The Silent Language of a Safe Classroom

Source: Unsplash (@2y.kang)

Okie dokie, real talk here. School can be… a lot. You’ve got your backpack full of notes, a head full of half-formed thoughts, and a low-level humming of anxiety that follows you from class to class. It’s like, “Am I gonna get called on? What if my answer is wrong? Did everyone else do the reading except me?”

We all know about safety already. Remember those fire drills where we all shuffled outside? Or those anti-bullying assemblies where we all gathered in the gym? But, there’s this other kind of safety that nobody really talks about, and I’d say it’s just as important. You know the one - the feeling you get in that one class where you can actually breathe and focus.

For me, it was my social studies class! It’s not the subject exactly - I still mix up my centuries - it’s the vibe. In that room, it’s okay to be wrong! It’s okay to ask the question everyone’s thinking about, but is too afraid to ask. It’s like everyone silently agreed to leave their egos at the door. In fact, here’s the secret I’ve figured out about it: that vibe doesn’t just magically happen because of our teacher. Sure, Mr. G was great, but we, the students, created that safe space just as much as he did.  You can too, in any of your classes. It’s truly about the tiny, human choices we make every day. 

It starts with the eyes. Okay, hear me out. When someone gives an answer that’s totally off base, what does your face do or show? Do you glance at your friend and share a look? That little look might just be a door slamming shut. Now, we don’t have to pretend an incorrect answer is brilliant, but try to keep our expressions a bit more neutral. Respect everyone’s answers, because as we probably know, it takes a ton of bravery to answer a question we’re not sure about! Maybe start nodding a little, like you’re considering it. This simple act tells the person, “Hey, you’re safe. We’re all figuring this out together.” It costs nothing and changes everything. 

Then, there’s the power of the “dumb” question. You know that one question that pops into your head and you immediately think, “Oh no! I can’t ask that, what if the answer is obvious?” I’ve started encouraging myself to raise my hand for those. And almost every single time, as soon as I ask it, I see three other people slump in relief and nod. My “silly” question just gave the others permission to admit they were unsure too. Be the courageous one who asks - it helps give comfort to the room and shows that it’s okay to ask questions! Either way, we all learn something new.

And this is the biggest one: be the welcomer! We hold a quiet yet influential power to make someone feel like they belong. It can start simply from turning to the person beside you in class and asking what they think. We’ve all been the new kid once, and that feeling of being invisible can be easily dissipated with a welcoming smile or a hand reaching out.

Every day in our classrooms, we create the weather with our glances, our whispers, and our willingness to be a little more vulnerable. It’s up to us to part the clouds and let the warmth in.  It’s about building a space where we can all be curious and ask questions together, because that’s where all the real learning happens. It’s not when we’re all pretending to have it all figured out, but when we finally feel safe enough to admit that we don’t :-).