To my surprise, I was greeted with hugs by several co-workers which helped to melt away some of the initial fear and anxiety that I had upon entering.
I decided to skip the breakfast where everyone was eating… indoors… without a mask, and instead decided to use that time to pray.
We started our day with a meeting in the auditorium where a fellow teacher shared that this year we would be working on “creating brave spaces” – not just “safe spaces.”
What is a “safe space” or a “brave space,” you ask?
They defined a “safe space” as “a place intended to be free from bias, conflict, criticism or potentially threatening actions, ideas or conversations.”
A “brave space” means “accepting that we will feel uncomfortable when exploring issues of bias, injustice and oppression. A brave space is one in which we take risks, doing so with care, compassion and accountability.”
