Pic 10: The screen changes to a slide titled “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion benefits everyone:” with the following bullet points.
Pic 11: The screen returns to Eve, Amira, and Frank at the table.
Eve: Yes. DEI benefits the larger school community, and we also need to shine a light on how important and beneficial it is for members of marginalized communities.
Amira: It promotes better mental health and a sense of physical safety and belonging for our minority students and peers. We want a school community that’s free from stereotypes, preconceptions, harm, bias, discrimination, and exclusion, just to name a few.
Eve: Creating and maintaining a safe and supportive campus is an ongoing process, not a destination.
Pic 12: A rectangle with the words “Why bother? I’ll never get it” appear on the screen. After a moment, an arrow appears pointing to a new rectangle with blue text that reads “My effort and attitude impact my progress.” The words “Fixed Mindset” appears over the first rectangle, and the words “Growth Mindset” appears over the second rectangle.
Frank: It can be easy to feel like “Why bother? I’ll never get it”. I’ve been there. In talking with Dr. Heller and Eve, I’ve realized “My effort and attitude impact my progress.” This is the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.
Pic 13: A series of examples appear of Fixed versus Growth mindsets, including:
The fixed mindset sentence “I don’t know where to start or what to say” in the growth mindset would be “I will listen/read/watch and learn.”
The fixed mindset sentence “I don’t want to get it wrong or get called out” in the growth mindset would be “I will make mistakes and be grateful for the lesson.”
The fixed mindset sentence “I won’t make a difference. Nothing is going to change.” in the growth mindset would be “I can make a difference by taking risks and becoming part of something bigger.”
The fixed mindset sentence “I’ll stick with what I know” in the growth mindset would be “I’ll try new things.”
The fixed mindset sentence “Feedback and criticisms are personal” in the growth mindset would be “Feedback is what helps me be better.”
A growth mindset helps us to be:
Pic 14: The screen returns to Eve, Amira, and Frank at the table.
Frank: It took time for me to face my own gaps and biases, to understand that my actions, whether I realized it or not, may have led to people feeling excluded or less than. Like when I asked my coworker about her husband. She has a wife, and she always has to correct people, like she did with me, and worry about how they’ll react.
Eve: Admitting you made a mistake, trying to grow from it, that’s what matters.
Amira: We want our actions to meet our value of inclusion. But we all have gaps in our understanding of DEI. I’m supposed to be the DEI expert, and I don’t always get it right. And that’s okay. But what’s important is that we work to repair any harm that we might have caused.
Eve: It’s not about being right or wrong, failing or succeeding. It’s about having an open dialogue, talking about and across our differences, strengthening our connection with others.
Frank: So today we’ll talk about how to have these kinds of conversations. Conversations that might be difficult, and require authenticity, vulnerability, and courage.
Eve: Talking about DEI can sometimes feel uncomfortable. But uncomfortable moments lead to growth.
Pic 15: The screen changes to one with an image of a figure sitting in a chair, with the words “How are you feeling physically” above it. The words “shoulders?” “chest?” and “hands?” appear to the figure’s left.
Amira: How are you feeling physically? Has your body shifted? Do you have any tension in your shoulders, chest, hands?
Pic 16: The words to the figure’s left disappears and the text above the figure’s head changes to “How are you feeling emotionally?” The words “skeptical?” “curious?” “defensive?” and “brave?” appear to the figure’s right.
How are you feeling emotionally? Skeptical? Curious? Defensive? Brave? Or maybe something else entirely.
Noticing our breath can help us stay focused.
Pic 17: The words disappear and the figure sits up straighter. An arrow points toward their face. After a moment, the arrow turns to one pointed away from their face. The words “There’s room for me here to learn and grow” appear over the figure’s head.
So, let’s all take a deep breath. As you exhale, silently say to yourself: There’s room for me here to learn and grow.