The Classroom as a Safe Space to Grow

hat skills must a student have to demonstrate better learning? Does learning happen only through a textbook, or does the skill of learning also, depend on resilience, determination, opportunities to master a concept multiple times in different ways, and support and empathy? Let me begin with an anecdote from my teaching years. As history teachers, a colleague and I took time to understand the newly revised NCERT textbooks based on NCF 2005 and its contents to plan our lessons for grade 9. The chapter was History of Cricket. Our design incorporated group, peer, and individual engagement with the topic/ text.

There were quizzes and gamified assessments, self, group, and peer study; perspective building, etc.  Student questions, clarifications were inbuilt into classroom learning. One of the early criticisms was about the classroom. The students were quizzing each other and responding by giving evidence. The discussions created a buzz; it was seen as noise and lack of discipline because students were huddled in groups, facing away from the blackboard, and talking with each other. 

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During the end of the year discussion on class performances, I was given a chance to demonstrate our lesson design and its impact. I shared a video to showcase the creative discussions, and there were comments about how it sounded like a fish market.

Backed with assessment results, assignment submission analysis, and student feedback we showcased how a space to express safely and freely helped students to deep dive into the content of a lesson with curiosity. The assessments highlighte

The assessments highlighted the effort of the class gradually framing better answers and consequently showing a better average than earlier years. These included children with different kinds of challenges, students written off as sports ‘type’ who never excelled in academics, as well as the ‘science kids’ who hated history.  Our lesson plan put expression over quiet and rote. Was it disruptive because of the noise and lack of discipline? The data, both quantitative and qualitative, showed that the creative conversations were a key to better learning.  

Years later, my colleague and I analysed the lessons, as we caught up over a meal. We could only pinpoint to the learning space. Did we do something remarkable with the content or the text; definitely ‘not’.

What we did was to create a safe learning space that allowed for expression for all, chose discussions, with co-created and clear instructions on how to reach a conclusion, respect for all opinions, even if wrong, and the space to ask for the rationale of a premise to help students substantiate what they read and researched with evidence.

We often forget that substantiating with proof is not just what science students do, so do sport persons as do other. How do you strategize for a game, choose a specific plan for practice to overcome a handicap on and off the field?

It is with observation and research that Maria Montessori spoke of how “children learn naturally through activity and their characters develop through freedom”.

That ‘activity’ includes doing, movement, conversations, with scaffolds and guidance, without help, sometimes with time extensions. ‘Freedom’ to frame and ask their own questions, freedom to spend extended time to grasp a concept, to manage multiple interests, etc.

As a teacher, the question to ask is whether your classroom is a safe space for students to grow independently and take initiative. Is it a place that brings diverse and divergent opinions, t h i n k i n g , and questions to know more and better? Such a classroom would help students to thrive as people who are critical thinking, curious, observant, respectful, thoughtful, and filled with empathy.  

How do we create such a space to practice skills that enhance collaboration, nurture support, build the confidence to ask, and resilience to continue towards mastery as many times as possible. Often addressing the social and emotional skills is a step towards resolving a learning hurdle.   How do you imagine your classroom space to be across grades?

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