11 May 01

A Matter of "Safety"

The ‘Observation’ form for PMS includes a reference to ‘safety’ in the classroom. Section 4 (Student Management, Part c) states;
"…develop positive and safe physical and emotional environments:"
The criteria are:
"…developing strategies to encourage students and to engender a culture of learning, with no ridicule, ‘put downs’, racist or sexual overtones. Ensuring the physical environment is safe."

Staff have asked for a clarification of these criteria.

What is a ‘safe’ physical and emotional environment?

Defining a ‘safe physical environment’ is easy. When the Nor-Wester blows strong and hot, keep the windows on the north side of the room closed to prevent slamming and possible breaking of glass. If a nail or screw is projecting from a desk, ask for the desk to be repaired.

Defining a ‘safe emotional environment’ has broader possibilities and implications. If a child does not feel emotionally safe in your classroom, learning does not happen.

Emotional safety includes these aspects:

1. Belonging
   If a child complies with the standards you set and is approved by compliment for their compliance, their ‘safety’ is enhanced.
   e.g. during a discussion, the rule that ‘one person speaks at a time’, gives value to the comments the child makes as well as teaching courtesy.
2. Achieving
   If a child achieves by meeting your expectations or the expectations of the school, their ‘safety’ is enhanced.
   e.g. Scoring well in assessments or gaining quality examination passes is expected behaviour at this school.
3. Consistency
   If your classroom management is consistent, the expectations you have are explained and applied consistently, the child feels safe.
   e.g. In most cases, students prefer a predictable teacher; predictable emotionally; predictable in applying disciplinary measures; predictable management techniques…
4. Meaning
   Regardless of what syllabus writers think and what teachers preach, if the child can see no personal meaning in the class work, the potential for ‘connecting’, belonging and feeling safe is greatly reduced.
5. Acting as a role model
   Students often say that teachers are adults who appear to have survived a complex world. If the child can be told or shown how to negotiate the traps and obstacles of life, their safety is enhanced.

There are some related issues. ‘Belonging’ and ‘achieving’ are connected. In an academic school, many students gain their sense of belonging by achieving. They feel ‘good enough to belong’. This contributes to their feelings of being safe. Unfortunately, high achievers may develop a sense of having to achieve at a certain level to sustain approval/a sense of belonging. Perfectionism lurks.

What about the child who cannot ‘achieve’ academically? How does this issue contribute to feelings of being safe? In this case, our obligation is to find alternatives for ‘achievement’. One of the valuable aspects of the CoRT programme for low achievers is the potential the thinking tools have for increasing student self esteem which arises from being ‘safe’. There are other possibilities.

A psychologist I collided with recently, commenting about safety at school noted that, for many children, an inner city gang was a safer place than school. In the gang, despite its antisocial behaviour, there was friendship, a sense of affinity, belonging, an ability to meet gang rules, and so on. The speculation is not outrageous.

Graeme