Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Thanks
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- I Creating a good environment for language learning
- II Being effective in the classroom
- III Teaching large classes
- IV Teaching language skills and systems
- V Teaching language without textbooks
- VI Teaching language with textbooks
- VII Helping students achieve their potential
- VIII Linking the school to the outside world
- IX Supporting yourself and others
- Glossary
- Index
2 - Creating a safe classroom
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 September 2021
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Thanks
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- I Creating a good environment for language learning
- II Being effective in the classroom
- III Teaching large classes
- IV Teaching language skills and systems
- V Teaching language without textbooks
- VI Teaching language with textbooks
- VII Helping students achieve their potential
- VIII Linking the school to the outside world
- IX Supporting yourself and others
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
[The focus] is very much on creating a safe space for learners, but we had to introduce the idea that we could allow risks to be taken within that safe space.
Fiona RobertsonThe short version
1 ‘Safety’ can be understood in many different ways – for example physical, mental and emotional safety.
2 There is a very close relationship between how safe your students feel and their learning outcomes.
3 Closely involve your students in discussions about safety – they are part of the solution, not part of the problem. So too are parents, other teachers and school management.
4 Recognize and understand all the factors (e.g. social, ethnic, cultural) which influence why students may not feel safe.
5 You don't necessarily need to make big changes to make your students feel safer. Sometimes seemingly minor changes can have a significant impact – e.g. what language is spoken, where learners sit, or how playtime is organized.
Introduction
Imagine that you are a student in one of your classes. Answer the following questions.
1 What makes you feel safe in your classroom?
2 What makes you feel unsafe in your classroom? Now, as yourself, reflect on the answer to 2 and think about the following:
3 Is there anything which you could do to make your students feel safer?
Why is it important for students to feel safe?
For some students, school can be the most amazing experience of their lives. It can be the place where they feel safest in the whole world. However, for others, the experience of school can be very negative. Students can feel lonely, sad, confused and scared. This can significantly affect their ability to learn. There may be several reasons for this – e.g. they might have very little experience of going to school, might not know the way they are supposed to behave, or might speak a different language from the one used in the classroom. In challenging circumstances it may not always be possible to create a classroom or school which is 100% safe, especially if the school is in a conflict or post-conflict area. However, there are many things which you can do to make your class a ‘safe space’, and to show students that they belong.
Note
A ‘safe space’ is somewhere that students feel they can speak and act freely, without being judged unfairly by you or their fellow students.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Teaching in Challenging Circumstances , pp. 13 - 20Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021