Relearning Education: Kwame Sarfo-Mensah on Creating Inclusive Classrooms

Kwame Sarfo-Mensah is an educational changemaker, known for his dedication to bringing social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion into schools. As the founder of Identity Talk 4 Educators, a global educational consulting firm, Kwame is doing instrumental work; empowering K-12 educators to become identity-affirming teachers. His work is grounded in anti-bias, anti-racist (ABAR) education principles, aiming to dismantle systemic biases and foster inclusive learning environments. His latest book, Learning to Relearn, provides a powerful roadmap for teachers who want to challenge their own biases, embrace diversity, and support intersectional student identities. The book offers practical strategies and insights, encouraging educators to create classrooms that not only acknowledge but celebrate the richness of every student's identity. In today’s episode, we are joined by Kwame Sarfo-Mensah, who shares insights from Learning to Relearn and discusses the journey toward becoming more intentional in creating culturally affirming classrooms. With a background as a middle school math teacher and a current role as a consultant and author, Kwame brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this conversation. He talks about the importance of unlearning and relearning, the role of self-reflection in teaching, and the need for educators to evolve continuously to meet the diverse needs of their students.  Episode Timestamps [02:20] Guest Introduced [03:15] Self-Publishing a Second Book [04:10] Inspiration for “Learning to ReLearn” [5:15] Kwame’s Journey with Identity & Creating Space for Third Culture Kids [07:26] Being in Community with Representation [10:00] Representation in all Aspects of Learning [11:10] Humility is the Key [12:42] No Community is a Monolith [15:12] What New Teachers Need to Understand [17:10] Kwame’s Classroom, “Identity Talk 4 Educators LIVE” [19:40] Creating a Sense of Home [20:30] This Book will be Banned! [21:20] How Can Teachers Stay True to their Principles? [22:15] Where to find “Learning 2 ReLearn” [23:10] “Identity Talk” Consulting [24:20] Concluding Remarks Notable Quotes “It is essential for us to create an inclusive space of belonging where children can come and be their authentic selves. They can be whoever they want to be. They can express themselves the way they want without consequence, regardless of what their identity markers are [...] they can come into this space and not have to feel marginalized or leave some parts of who they are at the door.” “So whatever thoughts we had about this particular host country and the staff that are within the country, it’s my responsibility to take on the role as student and learn from them. Because they are coming with funds of knowledge that I need to tap into.” Let’s Connect Connect With Kwame Sarfo-Mensah LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwame-sarfo-mensah/ Podcast: Identity Talk 4 Educators LIVE Website: www.identitytalk4educators.com Connect With Mike Pierre LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-pierre/ Connect With Dana Specker-Watts https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaspeckerwatts/ Connect With Celiah Bunsie https://www.linkedin.com/in/celiah-bunsie-11406a64/ Connect With Katlyn Darling https://www.linkedin.com/in/katlyn-darling-7019558a/ More Resources Head over iss.idu to check out ISS website for events and more. Sign up for Moreland University to elevate your career as an educator at www.moreland.edu Join the community of professional educators considering the role of inclusion in the classroom culture at seniainternational.org Check out inspirecitizens who inspire schools to live their mission of global citizenship at inspirecitizens.org