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Backgrounder: Rationale and Process
At the 2018 AGM for the British Columbia Teachers of English as
an Additional Language (BCTEAL), a motion was passed to prepare,
present, and ratify a bullying and harassment policy statement, with
clear language in place in the event of discrimination or harassment by
our next AGM. Considering BCTEAL’s various roles and responsibilities,
the newly struck Advocacy committee was charged with drafting a policy
that would address what to do in case of conflict. In researching peer
organizations’ similar policies, however, I felt most were perfunctory
or punitive, revealing an opportunity to be and say more as an
organization that represents such varied communities and performs a wide
range of functions. While admittedly intimidating, here was an
opportunity to ‘be all things to all participants’ and position
ourselves and our statements in a more proactive, guiding way rather
than reductive and reactive.
The Advocacy committee met online several times and drafted the
Respectful Interactions Guidelines, which we then took to regional
events around the province for face to face feedback sessions with the
conference participants. In an attempt to share them with the broader
membership, I also prepared an introduction and submitted them to the
BCTEAL Newsletter for further comment. The Advocacy committee met again
to compile and incorporate the feedback received; the following BCTEAL
Respectful Interactions Guidelines were unanimously ratified at the 2019
BCTEAL conference:
BCTEAL Respectful Interactions Guidelines framework
BCTEAL strives to provide a supportive and stimulating
environment for professional development and growth for our various
members and community affiliations. As such, we aim to foster inclusive,
collegial, and respectful interactions and have created the following
Respectful Interactions guidelines:
- Engaging in speaking and questioning in respectful and appropriate ways
- Considering the implications that your comments or remarks have on others
- Taking responsibility for your actions
- Acting in a collegial manner
- Supporting a dynamic and engaging dialogue
When defining these terms, BCTEAL recognizes and celebrates the
diversity within our field and includes the following factors: life
experience, cultural background, religious or political affiliation,
gender or sexual orientation, physical or health capacity, and
employment status. Despite the persistent underlying power differences
within society that have privileged certain cultures, languages,
genders, abilities, and identities, BCTEAL expects respectful and
inclusive interactions. As such, we remind ourselves to make space for
the backgrounds and opinions of others, even when they challenge our
own. We acknowledge that participants in our community may represent
different breadth and depth of experience and expertise and different
cultural stances; the principles of humility and openness enhance
respectful interactions across differences.
Recognition and exploration of difference can lead to greater
insight, empathy, and professional growth; we must insist on respectful
interactions in all dealings associated with BCTEAL and when
representing the organization when engaging with the larger
community.
By joining the Association of BC Teachers of English as an
Additional Language as a conference delegate or presenter, as a member
of the Board of Directors, as a contractual or regular employee, or for
any other online or in-person event, you agree to abide by and support
our Respectful Interactions guidelines.
Conflict is a reality, and positive engagement with it can
generate deeper understanding and respect. Dismissing the differences and the importance of those differences can
unintentionally lead to hurt feelings, silencing, bullying, and even
harassment. This undermines the principles of inclusion and growth
BCTEAL seeks to foster and, therefore, cannot be condoned through our
inaction. BC TEAL is committed to the formative growth of the membership
through feedback through respectful interactions. Those who fail to
respect and enact these guidelines may be asked to leave the event and
membership and may be prevented from participating in future BCTEAL
associated activities.
Looking ahead: Operationalizing and expanding our focus
As is, the Respectful Interactions Guidelines do not have
formal or internalized support in the form of implementation and
enforcement; this is our next scope of work. We put out a call for
proposals for implementing the RIGs, with an explicit criterion that
such an initiative would be to build capacity in our organization as a
whole, moving from policy to culture. In a move away from “one and done”
workshops that rarely make a lasting impact, we are currently reviewing
a plan to have a series of sessions that produce sustainable resources
and artifacts to archive, refer to, and build upon as our association
continues to support EAL in British Columbia. As this may be a
significant expenditure, we need to prioritize the sustainability of
monitoring and supporting the guidelines within and by a primarily
volunteer-run organization.
Jennifer Walsh Marr teaches academic writing and discourse
analysis at UBC Vantage College, a first year program offering embedded,
disciplinary English language support. Her research and writing have
focused on multilingual students’ identity formation shifts in
transitional and transformative contexts, on intercultural learning and
teaching, and SFL informed pedagogy for paraphrasing. She is the
1st VP of BCTEAL and chair of the Advocacy
committee. She has the unfair advantage of working with the following
exceptionally talented, organized and passionate Advocacy committee
members: Amea Wilbur, Beth Konomoto, Diana Jeffries, Indi Kaur, and Sara
Yuen to draft policy and take on many of the world’s
problems.
References:
With content from BCTEAL newsletter
https://www.bcteal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/TEAL-News-Fall-2018-FINAL.pdf |
