Cultivating Safe Classrooms
Two students were debating whether a historical event occurred, and I had to intervene to confirm that it had. The student who was correct turned to the other student and quipped, “I told you so!” Up until that point, their debate seemed more enthusiastic than hostile or competitive. Both students are outgoing and generally very friendly with each other. Still, I had to quickly assess whether this comment crossed the line into disrespect, which would go against our classroom norms. My goal was to maintain the active, participatory energy between the students while ensuring that no one felt shut down or embarrassed.
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Margarita
10th Grade
US History
First Year Teaching
- What is the teacher's dilemma? Consider the teacher's goals, possible actions, beliefs about the situation and the students, and their own self-perceptions.
- Complete or modify the following sentence in a way that captures the teacher's central tension in the situation: "While on the one hand, the teacher believed/wanted/felt/did __________, on the other hand, they believed/wanted/felt/did __________."
- Thinking about your own classroom, how can you uphold respectful student-to-student talk without interrupting the positive flow of a discussion?