I’m sure we’d all agree that a trusting classroom
environment is crucial for students. We know that they naturally thrive in an environment
where they can reach out to be heard and possibly take creative risks. The
sense of community in a trust-based classroom is stronger, and students feel more
like they belong to something, which, in turn, positively impacts their
learning. All that's a given. But while teachers tend to start the
school year relatively well in this area, somewhere along the line,
things start to unravel. So, how do we go about actively creating this
environment and, perhaps more importantly, maintaining
it in the classroom?
One way to tangibly cultivate a sense of trust in the
classroom is to ensure that the physical environment reflects trust. For example, the seating arrangement of a
class sends an immediate message of trust or distrust. Sitting in rows (all
facing the teacher at the front) or a U-shaped arrangement (everyone facing
inward) each says something different about how much the teacher trusts the
students. One approach says, “I have to have you all looking at me at all
times,” and the other says, “Let’s learn together.” Compare these two:
Granted, the types of desks in the left image are designed
to be more flexible. Nonetheless, any desk type can be reorganized in a shape
that is more inviting than rows. Further, we’re talking about first
impressions, here, as the needs for the class will shift throughout the year.
(Rows might be necessary at some point, but they aren't immediately necessary.)
Of the two classrooms, though, which one would evoke more trust from the student
perspective? Taking the time to mindfully choose a classroom layout that sends
a message of trust is a step we can take before students even arrive in the
classroom.
Once school has begun, a teacher’s choice of words, whether
spoken or written, can also serve to cultivate trust or distrust. Are we
actively creating a sense of trust in how we refer to the class and students? Take
a look at these two classroom posters:
The use of “we” and “our” makes a huge difference in
establishing the foundation for trust, here, particularly the vast difference
in tone between “This is MY classroom” and “This is OUR classroom.” Further, the
negative expectation of failure (snarkily cushioned with "if" statements”) versus the
positive expectation of “will” sends out completely different messages of
trust. It’s as though one teacher expects to have all sorts
of problems, which automatically sends out an “I don’t trust you” message. The
teacher on the right expresses a sense of confidence in the students (and
himself/herself) that is designed to cultivate trust.
Imagine coming into a classroom on the first day and seeing
one of these posters. Which classroom would you really want to be a part of? In
which classroom would you feel more likely to express your thoughts and take
creative risks? (On a side note, the poster on the left is offered as a
“Motivational Poster” on eBay
for $8.95. The other image is my
revision of it.) Actively seeking to establish a sense of collaboration and
community, once students are in the class, is another crucial step we can take.
Maintaining the trust throughout the year is probably the
most difficult part. Well-intentioned
teachers may start out the school year just fine. They’ve set up the classroom
and diligently used language designed to inspire collaboration, but somewhere
in October, things can fizzle. Kids start to fray our nerves; we lose patience
and react without thinking. Unfortunately, losing that patience also means that
any trust we’ve established will begin to dissolve.
Acclaimed educator Rafe Esquith (2007) notes, “It is deeds
that will help the children see that I not only talk the talk but walk the
walk.” Walking the walk entails not only our initial actions, but also our
reactions. For example, if you’ve told students that you will use a particular
procedure for getting their attention (such as raising your hand or counting to
five), and instead, you lose it and start yelling at them (“Alright! Everybody
QUIET!”), they will no longer trust you. You are not walking the path you said
you’d walk. Once you’ve lost your cool, you’ve evaporated the trust, and you’ll
have to work to build it up again.
Having a strategy for maintaining patience, even in the
midst of chaotic mutiny, really helped me out with high school freshmen. My
strategy was a little silly, I guess. I would visualize the calmest person I
could think of: Mahatma Gandhi.
This sort of “channeling of Gandhi” strategy compelled me to pause before reacting—not unlike counting to ten, but a tad more inspirational. Who pops into your head as the epitome of patience and calm strength?
Another means of maintaining trust is to cultivate a mindset
that is passionate for understanding. In this mindset, no matter what, you do
whatever it takes to ensure your students “get” what you want them to get.
Esquith (2007) offers this straightforward strategy in developing the mindset—answer all student questions:
I
answer all questions. It does not matter if I have been asked them before. It
does not matter if I am tired.
The kids must see that I passionately want them to understand, and it never
bothers me when they don’t. During an
interview, a student named Alan once told a reporter, “Last year, I tried to ask my teacher a question.
She became angry and said, ‘We’ve been over this. You weren’t listening!’ But I was listening! I just didn’t get
it! Rafe will go over something five hundred
times until I understand.”
What the student described is pure trust. This approach
sounds easier than it is because having one student ask you something and then
having the very next question be the same question can be exhausting and
annoying. However, a kid who knows that you’ll answer his questions, no matter
what, trusts you. In that “knowing” is the trust.
This kind of trusting
classroom environment is attainable if we take some time to reflect on how we
present the physical environment, what messages we convey, and actively seek to
maintain it. What do you want your kids to “know” about you?
- Create a physical environment cultivates trust
- Use language that cultivates trust.
- Find strategies that will help you maintain patience and trust
- Answer all student questions to maintain trust.
References
Esquith, R. (2007). Teach like your hair’s on fire
(Reprint). Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=11644
Gandhi, M.K. (1958). The
collected works of Mahatma Gandhi (Vol.19, p. 233). Delhi, India: Government
of India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Publications Division.
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