Americans Who Tell the Truth

 

Let s look at these issues honestly and with great regard for the real fears that exist for students. Create a study and have students present their results to the adults in the community in a public form. Use this study to problem solve and create new strategies, plans and structures that make school safe. 

 

How often have I seen students assault or bully teachers in my school? (

How often have I seen a teacher assault or bully a student or another adult in my school?

 

When I walk down the halls of my school , am I safe?

 

 Are there guards or other uniformed adults in my school with guns or other weapons? What is that like for me?

 

As a young woman, do I feel secure when I am alone at my school?

 

As a young man, am I safe in my school? 

 

When I go to the bathroom at my school, am I safe?

 

Have you ever seen a weapon used at your school? Do you know of individuals in your school who have weapons but haven t yet brought them to school? (

 

Do you know of students who have threatened to use weapons at school that have not been reported or that you think that teachers are not really aware of?

 

In truth, who is in power at my school? 

 

Have students discuss, represent this answer in as many ways as possible. 

 

Create artistic expressions such as songs, poems, visual art to share. Then invite parents and community leaders in for a public forum that gives students the opportunity to use their art to tell those who need to know what school is really like for them!

 

At one school in Louisville, Kentucky a mosaic tile piece was created by students to represent the school s community structure and hierarchy. A tile artist worked daily with students on this project , along with the teacher, over six  months using an artist in residence grant to fund the effort. Students were asked to envision their school and did the exercise listed here, using questions to take an honest look at the school environment. In the end, they created a tree ( using the symbolism in mythology of the  tree of knowledge) and actually identified all the courses offered at the school as the true  authority   of the community. They then added the names of all the teachers who taught the classes as branches of the tree. Last , they chose an animal to represent themselves and placed themselves on the tree. Last, they put the founder of the school at the base of the tree, as the protector of it. The roots of the tree each had words of a haiku that was created about the school by a group of students. This went up from the roots and around the tile sculpture. The sculpture stood outside the school as a reminder to all of what the community represented. It spoke of its intentions each time someone passed it by. T-shirts, cards and posters were created to share with all the message of what a school could mean to a community. It weighed 600 lbs and stands 12 feet tall and is 6 feet wide. It s message and its presence is mighty!

 

A look at emotional safety in the classroom...
 

Students, teachers and school staff live in community in a school environment for a good portion of the day. Research tells us repeatedly that in order to learn , the brain must feel  safe. It further demonstrates that portions of our brain are devoted entirely to the regulation and expression of emotion. And last, students themselves will tell us that if they are not safe, they just can t concentrate, focus or otherwise engage in the learning process. 

 

Given all this, in  doing no harm,  it seems essential that we look carefully with our colleagues at classrooms and school practices and what they do to help students in this realm. Here are some questions we can ask ourselves about our students in order to bring their lives outside school into our consciousness.

 

Questions are framed from the child s perspective and let us as teachers better examine the most important inquiry each child deserves to explore: (

Who am I? 

 

The answer to that question can guide our teaching and help us  live in community with students.

 

With whom do I live? Is one of my parents in prison? Do I have a home? If so, is my home in a safe place?

How do I wake up?

How do I sleep? How much, how effective?

What is my morning like?

What is the car ride to school like?

Did I have donuts for breakfast? Did I have breakfast? Did I have dinner last night?

How much time passes between getting out of the car/bus and getting to work at school?

How are my senses? Anything disturbing? (Am I safe on the bus?  (Does the bus driver like me? Does the bus driver mind driving in my neighborhood?

Am I poorer than other kids? Is my house nicer or not so nice compared to other kids?

Have my clothes been washed? 

Who do I sit by? Does my teacher like me? What kind of mood is my teacher in today?

Where are my friends? Are they all here? Do I feel well? Did I get enough to eat?

Did anyone notice me when I came in and greet me? Tell me they are glad I am here?

Is my classroom a calming environment?

Does my chair or my desk suit me?

Do I get to move around enough?

Do I get to talk enough? Do I get to experience things that I feel confident in?

Do I get to experience enough things that challenge me to work hard?

Do I feel satisfaction internally or do I need to be praised and rewarded from outside myself? 

Do I need constant attention to feel part of things?

Do I need constant sensory feedback or novelty to feel myself in time and space?

Do I feel like everyone is always picking on me when I never see what I have done wrong?

Do I have no sense of time and can never find my things that I need to do my work?

Do I not have the things I need at home to do my homework?

What s going on in my home while I am gone?

Do I lose my things or leave them at my mom s or my dad s or someone else s home?

Did I forget my homework?  Did I study for my test? 

Did I understand the directions? Did I follow the directions?

What did the teacher just say?

Will I ever sit and relax, just sit in silence?