Fostering RID (Respectful, Inclusive and Diverse) Classroom in Agami-supported Schools
Agami inc. arranged a day-long workshop titled ‘Fostering RID (Respectful, Inclusive and Diverse) Classroom in Agami-supported Schools’ on Wednesday, 17th January 2024 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Dr. Nira Rahman, an academic at the University of Melbourne, Australia, facilitated the workshop. The workshop was held at the BACE Training Centre, Sonargaon, Narayanganj. The training was arranged for 24 teachers from 19 Agami-supported schools.
The workshop intended to develop dialogue on creating such environments in the classroom where respect among each other, inclusion of students from all backgrounds, and diversity is encouraged and ensured. The training session included pre and post-evaluations, hand notes, slide shows, group work, and group discussions. Dr. Nira Rahman introduced herself and prompted the workshop with a questionnaire to explain teachers’ perspectives on their passion, knowledge and teaching experiences. An interactive discussion was carried out during the whole workshop. All the teachers participated enthusiastically and highlighted the relevance of the content to their daily teaching practices and acknowledged the importance of embracing diversity in education.
After the lunch break, several key points like identity, positionality, differences in views and biases, cultural influences, etc. were discussed to understand inclusion and diversity broadly. The participants were presented with different problem scenarios to generate ideas on how to solve various circumstances by including students and the community. The teachers also expressed challenges they face in the classroom and school environment regarding dropouts, early marriages, etc., and different solutions they attempted to overcome these challenges. Lastly, they were provided a feedback form to express their overall opinion on the workshop and how they would implement its learning in the future.
The workshop concluded with the distribution of certificates to the participants. All the teachers expressed their gratitude for the valuable insights gained during the workshop and conveyed their hopes for more training on this crucial topic in future.
The probable impacts of the workshop are intended to foster classrooms that are operated under mutual respect, trust, and equality, inclusion of every child regardless of their gender, class, disabilities, religion, etc., and welcoming diverse communities in the formal education sector.
Nusrat Tuli
Program Manager
Teachers’ Training