Blog #1: Safe Spaces
In this blog post, I’ll present one point from each reading that I believe is worth discussing, all of which relate to creating comfortable spaces for students and teachers in the classroom.
In Matthew Kay’s “Not Light, But Fire,” he first mentions what it means to facilitate a “safe space” in the classroom. For students and teachers, the definition of this term will have different meanings. Kay provides numerous strategies for teachers to establish a safe space with their students, one being what he deems the “foundation of such spaces”: listening (Kay 16). He next asks the reader to question what active listening is, and how it will help the student. Active listening is crucial in helping students feel that they are learning in a safe space. So how do we, as teachers, ensure that our listening strategies are most beneficial to students? Kay lists certain traits teachers should exhibit when actively listening, such as making eye contact, being patient, and staying focused when a student is speaking. Often times, students come to teachers for advice, whether it be academic or life advice. To ensure that students feel they are being supported in a safe environment during these conversations, I believe that the teachers should guide students through the conversation by prompting points of discussion, rather than telling the student what the outcome should be. For example, if a student comes to a teacher because they need help in making a big decision, the teacher should patiently listen to the student and practice active listening skills by asking more questions to help the student have a deeper understanding of the issue at hand. If the teacher is distracted in the conversation by trying to come up with a solution for the student, not only is the teacher unfocused, but the student may feel that they are not being listened to. Therefore, active listening should have a place in every classroom between students and teachers.
In Angela Stockman’s and Ellen Gray’s “Hacking School Culture: Designing Compassionate Classrooms,” the authors stress the importance of creating a classroom environment that is founded on compassion. They argue that if classrooms exhibit compassion, the overall educational experience is improved. One strategy teachers can implement in creating compassion in the classroom, according to Stockman and Gray, is to create compassion for themselves. If students recognize that teachers are respecting themselves, the students will respect them and their peers, as well. “When we are vulnerable with our students, they respect us for it. It’s one way we become human” (Stockman & Gray 16). I think that new teachers sometimes have this attitude that they need to have every second of their lessons planned and have to know the answers to every question a student asks in order for their students to respect them. What Stockman and Gray are arguing is that vulnerability in a teacher makes students respect them more because it makes teachers seem more approachable and human. If more new teachers have the mindset that they themselves are learning with their students, their classroom will be more comfortable and compassionate.
In Linda Christensen’s Teaching for Joy and Justice, she also emphasizes the importance of creating safe spaces in classrooms for the benefit of students and teachers. Specifically, she mentions ways teachers can make their teaching more relevant to their population of students to enhance their educational experience. Christensen argues, “When we create writing assignments that call students’ memories into the classroom, we honor their heritage and their stories as worthy of study” (Christensen 4). Making content relevant to students, such as assigning a personal writing piece allows students to be able to share who they are in a comfortable environment. This is a way teachers can promote and celebrate diversity and culture in the classroom. If students feel comfortable in the classroom, they are more likely to share their experiences with their teacher and peers.
In Matthew Kay’s “Not Light, But Fire,” he first mentions what it means to facilitate a “safe space” in the classroom. For students and teachers, the definition of this term will have different meanings. Kay provides numerous strategies for teachers to establish a safe space with their students, one being what he deems the “foundation of such spaces”: listening (Kay 16). He next asks the reader to question what active listening is, and how it will help the student. Active listening is crucial in helping students feel that they are learning in a safe space. So how do we, as teachers, ensure that our listening strategies are most beneficial to students? Kay lists certain traits teachers should exhibit when actively listening, such as making eye contact, being patient, and staying focused when a student is speaking. Often times, students come to teachers for advice, whether it be academic or life advice. To ensure that students feel they are being supported in a safe environment during these conversations, I believe that the teachers should guide students through the conversation by prompting points of discussion, rather than telling the student what the outcome should be. For example, if a student comes to a teacher because they need help in making a big decision, the teacher should patiently listen to the student and practice active listening skills by asking more questions to help the student have a deeper understanding of the issue at hand. If the teacher is distracted in the conversation by trying to come up with a solution for the student, not only is the teacher unfocused, but the student may feel that they are not being listened to. Therefore, active listening should have a place in every classroom between students and teachers.
In Angela Stockman’s and Ellen Gray’s “Hacking School Culture: Designing Compassionate Classrooms,” the authors stress the importance of creating a classroom environment that is founded on compassion. They argue that if classrooms exhibit compassion, the overall educational experience is improved. One strategy teachers can implement in creating compassion in the classroom, according to Stockman and Gray, is to create compassion for themselves. If students recognize that teachers are respecting themselves, the students will respect them and their peers, as well. “When we are vulnerable with our students, they respect us for it. It’s one way we become human” (Stockman & Gray 16). I think that new teachers sometimes have this attitude that they need to have every second of their lessons planned and have to know the answers to every question a student asks in order for their students to respect them. What Stockman and Gray are arguing is that vulnerability in a teacher makes students respect them more because it makes teachers seem more approachable and human. If more new teachers have the mindset that they themselves are learning with their students, their classroom will be more comfortable and compassionate.
In Linda Christensen’s Teaching for Joy and Justice, she also emphasizes the importance of creating safe spaces in classrooms for the benefit of students and teachers. Specifically, she mentions ways teachers can make their teaching more relevant to their population of students to enhance their educational experience. Christensen argues, “When we create writing assignments that call students’ memories into the classroom, we honor their heritage and their stories as worthy of study” (Christensen 4). Making content relevant to students, such as assigning a personal writing piece allows students to be able to share who they are in a comfortable environment. This is a way teachers can promote and celebrate diversity and culture in the classroom. If students feel comfortable in the classroom, they are more likely to share their experiences with their teacher and peers.
You have strong organizational skills.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that. It helped me to "get" the connections that you are making among the readings here.
I agree with you that active listening is one of the primary ways that teachers can get to know their students and establish a "safe" space.