S4 E24: How Teachers Can Create Identity-Affirming Classrooms with Kwame Sarfo-Mensah

You will learn practical strategies and frameworks to create inclusive, identity-affirming spaces throughout this S4E24 conversation with Kwame Sarfo-Mensah.  This episode highlights Kwame’s book, Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Culturally-Affirming Classroom. Kwame brings seventeen years of education experience, including nine years as a middle school math teacher in Philadelphia and Boston. He is the founder of Identity Talk Consulting and host of the Identity Talk 4 Educators podcast. As a former middle school math teacher, Kwame discusses the journey from classroom teaching to global education advocacy.

Key Topics:

➡️The three P's of intersectional awareness: Privilege, Power, and Positionality

➡️Strategies for being an authentically active community-engaged educator

➡️The importance of origin stories in teaching

➡️Counter-storytelling and celebrating marginalized communities

➡️Creating culturally affirming classroom environments

Highlighted Frameworks:

💫Origin Story Components (STORI):

💫Racial Literacy Development Framework:

Practical Strategies:

✨The "Me Bag" activity for celebrating student identities

✨Reflective questions for educator development

✨Community engagement at multiple levels

✨Ways to incorporate counter-storytelling

Tune in to explore how educators can use intentional, inclusive practices to strengthen student engagement, emotional wellness, and academic success, creating classrooms that are not just places of learning but spaces of healing, growth, and transformation.

#IdentityTalk4Educators #IdentityAffirmingEducation #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #TeacherDevelopment #EducationalEquity #TeacherLife #TeacherPD #EducationalLeadership #InstructionalCoaching #TeacherCommunity #ProfessionalLearning #StudentIdentity #CounterStorytelling #IntersectionalAwareness #CulturalCompetency #SchoolTransformation #EdChat #SchoolCommunity #StudentVoices #ClassroomCommunity #TeacherGrowth #TeacherReflection #EducationMatters #K12Education #SchoolCulture

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

Transcript

Olivia: [00:00:00] Hi there, I'm so happy you're here. Here's what you'll gain by listening to the very last second of this conversation with Kwame Sarfo-Mensah. Through his beautiful book, Kwame illustrates how we as teachers and as community members can be better humans to our young people. You'll leave the conversation understanding why identity awareness requires understanding privilege, power, and positionality.

Olivia: What it means to be an authentically-active community-engaged educator and why counter-storytelling is crucial for celebrating marginalized communities. Stay with us. I'm so excited to have you join our conversation. This is Schoolutions: Coaching and Teaching Strategies, the podcast that extends education beyond the classroom.

Olivia: A show that offers educators and caregivers strategies to try right away and ensure every student [00:01:00] receives the inspiration and support they need to thrive. I am Olivia Wahl and I am so honored to hold space for this conversation with Kwame Sarfo-Mensah. Let me tell you a little bit about Kwame in case you have not already met him, which seems impossible.

Olivia: Kwame has been in an educator role and served in several roles for 17 years in the educator community. Nine of those years as a middle school math teacher in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Boston, Massachusetts. Our paths crossed because of a wonderful human being named Tricia Friedman. And also a big thanks to Kwame's groundbreaking work as the founder of Identity Talk Consulting.

Olivia: It's a global consulting firm that specializes in developing K-12 teachers into identity-affirming educators. Kwame, I also adore your podcast, just saying. Um, our conversation is going to focus today on Kwame's recently released book. I [00:02:00] have it right here. I'm sure you can get a good view of you. I'm glad you have your copy right next to you: Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Culturally-Affirming Classroom. It is a magnificent book and I cannot wait to talk to you about it. Thank you so much for taking the time to have the conversation. 

Kwame: Well, thank you, Olivia, for having me on. I've been excited to come on for a while.

Olivia: So, yeah, well, let's jump in. I asked your permission and we know when I'm reading books, I'm always reading it a couple of times through different lenses and one of the lenses I think of all of the questions I want to ask you as someone that's writing these beautiful words, but also you're living and breathing them every day and who you are in your actions.

Olivia: So I have a couple of places tagged for, oh, this would be a great beginning quote to kick our conversation off, or this would be a great wrap. Um, the first is a quote from the late poet Audre Lorde and Audre said, “It is not our [00:03:00] differences that divide us. It's our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences.”

Olivia: And I feel that so deeply. We need to pause. We need to see and celebrate each other so much more than we do in the other quote here. This is why I have been dying to talk to you. “Here in the United States we have students within our schools who are 1st, 2nd or 3rd generation immigrants who are seeking that same connection to their culture language and overall identity that I was. We have a responsibility as teachers to create a nurturing classroom environment where we celebrate the uniqueness of these students identities”…and you go on. Yes, indeed we do call me and that's why I cannot wait to be in conversation with you today. Um. You know, the book's been a process for you.

Olivia: I know it took a few years for you to be published. Who is a [00:04:00] researcher or a piece of research that you lean on often, especially in the creation of this book and your work? 

Kwame: Oh, that's an easy question. Um, there were a lot of people who heavily influenced this book, but if I could choose one person, I would have to say Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, by far, who wrote the foreword for this book. Her work around racial literacy development has been very instrumental and foundational in my own growth and development as a teacher, as an educator who is committed to doing anti bias, anti-racist work. Um, as I was going through the writing process I found myself going through the same stages of her racial literacy development framework where she focuses on five different stages. So, of course, in the beginning, there's the critical humility and critical love piece [00:05:00] where, as you are learning or engaging with communities, particularly marginalized communities that you're not a part of.

Kwame: You got to show empathy, compassion for folks from those communities who have experienced harm and have been dehumanized. So that's the fundamental part of being human, right? Is is showing compassion and empathy for those who have been harmed, whether it's physically, emotionally, mentally, or psychologically.

Kwame: That's just a fundamental tenant. And then there's a critical reflection piece where you acknowledge that because you're not a part of this community, you don't have the license or the agency to speak on behalf of those communities. So, therefore, you need to reflect on number 1, what, you know, about these communities, [00:06:00] what's factual, what's the truth.

Kwame: What's the whole context of what you're learning, but you also have to be mindful of the biases and the stereotypical notions that you have. Yeah, as a human, as it relates to communities that you're not a part of. So, as I was writing this book, I had to acknowledge the fact that as a cis hetero black male, there was no way that I could speak on the experiences, the lived and historical experiences of other historically marginalized communities that I'm not a part of. So therefore I need to bring in the counter stories. I need to bring in the folks who are from these communities who can provide first person narratives about their experience in this society. And then you have the fourth piece going up called historical literacy.

Kwame: Yes. So that's pretty [00:07:00] self-explanatory. You wanna learn about the history of these communities that are still being harmed. You gotta watch, you have to watch documentaries. You have to read books and publications. You need to have conversations and interviews with people who are from those communities who are directly impacted by, by different levels of conflict. So there are so many things we can lean on. But ultimately, in order to really learn about what's happening in today's times. We got to go back to history because a lot of what's happening goes back to history. That's where historical literacy is essential.

Kwame: Now you've gone through those stages, the critical love, the critical humility. You've engaged in critical reflection with yourself and others. You have engaged in historical research and literacy. Now you're at a point where you can interrupt the status quo of education. You can now interrupt [00:08:00] those negative forces that perpetuating those ideals of whiteness, those tenants of white supremacy that do permeate our schools, other parts of our society, because now you've done the work, you've reflected with yourself, you've talked to the people from these communities, you've done your research and read the books. And engage in learning, which is still ongoing.

Kwame: It doesn't stop now. You have enough of a knowledge base to where you can interrupt in different ways. Whether it means that you're center, you're decentering yourself from conversation to situations. Or you're leaning in with permission from the folks who are being harmed. So that framework really set the tone for the writing that I was able to do, uh, for this book.

Olivia: Well, that, that's a [00:09:00] brilliant description because it does set the tone. And then this way you structured the book, there's part one, there's part two. And part one invites readers in to understand the identity overviews. And that's what I appreciate as well. It offers the narrative experience, um, for anyone to just have a glimpse and better understand.

Olivia: There's also a structure that I leaned on over and over as I was reading the book. I'm a structure fan. Um, and so you, uh, you ask reflective questions at the end of each chapter that I used myself, it was extremely helpful, um, to just check my biases as well as really understand what you're conveying from that perspective. I also very much appreciated the way to grow. So you offer resources, podcasts, books, articles at the end of every chapter so we can continue our learning. I see this being used for PLC work in school districts. I see it [00:10:00] being used for bigger community conversations. So, again, the structure is so supportive of the reader to gain understandings, whether they are the ones being harmed or, um.

Olivia: It may be there are people that are harming and they can take a step back and have a better glimpse. So I, we're going to focus on part two, teaching with a critical lens, because, um, a lot of this podcast, the listeners are coaches and teachers, administrators, leaders. Um, and I want to jump in, you know, your origin story, I'm sure has shifted a bit since you moved to Sierra Leone, right? Can you start us off? Like, what is an origin story and give us some strategies for crafting our own. 

Kwame: So this is what I talk about in chapter six of the book, where it's titled start the work with you. So going back to what I said about the importance of critical reflection. We have to engage in [00:11:00] that with ourselves and be honest about who we are. So part of that is going back in time and figuring out what drew us to want to become educators in the first place. Was it a favorite teacher? Was it a show that we watched? Do we have family members who were educators that inspire us to want to go down that same path? Whatever that origin is, we have to unpack that.

Kwame: Your teacher origin story comprises of these five things, you have the S, the S is your stages of personal development. The T is your testimonies and truth. The O is the origins where it all started. The R is your revelations of self. As you've gone through this journey as an educator, what are some things that you've learned about who you [00:12:00] are that you didn't know about before? And then the I is for identity. So understanding how have your identities, your multiple intersections of who you are, how they shape your development as a teacher. And guess what? How do you center those identities in your day to day work as an educator? So those are the five parts of the story. And the whole purpose around it is to get people to be reflective and to really tap into some of those pivotal moments that they've had in life where they took a turn towards wanting to do the work.

Kwame: So I wanted to start the second half of the book with that chapter, because it's a grounding piece. It allows for the reader to ground themselves and to also remind themselves of why they [00:13:00] do the work in the first place. It also serves as an accountability piece, too, because guess what? If you capture all this on paper You can hang it up on your classroom wall as a point of reference, as a reminder of why you do the work. So, it was very intentional that I had to start Part 2 with that piece. 

Olivia: Kwame, I want to share with you too, as I was reading, it resonated so strongly with me because as a coach with school districts, I often ask teachers before we're jumping into a coaching cycle to, or even a coach to share their origin story. We call it a context letter, but I'm shifting now to origin story because I like it better and I want to start using your lenses. Because I think that they get more to the heart of what matters most to that educator and will help me support them as a coach. Um, but it's that idea of alignment. If this is what you're saying on [00:14:00] paper is who you are, then when we're in your classroom space together, this is what I hope to see your practices representing, right? And that to me is critical. So how has your origin story shifted since your move to Sierra Leone? 

Kwame: I think since moving abroad, while at the same time leaving the classroom, it's allowed me to revisit that question of why I became an educator. But it's also allowed me to tap into those other modalities that I didn't realize existed within me.

Olivia: Yeah. 

Kwame: Like, like I didn't realize that I could be a podcaster until I left the classroom. Really? I didn't realize I'm being very serious. I started podcasting. 

Olivia: Oh, my Gosh! 

Kwame: Maybe a few months after I moved abroad and the only reason why I did it was because I was so distraught [00:15:00] about not being in the classroom. Yeah, that I needed to be with community. I needed to create a space where I can connect with educators who are still in the trenches because I felt guilt and I felt, I felt like empty. And I mean, that's, and that's hard to say because I have, you know, it's, it's, it's hard to say a beautiful wife and we have two children together, but when you are entrenching this work and many of us fall victim to this, we solely or primarily identify ourselves as educators first, before anything else, everything else comes secondary.

Kwame: Those other parts of our identity come secondary. We leave with a professional identity. In our case, we're educators, we're teachers. We're principles, right? So that was something that I think moving abroad forced me to interrogate. [00:16:00] It allowed me to tap into some other things. It allowed me to be more creative. It allowed me to do things that I never thought I would see myself doing, like write books. Like this book that I wrote was all while I was abroad and out the classroom. I also did a whole virtual conference that happened at the height of COVID in 2021, where the facilitators were folks who were past guests of the podcast at the time. Um, started writing for different education media companies like Edutopia. Like EdPost, like Education Week. Like, I never thought that I would be featured on a major Education publication, like Ed Week, you grow up, you grow up reading articles. I feel it. 

Olivia: Yeah, I see it. I totally understand [00:17:00] what you're saying. And I think the, the idea of, you know, it's not imposter syndrome. It's just, I think when you're in the classroom, it's this bubble and you, right. And you don't realize like all of the other. the world of education outside of the buildings that you're living in. Um, and that's what I love about the podcasting community and the social. I mean, Kwame, I was able to just follow your whole journey in Boston through social. I got to know what you were doing at NCTE. Like, I think that idea of. Podcasting and social media. It can be used as a really positive force to build a community that, you know, you can circle up with people that you've never hung out with in person necessarily, but they have beliefs that help you grow and help you get smarter about the world around you. So I appreciate that about you and the way you put your foot forward in this. 

Kwame: And then speaking [00:18:00] about social media and the importance of really just acknowledging that you have a digital footprint. Yes. Right? I think back to this popular Spiderman quote, “With great power comes great responsibility.” And because people are listening and paying attention to every move that you make publicly. Yes. You gotta be mindful of the responsibility that you have as someone who has a platform. Um, and that's something that I'm more and more mindful of by the day, because People look to me to provide them with inspiration. They look to me to provide them with counsel on things that they're going through.

Kwame: It could be something that I said. It could be an interview that I did on my podcast. It could be a qualms quotes reel that I do, you know, occasionally to just share some quick thoughts that I have going on in my brain. [00:19:00] All those different forms of content, the blobs and everything. They hit people different ways, yep. People engage with that, so therefore, I have to make sure that I practice what I preach. Yeah, so that's how I that's how I'm able to maintain my credibility but also the respect that I have for folks who do listen to what I got to say. 

Olivia: Well, and so I want you to help listeners also understand the three P's of intersectional awareness and so that is I think a good segue to go there you also I don't want to neglect that you have amazing worksheets tucked into the book with QR codes so we can do this work. If, if you're a reader, um, it's, it's a very self-reflective process to take this book on. And I appreciate that too. Um, so what are those three Ps Kwame? 

Kwame: Yes. And, and thank you for even referencing that because that chapter six, that's all chapter six, that is very much the foundational chapter. 

Olivia: Yeah. 

Kwame: So the three P's of intersectional identity awareness [00:20:00] are privilege, power, and positionality, and these three go hand in hand in hand. So just to break it down as simply as possible, people got to get the book to really get the full story form. But we have to understand that every human has some form of privilege just because. I am a black man doesn't mean that I'm always dehumanized. I'm always experiencing some form of marginalization or identity-based harm.

Kwame: I have privileges as well. I have straight privilege. Because I'm a cis hetero male, I can go in spaces that my queer, non binary, and trans friends and colleagues aren't able to. They're not able to express themselves. As a matter of fact, there have been cases where I've I've collaborated with [00:21:00] colleagues who are from the LGBTQIA plus community, and we've had to cancel conferences because of the anti LGBTQIA plus legislation that's been implemented in these different countries. That's real talk, and they tell me, you know, Kwame, I can't travel here. I can't travel there because it's not safe for me. That is real. 

Olivia: Yeah.

Kwame: So that's a privilege that I have and because I'm abroad, I also have the privilege of speaking fluent English and because I have. An American accent, and I can speak fluent English that opens the door for me and gives me access to spaces where other folks who are from the country aren't able to access I'm a 2 time college graduate. I have a bachelor and a master's degree, which means that I have access to jobs and opportunities that other folks [00:22:00] don't. That's privilege. But that's, but that's also power too and we think about the positionality piece because I have a master's degree that puts me at a higher position than folks who have a GED than folks who only have a bachelor's degree or didn't get the chance to complete grade school just because of that I'm at a higher level. So, all these different things interact with each other all these three piece. And it changes depending on the geographical context. 

Olivia: That's huge. But that's huge. And that resonated with me too when I was reading because of your shift. And I think that's really, really important for people to understand.

Kwame: We struggle, even though the struggle is different. See, there's levels to struggle and poverty. Poverty in the U. S. In the U. S. is not the same as poverty in Sierra Leone or in Ethiopia. Those are two [00:23:00] countries where my family has lived. And so just really understanding context and how that's important and understanding how privilege, power, and positionality interact with each other in those spaces.

Olivia: I think the other piece that you're making me think about too, is that idea of being an authentically active community, engaged?

Kwame: You’ve been reading! 

Olivia: I don't mess around. If I have the honor of interviewing you, I'm going to read and I'm going to make sure I understand. Yeah. So how can we do that? What are some strategies?

Kwame: Well, here's, here's a deal, Olivia, and you know, this cause knowledge that you read the book, but you've been in the classroom. You know, this is true. When we become teachers is not, we don't have just the sole responsibility of teaching content, right? And then we just go home and forget about what happens. No, [00:24:00] that's only 1 piece of the work that we do. And even though is not within the scope of our contracts that we sign, it's an inherent responsibility that we should all have as teachers. We come into a classroom with students who come from homes where they're harmed, who come from communities where they've been exposed to, to violence, to other social vices. We can't ignore that because they bring that into our classrooms. They bring these, they bring the trauma into our classrooms. So, we got to address it.

Kwame: So, how do you, how do you do that? Well, number 1, there's influence at the classroom level that may involve bringing in parents to volunteer and help out in the classroom, [00:25:00] but you got to go outside the classroom. So you go from the classroom to now the school community. What's happening within the school community. That's now being impacted by what I'm trying to do in the classroom. How can you get involved there? Maybe you are part of the instruction leadership committee. Maybe you are a coach for intramural sports team. Maybe you run the debate club. Maybe you are someone who's part of. Uh, student site council or the, or the parent committee, you have responsibilities within the school community and that's how you engage.

Kwame: Now, let's go, let's, let's broaden ourselves now. Okay. Now, let's go to the, the neighborhood or, or the city realm. Right? Okay. You're going to your students. Events extracurricular activities, you may even volunteer as some organizations within the community that your [00:26:00] school surrounds. Right? Yes. So, that's another part 2, but that also includes, and this is going to be applicable to the next few stages. Be civically engaged are you engaging with city council members? Are you attending town hall meetings? Within your county or town or city, are you reaching out to elected officials to tell them how you're being impacted. By some of the legislation, the moves that are being made. At that level, are you part of your are you part of your districts?

Kwame: A teacher union, where you are fighting on behalf of your colleagues. And then, of course, you have your state level of your in the States. And then the country level where, all right, now you're dealing with governors and other elected officials who have a higher positionality. Um, you're now being a part of different [00:27:00] organizations who are national that focus on education. You're attending conferences where you are networking with people who are like minded and want to have changes within their communities just like you do. You're now getting more and more engaged. Uh, cross conversations with people from different states, different countries who are dealing with similar situations and issues.

Kwame: You're exchanging information and experiences. This is all levels of engagement. So, in order to really impact. What's happening in the classroom, you got to be aware of what's happening outside of classroom as well. And that's essentially what it means to be authentically active and engaged. In your community, 

Olivia: I want to wrap our conversation to around celebrating the intersectionality and the identities of students, because that's where the heart of all of this is. As far as I'm concerned, [00:28:00] you speak to the counter storytelling, but you also give some really good strategies for celebrating identities. So would you name those strategies for us? 

Kwame: Sure. Um, and that's going to be chapter 7. Basically, but, um, one way you honor that is I like to do this activity called the me bag, really basic activity where you ask students to bring in a bag with three to four artifacts from their home that represent different parts of their story and who they are. So, for example, in my case. Um, my meat bag might have a jar of peanut butter because I grew up eating peanut butter out of the jar and my favorite lunch was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It might even include, um, a miniature flag of Ghana because that is the home, that's my ancestral home, but that is the home of my parents.

Kwame: So I'm a first generation Ghanaian [00:29:00] American and that means a lot to me. Um, also, there's a Super Nintendo controller because I grew up playing video games. I grew up playing Nintendo, Super Nintendo, etc. So I'm just sharing different parts of who I am. Very easy activity. You don't have to spend money on it now, and you can do it at any point within the school year, not just the beginning, but throughout the, throughout the course of the school year, because guess what? People's stories change because of their experience in life. 

Olivia: You're walking by my way. Wait, you just said it. You just said it. So there it is. There's the thread from the grownups having to unpack their origin story to you opening a door then for their children, their students. And as far as I'm concerned, this book is wonderful for caregivers to because I'm I'm recommending this to all of my friends and community as well. Um, and so that idea of the me bag, that's the, that's the story, right? And it's going to evolve [00:30:00] as they trust more to share deeper versions or different versions of themselves. Right. So I, I'm sorry to interrupt. I was just like, yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. 

Kwame: No, no, but I appreciate you for even doing that because people need to understand, and you mentioned this is not just for teachers, this book. It's for anybody who has direct contact with children. So you could be a school counselor. You could be a social worker. You could be the manager or coordinator for a youth or rec center. You could be a coach for a sports team. You could be the debate coach. You could be a parent. You could be a child advocate. If you do anything along the lines of youth development and you have direct contact with children, this book is for you because ultimately this is about how we as teachers, as community members can be better humans to our young people. [00:31:00] That is the fundamental mission of this book. 

Olivia: So, you know, it's amazing this whole conversation, I feel like we've been, you're a step ahead of me of knowing where I'm going to go, but I haven't told you yet. It's amazing because I wrap every conversation, usually asking guests with an inspiring educator from their lives. But with you, I actually wanted to go back to the part one, because for me, those heroes that you mentioned, those.

Olivia: People were so inspiring to me in that part one that I want people to get your book and I want them to learn about the, those folks that are doing this work, that have worked so hard on behalf of their communities. Um, so I'm going to leave that there because you just alluded to it, but people have to understand and you give this amazing, um, just layout of, you know, here, here's a guide to better understanding people that are [00:32:00] not like you necessarily.

Olivia: So I appreciate that. Um, you also gave me permission to end with a quote. And so I'm jumping. I'll tell you in a sec. I'm jumping to page 280. Okay. And it's this section, um, called Moving Forward. And there are snippets that I highlighted from this section, um, the first piece that hit my heart. Um, “no matter how many times you read this and other books, I can guarantee that you will still make mistakes along the way.” 

Olivia: That's right, thank you for permission my friend to continue making mistakes. Um, and then you go on, you will continue to interrogate all of the whitewashed ideologies, perspectives, and thoughts that you are conditioned to believe from an early age and all throughout your K to 12 schooling. I'm living and breathing this, and I'm trying to be better every day. Um, you continue, you will continue to challenge the rules, academic policies, and behavioral protocols that marginalize your most vulnerable students within your school communities. I [00:33:00] am begging. Adults that work with children to hear those words. So much can be done for our children, especially our children with that are the most vulnerable students.

Olivia: And then this is where I'm going to end, Kwame. Wherever you are in your journey, please remember to give yourself patience and grace as you engage. And this internal work, yes, grace is the word of the hour. Um, and you are, your voice is needed. This book is needed and I'm excited. I know this conversation is coming out, um, in February, 2025, when I think we are all going to need these conversations more than ever to be had.

Olivia: So I'm thankful for you. 

Kwame: You are absolutely right. And, and Olivia, I gotta say this that this conversation is is a top five for me. Um, thank you for taking the time to really [00:34:00] delve into the text. Um, I've done a lot of podcasts over the years, and the way you just navigated that conversation was almost masterful.

Kwame: Like, I appreciate how, how much care you put into it. And I hope that's the same amount of care that teachers and educators who do get a copy of this book put into their students. You modeled what it means to learn to relearn. You modeled what it means to be culturally-affirming. And to be supportive of people's identities, particularly our young people. So I thank you for this conversation. 

Olivia: Yeah, thank you, friend. I appreciate it. And, um, it's a high compliment coming from you and I hope, I wish you safe travels on your way back to Sierra Leone. And, um, I'm excited for this to be the first of many conversations we get to house. 

Kwame: Thank you so much. I appreciate you.

Olivia: Take care. Schoolutions: Coaching [00:35:00] and Teaching Strategies is created, produced, and edited by me, Olivia Wahl. Thank you to my older son, Benjamin, who created the music playing in the background. You can follow and listen to Schoolutions wherever you get your podcasts, or subscribe to never miss an episode and watch on YouTube.

Olivia: Thank you to my guest Kwame Sarfo-Mensah for sharing how we can support identity in culturally affirming classrooms. Now, I'd love to hear from you. Send me an email at schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com. Let me know what resonated most with you from my conversation with Kwame. How will you work to nurture culturally affirming learning communities moving forward?

Olivia: Tune in every Monday for the best research backed coaching and teaching strategies. You can apply right away to better the lives of the children in your care. Stay tuned for my bonus episodes every Friday, where I'll share how I applied what I learned from the guests in schools that week. See you [00:36:00] then.