Transparency with Students: Reflection

As a group, my colleagues and I were talking about transparency as an educator with our students. Our inquiry questions all relate to safety for all people in the classroom. It was neat to hear thoughts on different ways to be transparent in a classroom. One colleague mentioned that in a drama class, one teacher asked the students “who are we protecting in this classroom?” before they started an interactive activity. The students had very clear answers on how to answer this question.

On a personal experience from my school visit, my favourite classroom was when the SS 10 teacher prepared an activity where the students had to classify people/things in low, medium and high class. The teacher explained how the activity may make people uncomfortable but to make sure that they think about what society thinks, rather than what they personally think. She proceeded with walking around the classroom, asking them how they felt, addressing their discomfort and validating their opinion. She created a safe space for everyone to feel uncomfortable and to understand that it is part of the point of the activity.

I really enjoyed the conversation and very happy that my school visit applied to my inquiry question.

Inquiry Resources -Question #2

Social Emotional Learning

Emotional Safety in Classroom

  • Gagnon, Amy G. “Creating a Positive Social-Emotional Climate in Your Elementary Physical Education Program.” Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sport Educators, vol. 29, no. 3, 01 Jan. 2016, pp. 21-27. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1100771&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
  • Synopsis:
    • The short article talks about the importance of emotional safety in the classroom. In one short paragraph, the article relates emotional safety in the classroom and strategies in order to organize a classroom. In the middle section of the article, the article talks about a “Responsive Classroom (RC)” which is a program implemented to improve the environment of a classroom and the communication between teacher and students. (i.e.: Morning meetings, greetings, sharing, etc.) Although the article focuses on a Physical Education Classroom, it has a lot of different kinds of strategies on how to manage the classroom environment and the importance of the teacher. The last part of the article is about how to carry on the lessons they learned in the classroom into real life/their community.

Inquiry Resources-Question #1

Social Justice

  • http://www.socialjusticetoolbox.com
  • https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/news/teaching-social-justice/
  • DeLorenzo, Lisa C. Giving Voice to Democracy in Music Education : Diversity and Social Justice in the Classroom. Routledge, Florence, 2015, doi:10.4324/9781315725628.
  • Peters, Michael A., and SpringerLINK ebooks – Humanities, Social Sciences and Law. Transforming the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Lessons from the Classroom. vol. 60, SensePublishers [Imprint], New York;Palo Alto;, 2014;2013;, doi:10.1007/978-94-6209-449-9.

Unpacking White Privilege

  • Delano-Oriaran, Omobolade O. and Marguerite W. Parks. “One Black, One White: Power, White Privilege, & Creating Safe Spaces.” Multicultural Education, vol. 22, no. 3-4, 01 Mar. 2015, pp. 15-19. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1078762&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
  • Scheid, Anna Floerke and Elisabeth T. Vasko. “Teaching Race: Pedagogical Challenges in Predominantly White Undergraduate Theology Classrooms.” Teaching Theology & Religion, vol. 17, no. 1, 01 Jan. 2014, pp. 27-45. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1029554&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
  • Parsons, Eileen Carlton. “Using Power and Caring to Mediate White Male Privilege, Equality, and Equity in an Urban Elementary Classroom: Implications for Teacher Preparation.” Urban Review, vol. 33, no. 4, 01 Dec. 2001, pp. 321-38. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ638557&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

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