My reflections on 2019 BAMEed Conference

I’ve been following BAMEed on Twitter for a while now. I have ‘liked’ and retweeted their tweets but this was my first time attending a BAMEed conference.

When my husband and I arrived at UEL, I was looking forward to meeting people from the network who shared my vision for equality and diversity in education.

My friend and colleague @AminaNaz was already there and was talking to a gentleman named Stephen. Stephen was so inspiring; he told us briefly about the history of BAME people in education and informed us that he was part of Obama’s presidential campaign. His words encouraged us to continue being the best versions of ourself and to accept the brilliance within us.

The opening speech by Nick Dennis was incredibly informative who asked us ‘are we in the legacy business?’ Nick asserted that we must own our own identity which is all part of the ‘same narrative of our society.’ I will certainly be implementing some of his tips in my own work environment.

It was then time for the workshops.

Our first workshop was delivered by Tanya Obeng @lifted_gifted titled ‘alternate ways of working:unlock your creativity and communication. She explained that communication is key as BAMEed teachers and leaders. At one point, she asked us to write down what makes us unique. I found it really difficult until she started questioning me. She asked me: ‘ what do you love?’ ‘Why do you love it?’ These questions helped me acknowledge that my ability to build positive relationships with young people and adults was what made me unique. This, she said, was part of my toolkit.

Tanya also encouraged us to think about the assumptions we think others have of us and why we think this about ourselves. It was really interesting to discuss why I thought others perceived me in a particular way, even though this may not be the case. It’s already challenging me to think differently about myself. Thank you @lifted_gifted for a great session!

Golden nugget: ‘When you understand yourself, you understand your toolkit.’

The second workshop was delivered by @worldafroday’s founder Michelle De Leon. It was a thought provoking session. She explored the importance of authenticity and the need for diversity in education. I love the idea of World Afro Day and it is clear that this is a significant movement towards equality through knowledge and away from ignorance.

Golden nugget: ‘Bringing your A game to the workplace means bringing your authenticity.’

It was lovely catching up with some wonderful and inspiring BAMEed colleagues and meeting some of my twitter role models- Amjad and Allana.

Unfortunately, I had to leave early but I had a fantastic morning and look forward to becoming a coach to support other BAMEed colleagues succeed.

Thank you for organising a brilliant conference @BAMEed

Let’s keep the conversation going.

Thank you for reading.

Yamina