The first time I consciously reflected on identity outside of education was before my TEDx experience. A colleague and friend, Mr Luvinzu, approached me with a simple yet powerful question about my hair. He then shared that he was hosting a TEDx event with the theme Identity and suggested that my story, through my hair, could be worth telling.

Professionally, my identity became more explicit while I was writing my teaching philosophy. I realised something important: the more I learn, the more my philosophy changes. And with it, so does my identity as an educator.

For a long time, I never saw identity as such a big word until I participated in the Adaptive Schools seminar.

One of the most memorable moments came when Miss Carol Brooks asked, “How many of you have heard this before?”, referring to the common response we give when asked why we do something:
“Because it has always been done this way.”

She followed this with a humorous story that highlighted an important truth: the reasons behind past practices often no longer apply to our current reality. Yet we continue them anyway. Her point was powerful, when we don’t truly understand who we are, we struggle to become adaptive.

That was when I realised just how complex identity really is.

Who are we?
Why are we doing this?
Whose needs are being met?

During the seminar, many thoughts surfaced. First, my own identity, and how deeply it is shaped by my environment. One colleague said something that stayed with me: Your identity can change depending on where you are and who you interact with.
How true, and how profound.

When we move this conversation into education, the complexity deepens. Let’s consider the identity of institutions, especially in international schools. Every five years, schools often look completely different, new leadership, new teachers, new students. How, then, can institutions remain adaptive while still holding onto who they are?

A few days later, while reading a brief from Dr. Rand, a paragraph caught my attention:

“To achieve the ‘culture of belonging’ that has long been an aspiration, we may need to shed some past practices that have contributed to distrust and fear. One area that I believe is critical to our culture is how we give and receive feedback…”

This made me reflect on how challenging adaptation can be when we consider people’s identities, their beliefs, experiences, and fears. No matter how positive or necessary new practices may be, some people strongly identify with past ways of doing things. Others may fear their leaders, even when feedback systems are designed to be safe and welcoming.

So the question becomes:
How can we ensure that the journey toward being adaptive makes people feel safe and valued?

Then Miss Carol Brooks said:
“You don’t need to reach everyone to make a difference.”

This reminded me of a conversation I once had with a colleague years ago. I was celebrating what I believed was one of the best years the institution had experienced. That same colleague was convinced it was the worst.
Same year. Same school. Completely different realities.

How much does identity shape our perception of success, change, and progress? When institutions work hard to improve, why do some feel fulfilled while others feel disconnected? Is this simply part of life?

Another powerful reminder from Miss Carol:
Doing something new is uncomfortable, but when done intentionally and consistently, it eventually becomes part of who we are.

This brings me to the many layers of identity we navigate daily:

• School identity
• Personal identity
• Colleagues’ identities
• Department identities

Teachers come and go. Students change. Leadership shifts.

How do these transitions reshape who we are?

How often have you noticed yourself change depending on the class you are teaching?

How does your identity affect your students, and how does theirs affect you?

My head is burning as I reflect on all these questions.

If you’ve made it this far, I would truly appreciate hearing your thoughts. Please share your reflections, experiences, or best practices around identity. Any perspective that helps untangle these thoughts is more than welcome.

Comment section below.