Module 2.6 Building a Belonging School Through Trust and Psychological Safety

Level: Adult

Duration: ≤ 1 hour

Topics: Topic 2 - Safety & Belonging in Classrooms and Schools

My Notes: Add/Edit Notes

Module Introduction

Two critical underlying mechanisms for building a safe learning environment in which everyone belongs are trust and psychological safety. Without these, students and staff alike may feel stifled and limited in their capacity to bring their full selves to the educational process.

In this module, we will:

Explore the components of trust and how these might play out in a school
Examine what happens when trust in schools is not present, along with what encourages and discourages us from trusting each other
Determine what administrators need from teachers and vice versa in order to build a trusting school environment
Define psychological safety and what it looks like in a work environment

Module Resources

Topic 2 Professional Learning Toolkit

This toolkit includes additional resources, including classroom lessons and practices, staff meeting activities, videos, podcasts, articles, and professional development opportunities, as well as supporting materials for group facilitation on the topic of "Safety and Belonging in Schools".

Individual Exploration

Using the Science of Trust to Build a Belonging School Culture

(narrated by Vicki Zakrzewski, Ph.D., Education Director, Greater Good Science Center)

Reflection

Think of a work experience in which there was a high level of trust among you and your colleagues.
What did that feel and look like? How was trust fostered? Consider the elements of trust (i.e., openness, benevolence, honesty, reliability, competence). How were these put into practice among you and your colleagues?
How does your school foster trust among staff and students—or does it? What is one thing that could help increase the levels of trust, especially with diverse groups?

Using the Science of Psychological Safety to Build a Belonging School Culture

(narrated by Vicki Zakrzewski, Ph.D., Education Director, Greater Good Science Center)

Reflection

At your school, how do people respond to mistakes?
As a school leader, how do you express vulnerability to your staff?
How does your school’s culture make it safe for staff, students, and families to take risks, make mistakes, speak up, and share new ideas?
What is one thing that your school could do to create a more psychologically safe environment?

Consider the following:

What role do trust and psychological safety play in the cultivation of belonging?
How can you build a sense of trust and psychological safety among stakeholders in order to build a culture of belonging?
What policies and structures does your school have in place that might limit student belonging? For example, do you have policies about dress, hair, or cultural practices that target certain groups, such as Black girls? How do you think this affects students’ sense of psychological safety and what can you do about it?

2.6 Take it Deeper: Our Identity with Trauma and Adversity

Here is a downloadable guide to help you.

Module Resources

Topic 2 Professional Learning Toolkit

2.6 Take It Deeper: Building Trust in Classrooms and Schools

A reflection activity that encourages you to think deeply about building trust in classrooms and schools.

Group Facilitation

Before facilitating groups, spend time in individual exploration in order to experience and embody the learning. And if you haven’t yet explored our introduction to SEL in California, make sure you explore those resources, too.