Providing a safe learning environment for our students is a top priority. There are two areas of concern: physical safety and emotional safety. When I asked "how do we make you feel safe?" I really did not know how they would respond.
The first statement that each group made was "we know the teachers are watching". I wondered exactly what they meant. They told me: The teachers are watching what we are doing and they stop us when we do something that is unsafe or wrong. The teachers are watching all around us to be certain that there is nothing or no one around who can hurt us. Wow! I know that sometimes kids are trying to not let teachers see what they are doing! Yet, at the same time, their awareness of teachers being vigilant gives them a sense of security.
Other things they mentioned were that the fences, flags, and shrubbery define their play areas. Also, they told me they like having security cameras in both buildings. They said they sometimes wave to the cameras and I told them that I wave back.
One comment that made me smile was that we always tell them where to stop when crossing back and forth from one building to another. I know that I feel like a broken record when I repeat every time "stop on the path, wait until we have the cars stopped". But apparently the kids count on those reminders.
They talked about the importance of our emergency drills. They mentioned lock down, fire and tornado drills. They clearly know why it is important that we practice these procedures. I am glad that our drills make them feel that we have plans to help keep them safe.
The students even mentioned that they were glad that the teachers take classes in CPR and first aid. I had no idea that they knew we have that training.
One final note, we talked about emotional safety and I always listen carefully to our students on this topic and I will share more about this in future blogs.
The first statement that each group made was "we know the teachers are watching". I wondered exactly what they meant. They told me: The teachers are watching what we are doing and they stop us when we do something that is unsafe or wrong. The teachers are watching all around us to be certain that there is nothing or no one around who can hurt us. Wow! I know that sometimes kids are trying to not let teachers see what they are doing! Yet, at the same time, their awareness of teachers being vigilant gives them a sense of security.
Other things they mentioned were that the fences, flags, and shrubbery define their play areas. Also, they told me they like having security cameras in both buildings. They said they sometimes wave to the cameras and I told them that I wave back.
One comment that made me smile was that we always tell them where to stop when crossing back and forth from one building to another. I know that I feel like a broken record when I repeat every time "stop on the path, wait until we have the cars stopped". But apparently the kids count on those reminders.
They talked about the importance of our emergency drills. They mentioned lock down, fire and tornado drills. They clearly know why it is important that we practice these procedures. I am glad that our drills make them feel that we have plans to help keep them safe.
The students even mentioned that they were glad that the teachers take classes in CPR and first aid. I had no idea that they knew we have that training.
One final note, we talked about emotional safety and I always listen carefully to our students on this topic and I will share more about this in future blogs.
No comments:
Post a Comment