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Being safe and feeling safe are two separate tracks. One is a state of being, a physical state; the other is an emotional state. For an individual to be safe, the individual's needs must be taken care of. For an individual to feel safe, the individual must know that he/she is cared for. It is not enough for an individual to be safe. An individual must also feel safe.
Emotional Safety and Learning
I have identified three kinds of emotional safety as it is related to learning:
Feeling Safe
Pushing external boundaries and still feeling safe
Feeling safe enough to trust and challenge oneself
I find it helpful when speaking about emotions to relate it back to an experience that I have had. Therefore, I have broken down these feelings to how they relate to myself as a teacher, and how they relate to my students. I hope that through connecting to your personal experiences, you can better understand the emotional experience of your students.
1. Feeling Safe:
Knowing what to expect in one's environment, feeling safe to express emotions, feeling secure and supported in one's choices, and feelings of equity and being valued.
How it relates to me as a teacher
I was trained in safety protocols in the event of an active shooter, I know where the emergency exit is in the event of a fire. I have eaten, and I know where to go to find water. I know I can expect kind, supportive words from my colleagues. I know if I need to ask Nancy to make copies for me, I can. I know that if I need to sit down to take a break when I am teaching, I can. I know that I am safe to choose the modality to teach and to trust my expertise as a teacher.
I remember my first year of teaching (a decade ago!). My voice hurt from speaking too much yet I was afraid that if I didn't continue lecturing, I wasn’t doing my job. And I remember researching that this is common fatigue for many teachers. At that point, I was not comfortable enough (read: I did not trust myself) to use alternative teaching modalities. I was afraid that if I didn’t continue lecturing, even with a sore throat, I wasn’t doing my job as a teacher. I certainly did not feel safe then.
How it relates to my students as learners in the classroom
For my students to feel safe in the classroom, they too need to feel safe in their environment. They need to have a clear understanding of structures and procedures, of knowing what to expect. They need to know where to go if they need help, and also to know that they are in a safe space to express themselves. It means that they are in a safe learning environment and that the other students respect the learning process and will not be made fun of for making mistakes. There are established norms of learning in which each student is a vital and active member and there is equity in learning.
2. Pushing external boundaries, and feeling safe:
Understanding one's unique role within the larger community and appreciating systems and structures as it leads to both security and motivation.
How it relates to me as a teacher
I think about grade day, and how often I want to renege on my responsibility to turn my grades in on time. I see this as myself pushing the boundaries of my job--how much can I get away with? But I don't; instead, I motivate myself to finish the grades. I do this because I know the benefits and values of school systems and structures and how important it is that my grades are handed in on time. I trust the boundaries of my supportive culture, in which professionalism and it's associated responsibilities are vital. I also know that if for some reason I really can't do it, I can reach out to my administration. This is a situation of feeling safe even when I want to push the boundary.
A similar question comes up when I need to send a difficult email to a parent. I may hesitate for fear of their response, even though it is in the best interest of the student to include them. In this case, trusting the system means that I feel safe enough to send it despite my hesitation.
How it relates to my students as learners in the classroom
Feeling safe while pushing external boundaries comes when my students are not feeling motivated. I am responsible for setting up the systems to ensure that even when they test the limits (like handing in incomplete work or not doing their homework) they are in a safe space with predictable routines and systems in place so that they feel accountable, responsible, noticed, and valued. I need to establish a culture that supports students to understand and appreciate the systems and structures, so that rather than fight against it (or when in a situation of challenging it), they feel accountable and motivated by it instead.
3. Feeling safe enough to trust and challenge oneself:
Accepting uncertainty, getting out of one's comfort zone, seeking advancement and knowledge, having confidence in one's abilities, and feeling challenged and excited to try something new.
How it relates to me as a teacher
I don’t stick to one curriculum -- I constantly think about how I want to advance and develop. I remember having feelings of: But what if I fail? But what if I don't know what I am doing? Do I have the support of the administration to take risks in curriculum planning and lesson design? Can I try an alternative assessment that I feel will better assess the students, even though it is not traditional and has never been done this way before? Feeling safe allows me to take risks and to constantly challenge myself.
How it relates to my students as learners in the classroom
True learning happens when a student is comfortable and prepared to challenge him/herself. Learning happens when a student feels confident in his/her abilities. Learning sometimes requires a student to be okay with failing. Here, students feel safe enough to trust and challenge themselves: “I don’t know if I am doing this right but I am going to keep trying.” “This is harder than what I am used to but I am ready and up for the challenge!” My role here is to create a safe space where students are comfortable taking risks and excited about trying/learning new things.
Three steps to creating emotional safety for your students.
(particularly in a COVID world)
STEP 1: UNDERSTAND IT
Learning Happens AFTER emotional needs are met.
When our students return to us in September, whether via ZOOM or in the physical but socially distanced space of what we used to call a classroom, we have a vital task. We need to teach them. Some of them did not have any learning in the past 4 months and regressed, while others kept up and got so used to the distance learning that they will need to learn to readjust to being with other kids and the stresses that come along with that. We are living through a pandemic. It is traumatic, it is a big deal and it shouldn’t be minimized. Take the time to emphasize teaching and focusing on these needs. You might think that your job is to teach science, develop literacy skills, or to teach another subject, but you can’t teach content if the emotional needs of our students are not met. Just like you need to feel safe in the classroom in order to challenge yourself and to do your best teaching, students need to feel safe in the classroom in order to learn.
A simplification and misunderstanding of a teacher’s job is to say that teachers are there to teach content. The fact is that teachers are there to teach how to learn and to create the conditions to allow for learning to happen. In order to do this, we need to ensure that our students are in a safe space for learning.
STEP 2: PLAN FOR IT
These are the systems and routines you can put in place before the new year starts.
Start the year with Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Slow down and make sure students’ emotional needs are met before you introduce content, or parallel to the introduction of content. Don’t stress the official curriculum just yet! Remember, learning happens AFTER emotional needs are met.
Structure your program and routines
Students thrive off of predictability. However, COVID has taken much of that away from us. Consider the predictability you can add into your classroom that is not classroom or distance-learning specific. For example, can you start each class with a DO NOW, can you end each class with an exit slip? Do you have a system for student submissions of assignments that you can establish that is independent of students’ physical location?
Establish norms
What behaviors and expectations do you have for your students? Discuss these norms with your students and work through them. Some examples of norms are supporting peers, making eye contact, and responsible use of technology. Establish norms that support each member as an active and vital member of the class.
STEP 3: BUILD IT
These are the intentional actions that you can take every day to continuously encourage emotional safety for your students.
Recognize the trauma
No one saw this coming! Notice it, validate it, empathize with your students, and then repeat.
Create a positive atmosphere
You are the guide, you are responsible for creating the safe space for your students to learn in. Use your personality, your routines, and your insight to create an atmosphere where NO MATTER what happens (COVID or non COVID related) they can rely on you, your interactions, and the positive environment to feel safe in.
Notice the particulars (know your students)
In a distance classroom, you might say: “Hey, you brought your cat to class today!” or “I notice you’re still wearing a blanket, is it cold in your house?”
In the physical or distance space, you might say: “WOW, you must have really worked on your reading these past 5 months!” and “I notice you are engaging with your friends in such a positive manner!”
Noticing the particulars will help your students feel valued and responsible to “show up!”
Practice emotional connections and promote social behaviors
You may have to review the basics with your students, as they are “out of practice!” Some of the behaviors that can be taught are: We accept one another, we encourage one another’s learning. We do not make fun of each other. We are respectful of each other’s time. We look one another when having a whole-class discussion.
Teach risk-taking in the classroom and model making mistakes and being OKAY
According to Dr. Bruce Perry, a psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, optimal learning is driven by curiosity. However, curiosity is often stopped by fear. Encourage exploration, discovery and practice beyond one’s comfort zone. When this leads to mastery, it creates a cycle of wonder. And with mastery, a student will feel encouraged to take risks again. In this way you can build confidence, satisfaction, and pleasure of learning.*
Dr. Perry writes this about a young learner, K-2nd grade, but I find it’s relevance is much beyond this, and relates to every age in the classroom. At every age, you want to hear students saying, “I don’t know if I am doing this right but I am going to keep trying.” and “This is harder than what I am used to but I am ready and up for the challenge!” Teaching risk taking, admitting to being unsure, modeling mistakes, (AND BEING OKAY!) can push students to explore much beyond their comfort zone.
Promote accountability
Figuring out how much to push and how much to hold back will always be a challenge. Especially now, in a COVID world, it is very challenging to identify which students can benefit from responsibility and being tasked to work, and which kids have too much other stuff going on.
Recognize that in every system, students will test the limits. Be prepared for this and give quick, helpful feedback -- “You did not submit your homework last night” -- then listen and work from there. Create a system that a student feels accountable to, even if it is much less than you otherwise would have set up.
Be predictable in your interactions
According to Dr. Perry, “Safety is created by predictability, and predictability is created by consistent behaviors. And the consistency that leads to predictability does not come from rigidity in the timing of activities it comes from the consistency of interaction from the teacher. If a schedule is consistent, but the teacher is not, there is no predictability for the child. Predictability in time means less to a young child than predictability in people.”*
While Dr. Perry is speaking about young children, who does this NOT apply to?
Whether or not we are in the physical or distance space, you are their teacher, YOU can be predictable in your expectations, responses, and personality. Set non-negotiables and always stay calm.
Be predictable in YOU, as you may not be able to control where you are teaching (actually, you absolutely cannot control that!) but you can control your interactions.
AND Communicate
With uncertain times, students (and parents!) require clear and direct instructions and communications more than ever. Provide a safe space by communicating the whats, hows, and wheres.
Traditionally you may have included parents as partners in educating their child in some capacity or another. That is not a luxury right now, it is now ESSENTIAL!
Give both students and their parents clear, specific instructions and feedback. It is okay to communicate when you do not know something for sure, just be clear that it is going to be OKAY even if you don’t have the specifics right now.
TIP: If you are looking to teach social emotional skills directly to your students, search SEL and your grade level for instructional ideas.
Building emotional safety for ourselves as teachers.
Emotional safety is learned and developed along with our resilience, emotional intelligence, and life experience. So how can we encourage this safe space for ourselves?
Consider how emotionally safe you feel as it relates to your role as a teacher. If you don’t feel safe in a particular area, that doesn’t mean you need to quit your job! It means you need to learn how to cope, communicate your needs, and build culture in your environment to work on developing these feelings of trust and safety. By understanding how you feel in your environment, you are more empowered to be proactive in communicating/establishing your needs.
The safer you feel in your environment, the more of a creative and purposeful teacher you will be. If you feel safe, you will be more open to receiving feedback from the students and being critical about the issues: Is it the way you taught the material, or is it the lack of effort on the part of the student? Maybe it is something else entirely?
Work on developing your feelings of safety, security, and trust. In what areas do you feel comfortable taking risks and in what areas do you feel held back?
Trust the system and the structures that are set up to help you thrive.
Challenge yourself: Try to truly listen to student feedback with curiosity and intentionality to do what’s best for student learning. Try to lesson plan from a place of emotional safety. Recognize that it is okay to try something new, it is okay to do something differently.
Specifically when it comes to distance learning, try out various educational strategies and technologies until you find the one that fits your style and your students’ needs the best. Trust yourself. You have your own style, your own personality, you got this!
Feeling safe in your environment, feeling safe even when pushing boundaries, and feeling safe enough to trust and challenge yourself are prerequisites for each of us to do our best work.
* * *
Applying Emotion Safety Strategies
Choose 1 or 2 components of emotional safety that you are going to work on this year as a goal for your teaching.
What new insights have you learned about the emotional safety of yourself or your students?
Can you think of other important insights on emotional safety?
I would love to hear from you! Please comment below and subscribe to see new blog posts!
*To read Dr. Bruce Perry's full article on creating emotionally safe classrooms, click here.