Cross-Cultural Communication with Rosetta Lee
On Professional Growth Day on Monday, October 31, faculty and staff dedicated the day to diversity and inclusivity training with Diversity Outreach Specialist Rosetta Lee. Ms. Lee speaks nationally on diversity and cross-cultural communication and has provided training in K-12 public and independent schools as well as national organizations.
Organized by the LJCDS Diversity Advocates team, Ms. Lee conducted workshops that illuminated awareness of internal, external and institutional dimensions of culture and identity. She led three workshops that focused on understanding the elements of cultural intelligence and the developmental stages of inclusivity. In the morning workshop for parents, Parenting with the Identity in Mind, Ms. Lee spoke about raising children with cultural awareness. She shared that as young as 6 months, children can discern racial feature differences, and by fifth grade, children have internalized stereotypical messages and cross-group play can decrease. “Children are wired to be inclusive,” said Ms. Lee. “But we just need to teach it.” As children grow older, she advised parents to coach more and teach less.
In the afternoon, Ms. Lee facilitated two workshops—Cross-Cultural Communication and Navigating Microaggressions. She spoke about the dimensions of identity and culture and the internal connection with not only identity of gender, age and race, but also ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, ability and sexual orientation. Externally, we may be judged by appearance, language, place of residence or educational attainment. We carry collective experiences, which can shape our behavior and attitudes.
“I participated in the day as the lead coordinator of the Diversity Advocates team,” said Cindy Santos Bravo. “And I have to say that Rosetta’s ability to share data with patience and humility made the day feel personalized. She met us where we were at and inspired us to feel safe in thinking differently. The conversations I had during and after each presentation impacted me because I felt interwoven into the fabric of my LJCDS family. Our willingness to experiment and compassionately listen was on full display. It was a powerful moment to witness.”
After Ms. Lee’s visit, LJCDS faculty discussed methods of intervening when microaggressions occur between students and put their newly formed skills to work in a case study. They also reflected on major takeaways and remaining questions from the workshop.
Here are some of the quotes from the faculty’s reflections:
- “I loved her ability to bring humor to a topic that is often difficult to discuss.”
- “We have to be responsible for being kind and firm interrupters in both the classroom and the teachers’ lounge in order to create a place where we are an advocate community for every individual’s dignity. We have to see each other as people in the process just like we do with our students.”
- “[I learned to] have the courage to solve problems closer to the source by communicating directly with the person who offended you.”
- “[I gained] an appreciation for different communication styles combined with giving benefit of the doubt.”
- “Monday’s pro grow was an indication of how far our community has come in regards to growth. It makes me proud to be part of this continued development.”
This awareness encourages each member of the LJCDS community to stretch, grow and develop cultural competency and effective communication skills to enhance the school’s ability to inspire greatness for a better world. The professional growth day offers faculty and staff a day to reflect on how the LJCDS team can shape a generation of thinkers who can effectively collaborate, synthesize and dispel dichotomies.
La Jolla Country Day School
9490 Genesee Avenue
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-453-3440
© 2024 La Jolla Country Day School
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La Jolla, CA 92037
858-453-3440
© 2024 La Jolla Country Day School
Privacy Policy
COVID-19 Prevention Plan
