Creating Emotionally Safe Schools, Second Edition

Whether students feel stressed or supported has a profound impact on their success, sense of belonging, and behavior. Designed as a guide for education professionals and parents, this book explores emotional safety, its effect on learning, and practical strategies for fostering well-being. Discover how to shape students’ emotional responses by modeling healthy expression, building community, and nurturing self-awareness and self-management.

K–12 administrators and teachers can use this book to:

Foster emotional safety and belonging in schools

Address how stress and anxiety impact the learning environment
Address students’ emotional needs and cultivate positive relationships in the classroom
Strengthen classroom management with healthy approaches and practices
Maintain authority while balancing structure with freedom

Contents:

Introduction

Part I: Dimensions of a Very Big Picture

Chapter 1: What Safety Is

Chapter 2: The Heart of the Matter—Feelings and School

Chapter 3: Safety—It’s a Brain Thing

Chapter 4: Learning and the Brain

Chapter 5: Body and Mind

Chapter 6: Where Children Are Coming From—Stress and Adaptation

Chapter 7: Over the Edge—A World of Violence

Chapter 8: Brave New World—The Changing Role of the School

Chapter 9: All Are Welcome Here—The Need for Community

Chapter 10: Snags in the Tapestry

Chapter 11: More Welcome Than Others—Discrimination and Belonging

Chapter 12: How Does Your Garden Grow? More Diversity, More Discrimination

Part II: The Toolbox

Chapter 13: Academic Safety—Learning and Success

Chapter 14: Emotional Safety—Personal and Character Development

Chapter 15: Social Safety—Belonging and Interpersonal Competence

Chapter 16: Behavioral Safety—Discipline and Cooperation

Chapter 17: Physical Safety—The Student Body

Part III: The Grownups

Chapter 18: Teacher Safety—Protecting the Protectors

Chapter 19: The Collaborators—Parents and Community

Epilogue: Are We Almost There Yet?

Appendix

References and Resources

Index