Leadership Connectors - Safety

When I first approached this chapter in Leadership Connectors, I assumed the bulk would be regarding student safety, legal, and liability issues. While there was some discussion on these topics, I was surprised by the fact that the chapter covered much more than what I had first considered to fall under the heading of safety.

This chapter promoted the fact that all people perform and feel better when they needs for safety are met. However, it is not just the physical environment that might make a person feel safe or unsafe. Safety can come in the form of feeling physically, emotionally, and psychologically safe. Once we have the basic need of safety met, our energy can be moved towards accomplishing other goals.

The first year I taught at my current school, I can admit that I did not start out with the right frame of mind. I had been moved from a school that I enjoyed and felt comfortable teaching at, to be in a new grade level with people I'd never met. While the year started out fine, I was nervous about my place in this new school and how the administration perceived me.

At the Winter Program that year, there was an event that cemented in my mind how important it was to feel safe and supported at school. Since I was new to the school, I did not have many relationships with the families that attended, nor had I been to a Winter Program put on by this school. I wasn't sure of the traditions, so I already felt a bit out of place. During the evening, an incident occurred when I asked a parent to step away from the stage and find their seats so that the show may begin (after the principal had already made a similar announcement that the parent had not listened to.) I didn't think much of it until later in the evening, the same parent came up to me and began verbally accosting me, including ridiculing my appearance and demeaning my ability to teach, all the while in front of my students. I had never met nor talked to this parent before and I was, for lack of a better word, speechless. I continued to walk the students to the room where they'd be picked up by their parents and she followed, continuing her rant.

That night, I wrote an email to my principal, more from the position that I was scared this parent would immediately go to her about something I had done. The next day, my principal called me in to talk to her, apologized for what I had gone through and assured me that the matter would not be swept under the rug. Later that morning, a district administrator came to my classroom, also apologizing and assuring me that he would not let "our teachers be treated that way." I immediately felt incredibly supported and emotionally safe within the school culture. While I regretted ever having to deal with the situation, the way that my principal and the district administration handled it uplifted my spirits. I knew they "had my back" and I appreciate it still to this day.

Some other key learnings form this chapter:

• Bullies can be anyone: students, parents, teachers, administrators, even YOU! Pay attention to the dynamics within your school culture to make sure that your words and actions are not condoning (either tacitly or outright) bullying behavior.
• While it's important to try to be flexible and adapt to the situations that education can bring, it is important to work with routines and procedures. While every day might not follow the same procedure, having those routines will make unusual or special days (Jog-a-Thon, Read Across America, picture day, textbook barcoding day) less chaotic.
• While surprises occur and mistakes are made, try to stay on top of them and inform the correct people.
• Take time for yourself! Find ways that you like to relax and don't feel guilty about partaking in them. The work will be there tomorrow and the day after that - prioritize and compartmentalize.