• Confirmation: Students feel support from their school/teachers and know they recognize their unique human expression of a common spirit, power, or energy inherent in all life. 

 

• Empathetic Dialogue: Students can connect and engage in dialogue with their teachers and know they will be seen and heard through their lived experiences.

 

• Validation: Students feel validated and seen whereas they do not have to divorce themselves from their authentic reality.

 

• Modeling Empathy: Students know that their teachers are empathetic carers and concerned with their growth (socio-emotionally / academically) and demonstrate in their relationships with them what it means to care.

 

• Radical “Rida” Teaching: The teacher acknowledges institutional and systemic inequity in broader society and its impact on the education system leading to educational harm and mistrust for students and their communities in the areas of race, class, culture, power, sex, and gender.  Teaching with a social justice lens, s/he/they does the following:

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• Has a growth mindset and validates student experiences

• Engages in authentic caring

• Explicit focus on establishing trusting, safe relationships with students

• Practices self-awareness around personal triggers to reduce  impact on students and classroom environment