Imagine stepping into a room filled with educators, both experienced and new to the profession. During the last period of the day, a powerful exercise called the “Feelings Floor Check” is underway. As a pulse check activity, it brings seven teachers together to explore their emotions and foster a sense of connection and empathy. As a facilitator of this transformative process, I witnessed a remarkable exchange that unfolded within the group.

A Safe Space for Vulnerability

As the activity began, the first-year teachers positioned themselves near feeling words such as sad, bad, or fearful, while the more experienced teachers gravitated towards the inclusive “other” card, representing emotions that defy categorization. One courageous educator expressed feeling a mix of emotions, explaining how different situations and times of the day could evoke various feelings. A brief moment of shared laughter eased the tension, setting the stage for a deeply supportive exchange.

Sharing Burdens and Triumphs

Moved by the atmosphere of understanding, one of the first-year teachers bravely raised her hand, signaling her need to unburden herself. She candidly admitted to feeling bad, overwhelmed by the mistakes she believed she had made with her students, fearing that she had irreparably affected their lives. Her two fellow first-year teachers empathetically nodded in agreement, acknowledging the struggle of facing students after making errors. Negative emotions were openly expressed, fostering a sense of shared vulnerability.

Wisdom from the Community

Drawing on their collective experience, the seasoned educators closed the distance between themselves and the younger teachers. A veteran educator with 26 years of teaching compassionately shared her memories of making countless mistakes during her first year, expecting the principal to intervene and dismiss her. Another experienced teacher reassured the first-year cohort that making mistakes during the initial years was a natural part of the learning process. A collective sigh of relief ensued as the younger teachers felt comforted by the nurturing presence of their more experienced peers.

Supporting Each Other

Moved by the genuine display of care, the last remaining young educator found her voice, prompting the seasoned teachers to gather around and envelop the younger ones in a literal embrace. Tears flowed freely, underscoring the depth of emotions evoked by this profound exchange. The power of shame was skillfully managed within the supportive confines of the community.

A Renewed Sense of Purpose

As the session concluded, the room gradually emptied, but not before one seasoned educator shared a revelation with her colleague. She confessed that she had contemplated not returning for another year, but a higher power had intervened, showing her a greater purpose. Pointing towards the younger educators, she acknowledged how this transformative experience had solidified her commitment to teaching and affirmed her role in supporting the next generation of educators.

Through the “Feelings Floor Check,” educators can find solace, reassurance, and renewed purpose by creating a safe space for vulnerability, fostering empathy, and sharing collective experiences. The journey of teaching is one filled with challenges, mistakes, and growth, and it is through the support of a nurturing community that educators can thrive and positively impact the lives of their students.

We take seriously the weight we carry, our commitments and seek help

What came first: the leader or the follower? Ujima (collective work and responsibility) answers that these positions were born at the same time. As leaders, we are anchored within community, it is our moral obligation—in service to the group and to ourselves—that we ensure equity of work and responsibility. Equity guarantees that all members of a community have what they need to be productive while examining the structures, policies and procedures that enable oppression and marginalization. What does this look like? First and foremost, a leader is a servant of the community, not a superior to it. Ujima suggests that we must be attuned to the diverse needs of the collective and adopt them as if they were our own. This looks like listening and applying as much attention to the affective growth of the organization as we would to its cognitive development. Essentially, it is not enough for the leader to be positioned at the head of an organization; they must also be centered at the heart. Like the African proverb says, “He who refuses to obey cannot command.” After all, there is no leader without a following. And it is only when our communities choose to follow, that a leader is given real meaning.

If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.

African Proverb

To better grasp this principle, let us, for a moment, reflect upon the metaphysical relationship between leader and follower. As with all relationships, this sacred bond is consummated through connection. Contrary to Western ideology, the spirit of Umoja (unity) posits that leadership intuitively depends on connection over control. It is therefore critical that we are centered in the awareness of our communities’ humanity, to better serve them and ourselves. In the absence of a strong connection, our organizations and institutions are likely to exist in a dichotomous, inhumane relationship. This could look like the corporate ladder, where status and wealth are predetermined by a hierarchy of positions that do not collectively interact. The principle of Ujima, however, emphasizes complementarity through collective responsibility. In other words, an inherent twinness connects the leader and follower. After all, these positions were created simultaneously and are, therefore, interrelated. 

Where does Ujima begin? Connection starts with how we communicate. To be effective communicators and, therefore, effective leaders, we must hold true to the weight of our words. Communication breathes life and energy into our collective needs and responsibilities. After all, words hold power. There is power in the significance of a promise, just as there is power in the shame of a reprimand. However, leaders should not misinterpret this power to be one-sided. Ujima ends in our failed commitments.  If our words bear no weight, then the community will be uncommitted to their responsibilities. Refuse to operate as a collective, disregard the communities’ humanity, and ignore their communication, and you will have a community without a leader. Ujima teaches that our responsibility is to the community, and our work is the struggle. This principle underlines the Akoben Way as we seek to lead our communities in the struggle to serve.

The Student Champion Program (SCP) was launched on February 8^th, 2023, at Skyline Middle School as an exploratory designed to nurture leadership skills, offer training on restorative practices and equity, and create community among students. Currently, the program has a cohort of eleven eighth graders, mostly Black and Brown boys, who already have welcomed vulnerability within the classroom by opening up about the school-to-prison pipeline, household traumas, and personal experiences of shame.

In fact, by our second lesson, two students, Suhaul and Jayden, were openly sharing their admiration of each other’s observed leadership skills—within the context of basketball—and readily admitted how their connection encouraged them to not only play better but also lead better. After some time, it is clear that students are especially responsive when asked about their lived experiences and seem eager to share their stories as if they were being told for the very first time.

As the program facilitator, I conjecture that these open conversations will be critical in developing the students’ collective curiosity and individual introspection. Another of our students, Steven, has also been vocal about his understanding of the material so far and when asked, was able to provide succinct definitions for terms like the restorative paradigm, trauma-informed practices, and agency & assets. This is especially impressive when we consider that we are only entering the fourth lesson this month, and these young leaders are already learning concepts that are still being introduced to schools worldwide. Indeed, the SCP was developed to educate students on a plethora of subjects related to leadership, such as relationship building, open communication, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and empathy.

To begin this journey, Akoben is crafting an environment that equips students with skills that once only belonged to teachers and staff. Essentially, the SCP endeavors to create proactive learning spaces for future leaders by orienting them to a paradigm that will advance their relationships and attitudes. The current cohort is expected to graduate from the program in late April and will therefore provide further information about the process of becoming a Student Champion.