Unit 1 SBQ Answer Key
Scenario #1
In this scenario, James (the student) is eager to participate and answer a problem on the board. While he is solving the math problem, his peers begin to chuckle and ridicule him as the question was answered incorrectly. One of the key factors to a student's intellectual safety is no judgement and no teasing, and the reactions from James' peers went directly against this. There are many ways in which you can intervene in order to protect James' intellectual safety, including:
- Encouraging other students to help James get to the correct answer rather than ridicule him for getting it wrong.
- Reinforce that students need to respect each other's learning process, sometimes it takes students longer to understand a concept than others.
- Hold a restorative circle in which you discuss the situation. Allow James the opportunity to explain how he felt, and encourage students to reflect and explain how they would feel if they were in James' position.
Scenario #2
In this scenario, Sarah (the student) is afraid to raise her hand to answer questions during the new science lessons. This is unusual for Sarah, as she is a frequent participant in class. Sarah explains to you that she is afraid that she will be called on due to the fact that her answer would be "I don't know", and she feels this is not an acceptable answer in school.
Based on this scenario, you should have answered that you, as her teacher, have not adequately Implemented intellectual safety in your classroom. Intellectual safety focuses on encouragement, being respectful of the learning process, and, most importantly, that it is okay to say "I don't know". Considering Sarah feels that she can not respond with "I don't know", she likely does not feel a sense of intellectual safety in her classroom. It would be suggested that you have a conversation with Sarah, and the whole class, that it is completely okay to not understand something right away. Learning takes time, and even if you get called on and you do not know the answer, it is okay and even better to say "I don't know yet.". Implementing this phrase promotes a growth mindset and provides support in the learning process.
Scenario #3
In this scenario, you are holding a restorative circle during a social emotional learning lesson. When participating in the circle, all students were ready to share and were not afraid to discuss their feelings. Based on this response from your students, it can be safely assumed that you have successfully implemented a sense of intellectual safety in your classroom. Some of the steps that you may have taken to get to this point can include:
- A classroom contract that was developed and agreed upon by all students in the class.
- Friendships have been built, supported, and maintained in the classroom.
- Students have been shown support, appreciation, and positive attention in the classroom.
- Strong relationships have been built between you and your students, so they feel comfortable sharing.