Co-Creating a Brave Culture for Educators

One of the most significant challenges facing the development of educators committed to lifelong professional learning is the culture of the teaching and learning environment. Richardson and Mancabelli (2011) discuss some of the common pain points that surface when educators are called upon to engage in professional learning. Some of these pain points include funding for resources, lack of technical support, time famine, and perceptions of conflicting priorities (Richarson and Manceabelli, 2011). Another central challenge to successfully co-creating a culture of professional learning among educators is fear. There is a lot of fear about new ideas, new resources, new skills, new ways of learning, new strategies, new people, and new technology. Fear is the most powerful obstacle in the effort to ensure all leaders and teachers in the field of education are also always learning and leading. 

When considering how a leader might motivate their team to engage in their own professional learning, it is critical to understand that the process of motivation is not a transaction. Motivation is best when it is infused in culture, which takes time and energy to co-create and sustain. Leaders need to co-build a culture with two main currents, one of very high expectations and challenging goals and the other of unwavering and unconditional love and support. These two current must be driven by individual and personal goals as well as collective institutional goals (hooks, 1994). The consistent practice of the development and implementation of goals, or learning outcomes is essential (hooks, 1994). Based on those goals, there must be an iterative practice of reflection and feedback as well (hooks, 1994). These are the critical components of a brave culture of lifelong learning. 

In concert with these tenets of a brave culture of lifelong learning, there must be a value of change and a relentless pursuit of growth and improvement. Without change, cultures of fear stifle innovation, creativity, and learning. But, change is hard to achieve. In their book, Switch, Heath & Heath (2010) outlined three strategies as a guide for nurturing a culture that welcomes growth and change. Heath and Heath (2010) share that when an effort to stimulate and implement change, first there must be a focus on one specific and critical aspect of what needs to be changed. Next, there must be congruency established between that specific aspect to a powerful human emotion that drives action. There must be an established and emotional motive for the change. And, finally, Heath and Heath (2010) asserted that leaders must make the path of change easy to access so that change can overcome contextual barriers. I believe that this applies to change and growth on an individual level as humans and professionals as well as to change and growth on a systemic or institutional level. If this approach were embodied by organizational culture, brave culture and professional learning would occur more organically and authentically. 

Therefore, a brave culture must be prioritized and it must prioritize safety, including psychological safety. Co-creating and sustaining a culture of courage is imperative to lifelong learning. Professionals must have the latitude to make mistakes, co-build trust and safety, debate and disagree, and show up as their full, authentic selves (Curphy, 2020). Once these norms of shared goals, diversity, equity, trust, and brave space are established and there is sound buy-in from all those involved, the accessibility of resources is critical next step. 

In higher education settings it is not uncommon to hear the language of “safe spaces” used (Arao & Clemens, 2013). Safe spaces are significantly limited, in theory, and practice, especially for certain students (hooks, 1994; Arao & Clemens, 2013). Safe spaces presume all people can be included, which is rarely realistic (Arao & Clemens, 2013). Safe spaces often bolster Whiteness and maintain White privilege and White comfort (hooks, 1994). Safe spaces prioritize the perception of safety and the presence of harmony or absence of conflict or struggle (Arao & Clemens, 2013). Safe spaces are risk-averse, stagnant, and typically appease dominant power (Arao & Clemens, 2013). Safe space therefore cannot lead to equity, transformation, and liberation (hooks, 1994; Arao & Clemens, 2013). Brave spaces include some of the strongest parts of safe spaces, primarily the goal of honoring the safety of all participants in the space. However, brave spaces approach safety differently through the value of discourse and discomfort over silence and harmony (Arao & Clemens, 2013). 

Brave space and brave culture embody strong relationships and a send of mattering for all those involved (Love, 2019). There needs to be a strong and active value of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as well as mutual engagement of all participants. A co-created brave culture and community of learning would also need the presence of excitement and celebration for learning and achievement related to learning (hooks, 1994). For example, if a colleague earns a new degree or certificate, completes a new book, and publishes a new article. 

On top of this, there would need to be entry points for professional learners to challenge dominant power within the organization and the ways in which that power shows up in the institution, in themselves and their colleagues, as well as in the culture (hooks, 1994). This is critical to sustaining a culture of learning. There must be a commitment to the active discovery of and sharing of one’s voice as well as to learning about personal and institutional history, context, and perspective (hooks, 1994: Love, 2019). 

Once these norms of diversity, equity, trust, and brave space are established and there is sound buy-in from all those involved, the accessibility of resources is critical next step. Just as classroom culture impacts students' motivation for learning, organizational culture impacts professionals' motivation for learning. A strong dedication to co-creating a brave culture of learning is key. Roy Bennett said, “Good leaders have vision and inspire others to help them turn vision into reality. Great leaders create more leaders, not followers. Great leaders have vision, share vision, and inspire others to create their own.” 

As a result of participating in a brave culture of learning, folks have the opportunity to increase their self-awareness, self-actualization, self-determination, and confidence (hooks, 1994; Love, 2019). In addition, participants may develop stronger personal empowerment, agency, or self-efficacy (hooks, 1994). And over time participants can even develop critical consciousness and move beyond themselves and co-create the culture in a new location (hooks 1994; Ahmed, 2018; Love, 2019). Leaders and teachers alike have the opportunity to be the impetus for a tremendous ripple effect. It is important to get started with an effort to co-create brave culture for lifelong learning. By including everyone, and co-creating a brave culture of learning WITH one another, everyone who participates will gain the experience of leading, learning, and creating. Everyone will be able to access the value and power of how that experience feels, the value of what is to be gained, and more. Along the journey of co-creating brave culture, with high expectations, challenging goals, autonomy, support, and love -- everyone is learning how to co-create a brave culture so they can recreate it somewhere else. 

References

Arao, B., & Clemens, K. (2013). From safe spaces to brave spaces: A new way to frame dialogue around diversity and social justice. In L. Landreman (Ed.), The art of effective facilitation: Reflections from social justice educators (1st ed., pp. 135–150). Stylus Publishing.

Curphy, G. (2020, January 13). The rocket model. YouTube. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0beFMaap7g 

Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2011). Switch: How to change things when change is hard. Random House Business. 

hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.

Love, B. (2019). We want to do more than survive: Abolitionist teaching and the pursuit of educational freedom. Beacon Press.

Patel, L. (2016). Decolonizing educational research: From ownership to answerability. Routledge.

Richardson, W & Mancabelli, R. (2011). Personal Learning Networks. Solution Tree.