by BRIGHT LIGHT Emma Navin
Belonging is a fundamental human need. We all search for a sense of connection with the people and places in our lives. It impacts our well-being as well as our sense of identity in the world. Students spend a huge portion of their time at school, which makes it essential that the learning environment cultivates a sense of belonging for them as individuals.
International schools are an opportunity for us to remind ourselves that we all belong – that we are one big family. As a leader, it matters to me that every individual is well known and feels valued for who they are. Personal connections and valuing all in school instilling in others that anything and everything is possible is what motivates me to find new ways to create a true sense of belonging for everyone.
Brene Brown, April 2023 said ‘Belonging, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are’. Belonging is something we do, which means it involves skills that students can practice. Below are a few strategies I implement at our school.
Create A Common Purpose
In an international school such as ours, the teachers’ home culture, students’ home culture, the host country’s culture can all differ and so what is important is that the school culture creates a common purpose.
Values shape the community – belonging, respect, recognising similarities, appreciating differences and building positive relationships with all create a sense of inclusivity. How these values are known, understood and enacted by all in the day-to-day makes us an inclusive school.
Provide Opportunities for Authentic Connection
Providing opportunities for engaging in conversation and listening to different perspectives and encouraging peer connections supports authentic belonging. Giving time for students to learn about each other in class and promoting collaborative approaches to learning also helps develop belonging. When planning, consider group size, composition and purpose to enable students to share, for example, their personal histories and explore their similarities and differences that make them who they are.
During lockdowns and times of distance learning, we mitigated the uncertainty and sense of disconnection so many felt with parent webinars and coffee mornings online, virtual break times so students could connect outside instructional time, and a community art challenge to paint/draw the world outside my window.
Foster Student-Teacher Relationships
Teachers play a huge role in helping children foster a sense of belonging. Research has shown that when teachers demonstrate high levels of care and support, children feel psychologically safer and more connected to their learning. Establishing and nurturing caring relationships with all students shows we value belonging. Checking in with students early in the year helps to validate student’s experience of connection as this message from a Year 6 student to their teacher demonstrates: ‘Even though it’s only been 3 weeks to this new school year I already know it’s going to be great year with you’
Promote a Can-Do Culture:
Empowering students to do their very best and feel proud of who they are matters to me. Sharing positive expectations and promoting a ‘can do’ culture lets students know you believe that they will succeed academically. When teachers expect students to excel, they are more likely to feel that they belong. Giving students confidence to have a voice helps them enact their sense of belonging.
Nurture Cultural Identity
Students need to be provided with the opportunity to develop their sense of identity and identify with their cultural background. Planning a relevant and purposeful curriculum that embraces diversity, personal histories and cultural connections across the curriculum should be at the heart of an international school.
Address Cultural Barriers to Learning
Creating the right conditions for learning and adapting practices to meet individual needs is also key to belonging. It requires teachers to implement an inclusive pedagogy – to meet all learners where they are and to respond to ‘barriers to learning’ without judgement or stigma. The majority of students in my school have English as an Additional Language so we adapt lessons to ensure all can access the learning.
Managing a wide range of cultures also means recognising differences in student behaviours. Different cultures may have different non-verbal cues: eye-contact, body language are some ways in which students may show signs of distress or anxiety. Enabling teachers to respond sensitively is an essential part of my school’s induction process – what it means to work at our school.
Put Belonging at the Heart of All You Do
Community begins with the creation of the conditions in which students have a palpable sense of belonging, where they can be themselves in a safe and accepting environment and where all learners thrive, contribute and achieve individually in their own ways. Establishing an integrated model for the support, care, guidance and opportunities for students combined with individual learner qualities and human attributes that students bring is the key to creating a truly authentic culture of belonging. As a leader in our school, it is my privilege and responsibility to help create one big family where everyone belongs.
Emma Navin is Head of Junior at St. George’s British International School in Rome, Italy. Emma has extensive leadership experience in schools across the world. She is passionate about ensuring pupils are provided with an ambitious academic education combined with a strong pastoral programme that supports every individual to be the best they can be and valued for who they are.