I hope that others will share lessons or scripted situations in class that can help students to experience a safe classroom.  Here is one that I have used for a while…

My room is full of movable desks…this might work a different way if you have tables, or desks that do not move…but it will still work.

The second or third day of class I run “Desk Drills”.   I ask students to get into pairs….and watch what happens.   Almost always, several people are out in the cold.  I stop the group using our practiced signal.   Then I thank every one of the students who are not yet in a pair.  Kindly.   I tell the class how important it is that they were willing to be without a partner for a few moments while I  make my point. 

In my class there will be no, there are no, “solitos”.  I write it where everyone can see.  No one on their own.   I ask the class for solutions.  Let’s think of 5 ways to work this so that everyone has a partner.     We brainstorm those ways.   We pick one, or I pick one and we do a two minute activity.  

Then, I stop the class and ask them to get into groups of four.  That is not very hard and pairs pair up. 

Then I ask them to get into groups of three.   Inevitably, one of the groups actually pushes one of the members out of the group.  I stop the class.   (I don’t make a big deal of the pushing)  I apologize for having made a mistake.   I point at the No Hay Solitos on the board.  I ask everyone to get back into their original groups of four.  I apologize for not giving them all of the information. Then….  I tell them that Rule #2 is this:  You can invite, but you cannot exclude.    Then I ask them to (ask Tim Gunn does on Project Runway)  Make it Work. 

And they do.  When I told them to get into groups of three from groups of four, I SET THEM UP TO DO THE WRONG THING.    I told them what to do, but did not give them the right tools to do it…so they used whatever tools they had.   By giving them the tool of invitation, they were able to create new groupings without isolating, and I was able to model a few things.

We do another two minute activity and then I throw a few more groupings at them  that we will be using (a large circle, a double circle, etc.)  Each time, I watch for students who invite others, who facilitate the groupings, who allow others to join them…and thank them.

I will do Desk Drills a few times during the year…but this first time is the one that really sets the tone for all of us.

With love,

Laurie