Today, we dive into the architecture of the inclusive classroom, focusing on how to intentionally create multiple access points for authentic participation. Our guest is Sam Drazin, Founder and Executive Director of Changing Perspectives, and the facilitator of the course, Inclusive Classrooms by Design. Drawing on his profound lived experience with Treacher Collins Syndrome , Sam challenges educators to move beyond simple compliance to design learning environments rooted in empathy, disability awareness, and inclusion. We explore the difference between sympathy and true empathy, the power of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and one simple strategy for making change sustainable.

💬 Quotes from the Episode:

• "So the teacher's judgment might be, well, you just pay attention, it's not that hard, right? So how are we able to remove that judgment?" 💡

• "Any new opportunities that we make available for one student can support all students." 🌍

• "I say, Mike, would you like to share? And that gives Mike the choice... I know that Mike was thinking about what I asked because his hand is on his heart." ❤️

• "What we're asking folks to do is think about their practice and consider what is 10% of what they do that they could change." 📊

  
  

📌 Key Insights:

• Empathy is Action: True empathy involves four steps: perspective-taking, staying out of judgment, recognizing connections, and communication. The biggest barrier to tangible action is the failure to remove personal biases and judgments.

  
  

• The Curb Cut Effect: Use the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. Accommodations should not be seen as exceptions for one student, but as "universal accommodations" made available to all, benefiting the whole community, much like a ramp on a sidewalk.

  
  

• Assessment for Agency: Create nonverbal modes of formative assessment. Strategies like having students put their hand on their heart to signal readiness, or holding up fingers corresponding to numbered answer options, allow students with varied needs (e.g., selective mutism, processing delays) to demonstrate knowledge without complex social or executive demands.

  
  

• The 10% Rule: Inclusive change can feel overwhelming. To ensure sustainability, focus on making small micro-changes—just 10% of your current practice—because collective 10% changes create exponential new opportunities for students.

🛑 Conclusion:

Sam Drazin provides a powerful and practical guide for transforming your classroom into a truly inclusive space where every student can succeed. Remember: this work is about changing systems, not just students! Ready to commit your 10%? Find details on the full course, Inclusive Classrooms by Design, at isss.edu/events. You can also connect with Sam and his organization at changingperspectivesNow.org. Go make a positive impact! 🌟

The admissions journey for neurodivergent applicants and their families can often feel like a barrier. In this crucial episode, we are joined by Catalina Gardescu, a values-driven consultant with over 20 years of experience in international education, who guides us on transforming this sensitive process. This conversation previews her course, Heart Matters, designed for admissions officers and school leaders. Catalina stresses the need for a human-centered approach rooted in empathy and clarity to replace policy-driven fear. Learn how to build genuine trust and make your admissions office a supportive, inclusive entry point for every family.
💬 Quotes from the Episode:

• "We're not talking about admitting the student. We're talking about admitting the family. That is a huge, huge shift in mindset because you're admitting a relationship, you're not admitting a paper trail." 🤝

• "You cannot be human-centered and policy-centered at the same time. If you are policy-centered, you're creating a barrier, you're creating a filter, you're making people feel judged." ⚖️

• "It is about the courage to say no with integrity and with honesty and with clarity, which is far more empathetic than keeping them going along for the ride because you are afraid of what they're going to say." 🧭

• "Every single conversation you have with a prospective family or a prospective student is an opportunity to build trust or to break it... and that is the only currency that matters." 💔

📌 Key Insights:

• Admissions is a Relationship: The process must be viewed as establishing a relationship with the entire family, requiring genuine commitment and care, not just a procedural checklist for the student.

• The Policy/Human Conflict: School leaders must acknowledge that strictly adhering to rigid policy often conflicts with being genuinely human-centered; the process needs to be redesigned with empathy at its core.

• Clarity Equals Trust: Admissions teams build trust through radical honesty and clarity, minimizing the family's deep-seated fear of rejection and judgment by being transparent about the school's capacity and resources.

• Redefining "Fit" as Alignment: The goal should shift from assessing "fit" to establishing alignment—that the family's expectations for support genuinely match the school's mission and resources.

🛑 Conclusion:

Catalina Gardescu offers an essential framework for transforming the admissions experience into one of partnership and inclusion. Ready to let the Heart Matter in your admissions office? Find registration details for the full course, Heart Matters: Supporting Neurodivergent Applicants through Admissions, and check for Catalina's updates on LinkedIn! Go lead with care and empathy! 🌟➡️

How do we move education beyond a seemingly "neutral" framework that often centers only one demographic? We are joined by Amin and Sagda, dedicated educators and consultants whose personal journeys as third culture kids, refugees, and immigrants instilled in them an instinctive understanding of cultural diversity. This vital conversation covers their L2A session on Identity-Conscious Pedagogy, which is designed to affirm every student. They challenge the notion of "neutral curriculum" as inherently political and discuss how school leaders can transform school culture to foster deep pride, agency, and intellectual curiosity by viewing the student as curriculum. Ultimately, this is about promoting education as a vehicle for justice and liberation.
💬 Quotes from the Episode:

• "The idea of neutrality in education is something we really try to interrupt a lot... It's actually very political." 🚫

• "We would want the teacher to see you as the center of their program." 🎯

• "The educator themselves have to have gone through that process of self-validation... to be able to make way." 💡

• "It has to be a holistic and community affair... we're all learning together to ensure that we thrive collectively." 🤝

📌 Key Insights:

• Interrupt Neutrality: Challenge the accepted curriculum as the "norm." The first step in identity-centered pedagogy is interrogating the language used to frame education, as language shapes our reality.

• Teacher Self-Validation: To effectively affirm students, the teacher must first build their own critical consciousness and unpack their personal biases, ensuring they don't replicate traumatic forms of education.

• The Student is the Curriculum: Shift the mindset to see every child who walks into the room as the center of the program. Their history, family, and stories are the knowledge to be studied.

• Build Community Capacity: Identity-conscious work cannot be done alone. School leaders must empower teachers with the permission to disrupt narratives. This holistic approach prevents burnout and allows the community to thrive collectively.

🛑 Conclusion:

Amin and Sagda deliver a powerful framework for making learning deeply relevant and affirming. Ready to move to Identity-Centered Learning and Pedagogy in your classroom, as an instructional coach, or as a curriculum leader? Learn more about their L2A four-part session on the ISS EDU website. Go lead with profound compassion! 🌍📚