"If you really want to sustain any kind of change around DEIJB, it has to be informed by, driven by, led by members of the local culture."
— Rachel Cannon, DEIJ Hot Takes Podcast with Daryl Sinclair
At 7:15 a.m., in the hallways and courtyards of my school, teachers rush to their classrooms, families drop off their children, and staff members are on the move—solving problems and keeping the school running. Everyone is in motion, ready to begin the day.
But if you pause and listen closely, you’ll hear something else: the familiar rhythm of morning greetings in West Africa.
“Good morning.”
“How is your family?”
“Did you sleep well?”
For those of us who tend to rush—myself included—it’s easy to wonder, “Don’t they have somewhere to be?” Of course they do. But here, nothing is more important than stopping to greet each person you pass, preferably by name. It’s a daily reminder that people matter. We all matter. In every school community.
Now, it’s tempting to say, “That kind of connection works in national schools where turnover is low, and colleagues may have known each other’s families for generations. But in international schools—with high turnover and an ever-changing cast of new names and faces—isn’t that just pretending?” It’s a fair point. And it names a very real challenge.
But I’d argue that this is exactly why intentional community-building is more important than ever in international schools—where so many people feel like they don’t truly belong, as if they’re just passing through on a longer journey.
So what’s the purpose of all this? Why invest in these micro-moments—these small acts of connection, of presence, of seeing someone for who they are? Because a school community without a foundation of care and connection won’t respond well to policies that try to mandate inclusion or shift behavior. Any compliance will be surface-level at best—performative, and certainly not sustainable. This is why lasting, systemic change begins not with policy, but with micro-actions.
Micro-interactions are those brief moments in passing when you take a second to truly acknowledge someone. These interactions may seem small, but they’re doing important work behind the scenes. Our brains are constantly scanning for signs of safety or danger—what neuroscientist Dr. Stephen Porges refers to as “neuroception.” A smile, eye contact, a warm greeting—all of these send a simple yet powerful message: you’re safe here; you belong here.
When someone feels seen and valued, their brain releases oxytocin, a hormone connected to trust and bonding. That feeling of connection opens people up—to learning, to relationships, to fully engaging in a community. But when someone is ignored, excluded, or overlooked—even unintentionally—it activates the same part of the brain that processes physical pain. It hurts.
So, it’s not just about being polite. These small, everyday interactions are actively shaping the culture of our schools. They create the conditions for trust to develop—and without trust, even the best-intentioned efforts to foster fairness and inclusion will not be sustainable. This is the foundation. This is where meaningful, lasting change begins.
Examples of these micro-interactions include greeting someone by name as you pass them in the hallway, asking the custodian how their day is going when they come to clean your room, checking in with a colleague or student about something personal they’ve shared—like how their mom is feeling if they mentioned she was ill, helping a new teacher navigate local customs, making room at your lunch table when someone approaches, greeting someone in their home language (even if you only know a few words), acknowledging the hard work of colleagues or students, or simply smiling at someone even when you're not in the best mood. These are all examples of micro-interactions that help weave stronger connections within our community.
The goal of schools is to teach students, and at my school, as in many others, we aim to teach them holistically. Just as we model strategies in math, reading, and writing, it's also important to model positive micro-interactions that help students become kinder and more inclusive. When senior leadership, including Heads of Schools, model these interactions, it encourages the community to follow suit, building trust from the top down.
Some ways school leaders can model positive micro-interactions include attending local staff gatherings and learning common greetings in the local language. These small gestures should become a regular part of daily life, as consistency is what builds the trust we seek to foster.
Local leadership is key to sustaining efforts to foster inclusion and belonging, as many staff on international contracts simply do not stay in schools long enough to see initiatives through. Often, when the person leaves, the initiative fails. Fostering inclusion and belonging in schools should be tied to systems, not individuals; but key people keeping those systems afloat should always represent members of the local staff.
Furthermore, the norms of non-local staff often differ from local cultural customs. When we do not center the culture of our host country in initiatives related to inclusion and belonging, we are continuing the cycle of colonization, which is the opposite of the outcome we desire.
In my school, we have two Inclusion & Belonging coordinators—one originally from outside the country (me) and one local (Abby Ajetomobi). There have been numerous times when Abby has helped me recognize how I was imposing my American cultural perspective or simply being unaware of Nigerian norms and customs. She grounds our work in Nigeria, ensuring the roots of our efforts grow deep.
Building a culture of inclusion doesn’t always require a massive overhaul. Sometimes, it’s the smallest things—what we do in the in-between moments—that make the biggest difference. Here are a few practical micro-interactions that any educator can try to help build trust and connection in their school community:
| Action | What it Looks Like |
| Greet people in multiple languages | Use someone’s home language to say good morning—especially if it’s not your own. It’s a small gesture that goes a long way in honoring identity and culture. |
| Celebrate birthdays and culturally meaningful milestones | Remembering a colleague’s birthday or acknowledging a holiday they celebrate says, “I see you.” It shows care and signals that everyone matters. |
| Sit with someone new at lunch or professional development | Break out of your usual circle. Sitting with someone you don’t know well builds bridges—and often leads to the best conversations. |
| Invite support staff to assemblies and events | Don’t just assume they’re not interested or unavailable. Extend the invitation. It reminds everyone that they’re a vital part of the school community. |
Alone, these moments might seem like no big deal. But collectively they create culture. They shape how people feel when they walk into work each day.
Writer and activist adrienne maree brown talks about something called emergent strategy—the idea that small actions repeated over time lead to big, transformative change. That’s what this idea is. Inclusion doesn’t just live in our policies or mission statements. It lives in our hallways, in our staff rooms, in our everyday choices. That’s how we build something that lasts. One micro-moment at a time.
Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown
This is a great book to learn about driving change in schools. The essence of this article really comes from her belief that change doesn’t happen in one fell swoop but instead over time through small, fractal shifts in behavior.
This concept comes from the African Diaspora and reminds us to mentor our peers and share our knowledge. Power, knowledge, and talent hoarding go against this wisdom. Embodying this philosophy ensures everyone in our schools is both a teacher and a learner. It sends the message that everyone has something valuable to offer.
In this podcast, I explain how micro-interactions cultivate the soil needed to plant sound policy in. I also detail how cultivating a culture of micro-interactions is key to sustainable change.
At the end of the day, it’s not policies that build belonging—it’s people.
So I invite you to pause and really think: How are you showing up in the in-between moments? When you're walking down the hallway, grabbing a cup of coffee, passing someone on the stairs—are you choosing connection? Because that’s where culture lives, not just in mission statements or professional development slides, but in micro-moments. And as you reflect on your inclusion work, ask yourself: Whose culture is at the center of it? Who does it truly serve?
If we want our efforts to last—if we want them to matter—we need to ground them in the culture of the people who are rooted in the place. That’s what makes the work sustainable. That’s what makes it real.
Rachel Cannon is an educator based at the American International School of Lagos (AISL), where she is committed to fostering a school environment where all students and staff feel connected, valued, and seen. She is passionate about creating meaningful change through small, everyday interactions that help build strong, inclusive communities. Rachel also co-facilitates initiatives focused on cultural competency and community-building in schools.
You can connect with Rachel on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cannonrachel/
