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The Effect of Safety on a Learning Event
by Jeanette Romkema
Partner ~ Global Learning Partners
 Safety is critical for the success of a learning event (a workshop, course, or training):
safety for the learner and the teacher.
When it is present
more sustainable learning is guaranteed and the learning event will be more enjoyable.
In this brief reflection paper, I will explain why safety is important for the learner;
and,
the importance of transparency and warm-ups in assuring the presence of safety in a
learning event.
Why Safety is Important
One should never under estimate the role safety plays in learning and teaching. Feeling safe and respected can mean the difference between sharing an idea or not, asking a difficult question or not, participating or not. Below is a table naming some of the possible effects on the learner and learning, as I have witnessed it in my own teaching and learning.
SAFE |
UNSAFE |
| More personal sharing i.e. "I haven't told many people this but, when I was very young….” |
Little personal sharing |
| More active authentic participations
and feedback i.e. “I’ve never thought about that before. Does that mean...” |
Less engagment or
more superficial sharing |
| Greater possibility of “tough questions” to be asked i.e. “I’m not sure I agree with that theory. What would you do in this situation… “ |
Less possibility of “tough questions” to be asked; restrict questions to those programmatic in nature |
| Greater willingness to try new content |
More resistant to try new content |
Lessen resistance or openly share the resistance in a respectful way i.e. “I just don’t know if I can accept that. What do you mean exactly?”
|
Resistance will be more prone to be argumentative and confrontational
in nature |
| More likely to share special needs, concerns and vulnerabilities i.e. “If you don’t mind, I prefer not to read aloud in the large group.” |
Less likely to share special needs, concerns and vulnerabilities |
| More relaxed and able to engage fully. |
Less relaxed and unable to engage fully. |
Two Necessary Principles for Safety to Exist
There are many principles and practices to Dialogue Education. As an intentional practitioner of Dialogue Education for the past ten years, I have found that special attention to the following two principles critical for increasing safety for the learner.
ONE: Transparency
Being transparent about why you are doing what you are doing can ease feelings of anxiety when things are unspoken or unknown. Teachers should not try to surprise learners, and clarifying the process throughout a learning event can be reassuring and show respect. When a teacher explains the reasons for doing something, especially when things are quite different or new, learners can be invited to try it out. It is when people do not understand why something is happening when it is happening, that learners can feel unsafe.
There are many ways to be transparent throughout a learning event. Some to consider are listed below:
- Explain why you will be teaching differently from the “traditional mode”,
if learning/learner-centered education is new
- Name the start and stop time, as well as amount of time for breaks
- Share the entire topical plan or agenda and post it on a wall for the duration of the course
- Invite learners to attend to their needs as they arise
- Explain that some of the learning tasks are for auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners
because we all learn differently
- Invite learners to explain how they felt during different more “non-traditional” tasks.
Their feelings of discomfort that later became energizing may be important for the learning
- Explain why you decided to take something out or add it to the course or workshop
- Explain how the design was informed by the Learning Needs and Resource Assessment (LNRAs)
- Share discussions, struggles and celebrations you experienced in the evenings.
This can be especially rich if you are co-facilitating and taking time to debrief at the end of each day
I can say with certainty based on personal experience, these ways to be more transparent help the learner feel safe and therefore more willing to be fully engaged.
TWO: Warm-ups
A second principle in a learning-centered approach is warm-ups. Warm-ups are not only energizers, icebreakers or introductions. Of course these may be part of a warm-up but I am talking about a purposeful learning task that is connected to what the learners already know and what they will learn in the course. Although no new learning happens at this stage in the learning design/curriculum, it is critical in building safety for the learning and the teacher. Below are some of the reasons for this:
- You start with the learners personal experience or past knowledge (and not with new and
difficult content; there is also no “testing” of information)
- You show how the new content or course is connected with their own experience
(which shows relevancy)
- You start with solo or pair work (which is more safe then everyone needing to share extensively
in the large group)
- You model principles and practices of Dialogue Education (respect, affirmation, inclusion, etc),
and the pace you will use
- You raise all voices right away (because getting everyone talking is critical for engagement)
- (sometimes) You offer a type of synthesis of previous learning (that will make learners feel
more comfortable)
I believe teachers, guest speakers and workshop facilitators often underestimate the potential and importance of warm-ups. They should never be skipped and should always be well-planned. We should consider the learners (men are different from women), reason for the course (strategic planning is different from a breast feeding workshop), time in the topical program (day 1 is different from day 3), place (a hot location is different from a cold one), and the content we are learning. A strong, well-planned warm-up will immediately start building safety and respect for the learning. For this reason, we never want this to be rushed or dropped.
Take the Time for Safety
Safety in a learning event takes work and planning. It’s worth it! If a learning event such as a workshop, course or seminar is about learning (which I believe it always should be), we want to build our skills in assuring safety. Take time to reflect how your learning design encourages safety. Take time to be transparent about what you are doing or not doing. Take time to plan effective warm-ups.
All this said, some of you may be wondering: can things be too "safe"? What about holding the opposites? Yes, Yes! For the success of a workshop, course, seminar, or training, there has to be safety with challenge... but that's a conversations for another time.
When adult learners feel safe,
they bring more energy to their learning tasks;
they take greater risks; they evoke a wider world for themselves.
- Jane Vella, Learning to Listen Learning to Teach, p230
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