environment in which everyone has the conditions to learn, grow, and thrive.