Currently I am working with a teacher candidate. After their first lesson in Year 7 Makerspace with 56 students, 2 teachers they turned to be looking somewhat concerned and asked me "How am I meant to do this without someone loosing a finger?" I felt this was a valid question and a good place to start the conversation with them about safety in practical, open plan spaces.
Weekly Routines
At the core of what we do to promote a safe space is regular, transparent routines. Specific tool use - eg hot glue guns and safety knives. We have a weekly safety checkin that happens each week we use a tool. They are consistent, clear messages and helps reinforce safe practices. A sample is on the left. This also allows us to address and actions from previous sessions that need focus. This stays on screen display for the duration of the lesson. We have an agreed 15 minutes of "quiet" focussed learning at the start of our practical classes to allow both teachers in the space to introduce the lesson/key concepts/activities. Arranging learners and learning zones - In some classes we also arrange our learners so that they can work safely away from their buddies who so badly want to show off their rad knife skills. Similarly if we have students using concrete and another group using iPads we allocate and label learning zones for the various activities. All iPads and pencil cases in a yellow zone - we keep these clean, dry and out of the way. Typically lesson are structured so these items are only needed at the start and end to aid with this. Noise monitor - is sometimes placed on screen. with the safety info. When we get too loud we all pause and down tools, "huddle in" (we practice doing this with our learners all term) and take a walk out into the courtyard. The act of resetting and refocussing on our noise also give the other class i the space a moment to reflect also. Pack up cards - each week students get a laminated, physical job card which outlines what they need to do during pack up, how they do it and where they find the stuff needed to do it. One of these rolls is a safety auditer who makes sure cords are rolled OK, knives are retracted. |
Back up plan
Even with all these things in place some students may still show unsafe behaviours - accidents may happen and we deal with these but deliberate, unsafe behaviour also happens. We have a firm understanding that practical work is not right and that it comes with responsibilities. If students can not uphold the responsibility of working in a safe way they pack up immediately. Practical is stopped for the day and they are given a theory task to complete without their device using pen/paper. These tasks are connected to the Charter of Respect and the subject being studied. We then have a conversation with the student regarding their actions and what happens next time as outlined in the COR prior to them returning to practical classes the following week.
Even with all these things in place some students may still show unsafe behaviours - accidents may happen and we deal with these but deliberate, unsafe behaviour also happens. We have a firm understanding that practical work is not right and that it comes with responsibilities. If students can not uphold the responsibility of working in a safe way they pack up immediately. Practical is stopped for the day and they are given a theory task to complete without their device using pen/paper. These tasks are connected to the Charter of Respect and the subject being studied. We then have a conversation with the student regarding their actions and what happens next time as outlined in the COR prior to them returning to practical classes the following week.