Ensuring Psychological Safety

To create a classroom where students feel they will not be judged, punished or humiliated for making and learning from mistakes certain conditions must be met. I can be myself because we work to create the following environment. Many of the conditions are modeled by many including the work by Harvard Organization Behavior Scientist, Dr. Amy Edmonson who came up with the term, "team psychological safety".

• The physical environment must feel safe both inside and outside the classroom. Threats to physical safety will not be tolerated. Why? To ensure the classroom is peaceful and democratic.

  • Immediate consequence.

• The physical classroom is arranged to honor diversity. Why? To encourage exposure to new ideas and personalities to maximize new learning opportunities.

• Students want to participate and they enjoy their participation. Emotional engagement requires that bullying of any kind cannot be tolerated. The curriculum is developed to minimize anxiety and stress while building interest, fun and ultimately happiness.

  • Warnings are rarely given. Instead there is an immediate consequence.

  • Allow students to retake any test , at any time, to improve their grade from as low as an F to an A.

  • Lessons are differentiated to allow for different learning styles. Lighten the mood by always playing music when teams are discussing problems.

    • All lessons explain why we are learning the math concept.

• Demonstrating active involvement by paying attention, participating, working on tasks to understand the assignment. Behavioral engagement occurs when it is clear to any observer that students are involved in their learning.

  • Effort is expected at all times. This is one area where anxiety may occur because I will not allow a student to say "I don't know" or accept nonsensical responses because they do not take the time to think.

• Interactions between students and teacher to student are encouraged. This social engagement contributes to the student experience.

  • Teams and differing team roles play a key role to encourage student interaction

• Students contribute to their own learning. Agentic engagement is encouraged by getting students to rely on themselves (learning partners and teams) and others (student mentors) to learn.

  • As a teacher this means I develop a teaching style and pedagogy that deemphasizes me (focus is on developing personal, coaching and mentoring relationships).

• Honest, constructive feedback is given which may include difficult conversations. Why? Honesty and candor requires acknowledging problems to solve them.

  • I make decisions based on principles and am willing to accept whatever results based on my actions

• Build trust. Avoid blaming.

  • I will not allow students to blame another student for any issue. If I mess up I will take accountability for my mistake publicly and apologize where needed.

• Struggle is good. Both teacher and student freely acknowledge mistakes and demonstrate additional steps to master material.

  • I will work and interact with students rather than just speak in front of the classroom, acknowledge mistakes and thank student for correcting me in front of the class..

• Cognitive engagement.

If the above is completed a welcoming environment has been created