Building a community of care is complex, ongoing work that is worth doing.....

Get to know each other. Affirm identities in many ways. Consistently check in with each other. Make check-ins for well-being part of the daily routine. Use 'soft starts'. Recognize power dynamics in spaces and work to share power. Be a warm demander. Co-construct a set of shared values for how we show up for each other. Co-construct expectations and mutual agreements based on our shared values. Have conversations about the difference between consequence and punishment. Be anti-racist by recognizing where your worldview shows up in thoughts, words and actions and pause, rethink, learn, unlearn, disrupt, commit and take action. Name racism and oppression. Call people in and up.  Define respect. Model respect. Communicate with respect. Hold high expectations for a culture of respect. Hold space for each other. Sit in discomfort with others and listen without the intent to 'fix'. Empower the learner. Get to student agency. Provide opportunities for feedback in many ways. Build community. Build relationships. Address hurt and harm. Every. Single. Time. Ask the person who was harmed, what might be needed to repair and restore the relationship. Support students to restore relationships and learn from their impact. Refer back to expectations that were co-created. Seek to understand root causes of all behaviour. Recognize oppression and change practice. Recognize lagging skills and teach for development. Recognize unmet needs and work to meet them. Recognize unresolved conflict and support resolution. Recognize limiting beliefs and affirm and empower. Support the communication of impact of actions on individuals and community. Validate emotions and work through them rather than ignoring, dismissing or suppressing them. Build accountability in community. Model accountability in relationships. Apologize. Create the conditions for authentic apologies. Create space for difficult conversations. Create space for safety in difficult conversations. Teach consent. Make mistakes and learn/unlearn from them. Centre the humanity of all. Maintain the dignity of all. Rest. Repeat.

Building Anti-Oppressive Learning Spaces

Building Positive Relationships

Nurturing Healing Centered Spaces

Centering Community Engagement