Creating Emotionally Safe Schools_Samplepage

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First published 2025 by Solution Tree Press.

Published in Australia under license by Ingrove Press.

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Copyright © 2026 Ingrove Press and Solution Tree Press. All rights reserved.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Additionally, various individuals shared their expertise, personal stories, observations, resources, and factual information, which tremendously helped shape the text and direction of this book. These individuals’ names appear in the following list. Although I was not able to include all these contributors’ valuable input, I am immensely grateful to each person who took the time to talk with me or send me letters or emails describing their experiences.

All contributors whose comments appear in the text are mentioned by name unless they requested that their material be used anonymously. Names you see in this updated version usually are mentioned alongside references to the work these individuals were doing at the time. If you do not see a corresponding citation referring

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A note from Jane: The original version of this book was a true collaboration involving hundreds of educators, administrators, counselors, and students (and former students), as well as friends, family, and colleagues throughout the world. In addition to circulating surveys through their districts, organizations, and newsletters, many invited me into their classrooms and schools, offered feedback on early drafts of the book, and supplied me with nonstop support and encouragement throughout the two years of researching, organizing, and writing.

iv | CRE ATING EMO TIONALLY S AFE SCHOOL S, SECOND EDITION

to an article or book, please consider the mentioned individual as having contributed to this project. Any anonymous comments shared from personal conversations or correspondences, surveys, or interviews are offered with a generic reference, such as “one educator” or “one student.”

Gordon Dryden Gail Dusa Nadia M. El-Ockaili Mary Faber Vic Fantozzi Cheryl Ficocello Charles Fisher Rich Forer Josh Freeman Pat Freeman Erica Frenkel Nancy Garner Stephen L. Gessner Tanya Gjerman Bob Gritt Laura Gutman Carla Hannaford Rachel Harnish Stephen Haslam Betty Hatch Faye Hauwai Jane Hersey Dave Hinckley Sandra Holgate John Hoover Barry Hopping Victor Allan C. Ilagan Mark Ita Henry Jackson Kathy Jenkins Cori Jennings Carol Nevius Jones Eric Katz Nicole Kauffman Ron Kimmel Nancy Knickerbocker Hannah Kohl Mary Ann Kohl

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Adam Adache Andrea Adamko Titus Alexander Faizah Alkaff Brad Allison Rudenia S. Anderson-Howard Duayne Askew Hamidah Bahashwan John Barnes Claude Beamish Charles Beckman Betty Begeal Richard Biffle Janet Bliss Michele Borba Dan Boyd Nathaniel Branden Roberta Braverman Dee Brumley Dave Bruno June Buchanan Terry Burik Joanna Carman Christina Chapman Linda Classen Paul Clements Lynn Collins Peggy Corcovelos Laurie A. Couture Cheryl Cramer Elizabeth Crary Sherri Davidman Beverly Davies Verónica de Andrés James R. Delisle Mary Ann Dockstader Mimi Doe Naomi Drew

Acknowledgments | v

Stanka Prezlj Susan Priest William Purkey Sione Quaass Pam Quatse Andy Quiñones Rico Racosky Robert Reasoner Jordan Riak LeAnn Risch Michèle Robin Jan Rogers Neža Rojko Frances Ryan Annick Safken Sumiati Said Laurie Schmidt Susan Schrader Mike Selby Betsy Sheets Lindsay Shepheard Mary Ellen Simmons Linda Sorenson Emily Stafford Maria Stewart Judy Stillwell Karen Baker Stilson Bob Sugar Debra Sugar Sharon Tandy Paul Tegg Jerry Tereszkiewicz Steve Tipps Aaron Trummer Kathryn Tyler Kathi Foster Vlcek Clairr Waldeman Hazel Walker Robin Warnes Tonia Wechsler Shayna Weitz Marla West Bonnie Wilde

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Marcia Kons Olga Sraj Kristan Jason Krueger Rob Krueger Krista Kuisma Adam Kupersmith Eileen Kupersmith Tom Lagana Joseph Lancaster Beth Langley Sandra LaRose Beth K. Lefevre Patti Lentz Elaine Lesse Ross Logan Robert Low Lynn Lowrance J. D. Lucas Ginny Luther Loretta Maase Ann K. Marshall Marvin Marshall Wendy Marshall Marvin Martinez Christina Mattise Linda McGinnis Pat McIntosh Rita Mercier Evelyn Mercur Jeff Michel Braulio Montalvo D. Moritz Jenny Mosley Barbara Muller-Ackerman Sandy Murray Gary Myrah Anne Naylor Barbara Nielsen Wendy Paser Aili Pogust Jean Potter Michael Powers Patti Present

vi | CRE ATING EMO TIONALLY S AFE SCHOOL S, SECOND EDITION

Mary Sue Williams Barbara Y. Wills Elizabeth Wolfe

Barbara Yerby Bobbie Yoakum

Solution Tree Press would like to thank the following reviewers: Gina Cherkowski Education Researcher Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Johanna Josaphat Teacher Leader Urban Assembly Unison School Brooklyn, New York

Brad Neuendorf Principal Lander Valley High School Lander, Wyoming Dianne Yee Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education Western University London, Ontario, Canada

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Doug Crowley Assistant Principal DeForest Area High School DeForest, Wisconsin

Louis Lim Principal Bur Oak Secondary School Markham, Ontario, Canada

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About the Authors

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xiii

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1

A Note About the Voice of the Text .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Note About Sources, Resources, and Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 3 4

Introduction

Part I: DIMENSIONS OF A VERY BIG PICTURE Chapter 1

What Safety Is: It’s Not Just About Guns

.................................

9

Emotional Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Safety for Adults in Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 1 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13 16 17

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viii | CRE ATING EMO TIONALLY S AFE SCHOOL S, SECOND EDITION

Chapter 2

The Heart of the Matter: Feelings and School

.............................

19

The Positive School Inventory .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 2 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

21 24

Chapter 3

Safety: It’s a Brain Thing

25

How the Brain Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How the Amygdala Affects School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 3 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

26 30 31

Chapter 4

Learning and the Brain: Building New Neural Networks

.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33

Memory and Emotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fear, Stress, and Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 4 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

35 37 40

Chapter 5

Body and Mind: Working Together for Growth

.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41

Movement and Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Turn It Up, Turn It Down .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How We Look, What We See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 5 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42 43 45 46

Chapter 6

Where Children Are Coming From: Stress and Adaptation

....................

47

Coping and Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fight, Flight, or Freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Taking Family Roles to School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Monsters in the Closet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Self-Protection in Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 6 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

48 48 49 50 51 52

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Table of Contents | ix

Chapter 7

Over the Edge: A World of Violence

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53

Violence in Students’ Lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

That’s Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Weapons in the Hands of Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reactions to Violence in Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 7 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

54 55 56 57 60

Brave New World: The Changing Role of the School

.........................

61

Rethinking Priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Testing, Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Age of Connectedness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 8 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

64 67 71 73

Chapter 9

All Are Welcome Here: The Need for Community

...........................

75

Worth the Investment .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Connecting in School .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fostering a Connection to School .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Power of Advocacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

All the King’s Horses . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 9 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

76 77 79 81 81 82

Chapter 10

Snags in the Tapestry: Aspects of Dysfunctionality

........................

83

The School as a Dysfunctional Family .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Shifting Gears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ways to Increase Positivity in School .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 10 Summary .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

84 92 93 94

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Chapter 8

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Chapter 11

More Welcome Than Others: Discrimination and Belonging

...................

95

Connecting With Students in Positive Ways .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

One Fine Stew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pretty and Popular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gender Inequality .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Student Body .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Stand by Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 11 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

96 97 98 100 102 104 105

How Does Your Garden Grow? More Diversity, More Discrimination

.. . . . . . . . . . . .

107

When the Elevator Only Goes Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Making Success Harder to Reach .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Students We Were Taught to Teach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lots of Ways to Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Is This Channel Open? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 12 Summary .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

110 112 113 115 116 117

Part II: THE TOOLBOX Chapter 13

Academic Safety: Learning and Success

.................................

123

Power, Success, and the Freedom to Fail .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How Am I Doing? Feedback and Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Winners All Around: Cooperation and Service .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 13 Summary .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

128 132 134 136

Chapter 14

Emotional Safety: Personal and Character Development

.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

137

I’ve Been Down So Long . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Toward Resilience, Confidence, and a Growth Mindset .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Bearing Witness: Support for Children in Crisis .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

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Chapter 12

Table of Contents | xi

I Really Hear You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 14 Summary .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 15

Social Safety: Belonging and Interpersonal Competence

145 147

149

When Students Don’t Play Nice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Dynamics of Meanness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Other End of the Stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Creating Social Safety in Schools .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tips for Improving the School’s Social Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Respecting Differences, Changing Beliefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Teacher as Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 15 Summary .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

151 152 153 154 156 157 159 160

Chapter 16

Behavioral Safety: Discipline and Cooperation

............................

161

Traditions of Disempowerment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Zero Tolerance and Pushout Strategies .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Spare the Rod! The Dangers of Corporal Punishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Future-Focused Discipline Paradigm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Win-Win Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Handling Negative Student Behavior: Tips for Intervention .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 16 Summary .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

163 165 168 170 172 174 176

Chapter 17

Physical Safety: The Student Body

.....................................

177

Physical Factors .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Things That Go Bump in the Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Taking the Path Less Traveled .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Practical Strategies for Increasing Success for All Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Making These Resources and Strategies Work! .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 17 Summary .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

179 182 184 187 189 190

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xii | CRE ATING EMO TIONALLY S AFE SCHOOL S, SECOND EDITION

Part III: THE GROWN-UPS Chapter 18

Teacher Safety: Protecting the Protectors

...............................

195

Teachers as Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 The State of the Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Follow the Leader .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Some Win-Win Tips for Administrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Chapter 18 Summary .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

The Collaborators: Families and Community

..............................

213

Maximizing the Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Dealing Successfully With Your Students’ Parents .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Rethinking Our Priorities: Valuing the People Who Work With Our Students .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Chapter 19 Summary .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Epilogue

Are We Almost There Yet?

Appendix

.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

225

.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

229

Survey: Is Your School an Emotionally Safe Place? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 Worksheet: Building Emotional Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

References and Resources Index

............................................

237

.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Chapter 19

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Since the 1980s, she has presented seminars and conference keynotes on five continents, working with educators, counselors, paraprofessionals, and other school staff from around the world. A dynamic and entertaining speaker, she has also appeared internationally as a talk-show guest, including as a guest expert on CNN, National Public Radio, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Jane’s work emphasizes practical strategies related to classroom climate and community, student behavior and self-management, effective instruction and guidance, and

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Jane Bluestein, PhD, entered the teaching profession in 1973. She has worked with students at all grade levels as a classroom teacher, crisis-intervention counselor, volunteer with high-risk youths, and teacher educator and supervisor. She has taught various undergraduate and graduate classes for teachers at nine different universities, with the majority of courses focusing on behavior management, motivation, and how to build success with a wide range of learners.

xiv | CRE ATING EMO TIONALLY S AFE SCHOOL S, SECOND EDITION

constructive connections with young people, especially children at risk. After more than five decades in the profession, Jane continues to strive to change families and schools—one heart at a time.

Jane is an award-winning author. Her books include The Win-Win Classroom; The Beginning Teacher’s Survival Guide; Managing 21st Century Classrooms; High School’s Not Forever; and Mentors, Masters and Mrs. MacGregor: Stories of Teachers Making a Difference. She has also written several books for parents and caregivers, as well as a gratitude journal and a self-help book on perfectionism. Her work has been translated into a dozen languages.

Tom Hierck has been an educator since 1983 in a career that has spanned all grade levels and many roles in public education. His experiences as a teacher, an administrator, a district leader, a department of education project leader, and an executive director have provided a unique context for his education philosophy.

Tom is a compelling presenter, infusing his message of hope with strategies culled from the real world. He understands that educators face unprecedented challenges and knows which strategies will best serve learning communities. Tom has presented to schools and districts across North America with a message of celebration for educators seeking to make a difference in the lives of students. His dynamic presentations explore the importance of positive learning environments and the role of assessment to improve student learning. His belief that every student is a success story waiting to be told has led him to work with teachers and administrators to create positive school cultures and build effective relationships that facilitate learning for all students.

His most recent books include Trauma-Sensitive Instruction: Creating a Safe and Predictable Classroom Environment, Trauma-Sensitive Leadership: Creating a Safe and Predictable School Environment (both coauthored with John F. Eller) and You’re a Teacher Now! What’s Next? (coauthored with Alex Kajitani).

To learn more about Tom’s work, visit his website (www.tomhierck.com), or follow @thierck on X or Tom Hierck on Facebook.

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Jane heads Instructional Support Services, a consulting and resource firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visit her website (https://janebluestein.com) for hundreds of helpful articles, handouts, tip sheets, excerpts, resources, and audio discussions.

Her words will touch your heart; her ideas will change your life.

INTRODUCTION

By Jane Bluestein The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.

—Unknown

I needed to get a better sense of how big this issue of emotional safety truly is. I began with what seemed like a fairly simple question: What affects emotional safety in schools? The answers overwhelmed me. Once I started digging, I realized that just about anything can impact school climate and can affect how safe schools feel to the people who spend their days there, students and adults alike.

Every door I opened led to other doors or down hallways I never expected to investigate. After a few months, I had an outline with more than 140 topics, many of which could have become a book or two on their own. The more I learned, the more I realized that, if nothing else, this book would have to reflect the enormity of the topic I intended to explore.

Complicating matters, shortly after I started collecting data, the Columbine High School massacre occurred. Despite what seemed to be a pivotal moment in U.S. culture and history, I resisted the temptation to emphasize guns and violence over practices, policies, and interactions that we encounter daily in schools. Yes, this book addresses guns and violence, both in its original version and in this revision.

But its primary focus is the overall culture we create in schools, one that deliberately strives to offer an educational experience that prevents (or reduces) the desire to hurt others from ever arising in the first place.

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In the late 1990s, I was invited to write a book for educators about improving the emotional climate in schools. Initially, I thought about it in terms of my previous work on discipline and motivation, places in which emotional safety is often compromised. But the more I explored the concept, the clearer it became that my original vision was limited at best.

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Regardless of what we intend our schools to accomplish, the emotional climate is an issue. The need to acknowledge this was particularly clear in the number of programs and reactions that targeted isolated parts of the problem with the emotional climate in schools with little or no regard for the context in which the problem occurred—not unlike trying to solve a puzzle with only a few of the pieces (and no picture on the box).

It’s about the brain, body, and heart. It’s about content and assessment, and it’s about desirable but unmeasurable commodities like curiosity, persistence, and creativity. It’s about the discrepancy between the goals we express and hold in our hearts and the priorities we serve through the behaviors we practice and the choices we make. It’s about people and communities, values and politics, and the interesting dynamics that can happen when we overlay these factors on diverse academic imperatives.

Now, certain limitations are inherent in taking on a topic this big and multidimensional. For one thing, representing what is essentially holographic in its complexity within the linear constraints of a book led to certain decisions and necessary compromises. Nonetheless, the original book ran over five hundred pages with over one thousand footnotes and comments. (I had to include the original book’s bibliography on my website, as it simply wouldn’t fit in the printed book.)

When I received the opportunity to update this book for a second edition, I was challenged to significantly condense the content while still addressing the five main dimensions of school safety that ultimately emerged from the research: (1) academic safety, (2) emotional safety, (3) social safety, (4) behavioral safety, and (5) physical (or neurological) safety. Enter Tom Hierck, a great match as a coauthor, who was able to maintain the vision for this book even while helping to pare the content to a manageable product.

A Note About the Voice of the Text Since I tend to share personal observations and experiences in my writing, a great deal of the original book was in first person from my perspective. Throw in a second author, and things could have gotten a bit confusing. From the beginning, Tom and I agreed that a we voice would make for easier reading than going back and forth between “Tom says” and “Jane says.”

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Yes, safety is about guns and violence, but the concept of school safety covers much more than the violence that has gotten our attention. It’s also about learning styles, social interactions, discipline policies, and bathroom breaks. It’s about the roles schools assume in society and the demands of an economy our students will ultimately serve.

Introduction | 3

The congruence in our personal priorities, philosophies, and experiences as educators made it simple and practical to shift to ideas we share throughout this book. In nearly all instances, the content is presented from our perspective.

A Note About Sources, Resources, and Context

Of course, I found, learned, and received far more information than I could use; mountains of notes and hundreds of facts, stories, and examples never made their way into the text. Fewer still survived the cuts required for a second edition, especially as new voices and resources emerged. If the communications included names and positions—and not all did—I included these specifics unless the person requested anonymity. Often, the comments simply stated the source as a participant, a contributor, or someone in the field.

I wish to honor everyone who has contributed not only to the content of this book but also to my understanding of the various dimensions of emotional safety in schools. Their spirit lives on in this revision, even if their specific comments do not.

A deep dive into the literature took me back through years of work by authors I respect. Whenever possible, I sought out original sources, especially in the case of landmark or long-established resources, which led to publications that go back decades. Twenty-five years later, in revising the material for a new edition, Tom and I found that the basics still apply. Therefore, we agreed to stick with the legacy resources and authors where it made sense.

As is always an issue when citing online content, many links referenced in the original version of this book are no longer active. When we could find a legitimate link to the same material, we updated the reference. If we could not find a copy online but felt the need to use the content was strong, we referenced the original book as the source.

While this book focuses on American schools and their history, traditions, and programs, we have discovered that, for better or worse, the problems and concerns we see in the United States are reflected to varying degrees wherever we have worked. Further, the basic need for emotional safety and the various considerations involved are similar, if not identical, throughout humanity. Students in Malaysia

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Once I committed to the original concept for this book, I read everything I could get my hands on that had any connection to the idea of emotionally safe schools. I was on the road much of that year, which afforded me access to thousands of educators from all over the world. Surveys, interviews, personal conversations, and even little notes left on my table during breaks in presentations provided much of the content for the book.

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have no less need for a safe learning environment than students in Missouri, and the observations and experiences from overseas are highly relevant to U.S. schools.

We have deliberately omitted references to the locations or affiliations of the individuals we quote for this reason.

Summary

Educators have never known as much as they now know about how people learn, think, and interact, and various factors that can affect the previously mentioned behaviors. This knowledge comes with a certain accountability to reckon with the outcomes of the traditions their predecessors imposed or followed because we have come to know the cost of ignoring their potential impact. The world has changed, and in many cases, business as usual no longer serves. It is our hope that this book will help you get a better sense of not only where we are and how we got here but also the many promising paths that lie ahead.

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©2026 Ingrove Press. All rights reserved.

In the end, we hope what comes through in this book is a sense of optimism rooted in a firm belief that educators have the ability to create the kinds of schools, environments, and relationships that will support learning, achievement, and cognitive growth, as well as compassion, creativity, resilience, commitment, productivity, self-understanding, and self-actualization. As bleak as the big picture can sometimes appear, we believe that there has never been a better time to be involved in education.

PART I

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DIMENSIONS OF A VERY BIG PICTURE

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