Brainstorming and A Safe Classroom

Keeping our judgements aside we need to accept all student responses in a neutral fashion therefore creating a safe environment where all students are willing to share their thoughts. An idea I would like to try from my reading is for my students to journal a response about what, if anything have they noticed about how I have responded to their ideas, and comments during this first week of school. Have students take their journals, find a partner and talk about what they have written. Continue with a few more paired discussions and then choose a few students to share. This should lead to the class being able to develop a list of nonjudgmental behaviours that will be a model for us to follow all year.