You’re Safe Here

I was in the 5th grade, it happened during a Math class. As we all tried to solve a problem, the teacher called my name and asked me to walk up to the board. In front of the whole class, I was asked to solve a math problem, and after saying I couldn’t, the teacher responded, “it looks like someone hasn’t been paying attention.”

The shame immediately transformed into disconnect, and my brain said, ”you will never be good at Math.” That moment didn’t teach me much about the importance of focusing, nor did it help me understand whatever Math strategy the teacher was trying to get us to learn. I have friends who’ve had similar experiences at school, and they remember being put on the spot by a teacher and feeling like their weaknesses were exposed like dirty laundry.

I never really thought of the significance of that moment back in the 5th grade, because, for the most part, I just remembered it as yet another awkward school experience. It wasn’t until I started learning about emotional safety in the classroom that I realized why that memory tasted so bitter.

Today I thrive to do better than my 5th-grade teacher just by staying current on emotional literacy and best practices. When I plan activities for my students, I aim for safety rather than forcing engagement. It’s important to me that they feel like no one is out to get them, or they will be obligated to do anything they’re not ready for.

To me, creating safe learning environments truly matters. But what does it look like? Here’s what I believe works:

• When doing a whole-class activity that includes individual participation, I explain it and model it, then I tell students that it’s ok to pass and do it one-on-one with a partner or myself.
• I ask young children their permission to have them read out loud to the rest of the class. This one, to me, is a no brainer.
• Rather than calling on hands that go up during a lesson, I ask students to turn and tell a partner. This supports engagement just as much as safety.
• If I do want students to feel comfortable sharing something with the whole group, I plan for layers of understanding: listen to your teacher think aloud, turn and talk to a partner, stop and jot, and then share with the class. Some students are anxious that their ideas aren’t right or don’t match, and hearing others saying similar ideas gives them the confidence to share.
• When attending a whole-school activity in which students will have to perform, I let them know ahead of time to allow them to sit and watch. If they are expected to participate somehow, I invite them to think of a way to be part of the performance that makes them feel comfortable.
• When partnering students for classwork, I make sure there is a connection with that other student. A partnership should feel like a support system rather than a mirror of weaknesses, which often happens when students are paired up by achievement levels.
• When providing students with feedback or a rubric, I am careful to word each statement as an area for improvement rather than something they are lacking. I also avoid including grade levels as levels of performance, because performing at different grade levels shouldn’t mean you’re more or less. This often means rewriting lots of rubrics!

These are just a few that are now at the front of most of my planning. I imagine how different my school experience would have been if these were current conversations back then, and even when I can’t do much about the past, I can write this post today and hope that someone finds it meaningful.

To wrap up, something my friend Trillian and I often talk about and is that these ideas aren’t just for students in the classroom. They easily apply to adults in a room for professional development or a staff meeting! Even as a confident adult, nothing gets me more anxious than being put on the spot by being asked to share something out loud (without having time to process), read something out loud (without having time to prepare), or engage in an embarrassing “ice breaker.” Adults should also feel safe in their learning environments!