Reply To: Lesson 4: Psychological Safety & Assessment – Discussion

[Traci Lynott]

I really didn’t think about how much classroom routines are attached to assessments. I have been using different types of grouping but have found that in one class I have to be careful if I want to cultivate an atmosphere of trust. A couple of students are very uncomfortable with other classmates and rarely talk or share. I have let this class choose their partner and it is working very well. The 2 girls that are super shy to share are talking to each other and sharing strategies that they would have NEVER shared with me or others. They are finding success and gaining confidence in their own abilities. I guess my point is that because I broke the golden rule and didn’t treat each class the same, some students are finding success that did not the previous year I had them. (This is the first year that I have been committed to teaching through curiosity and less “traditional”.)