Fostering Vulnerability In The Classroom: An Experiential Exercise

As educators, it is our responsibility to cultivate spaces where students feel safe to be themselves, engage deeply with the material, and form bonds with their classmates. Creating such spaces requires the development of a classroom culture of trust and psychological safety. I argue that encouraging students to be vulnerable cultivates this type of classroom culture. While students are often reluctant to be vulnerable in classroom settings due to fear of judgment, cultural and societal norms, and previous negative experiences, I have developed an activity that effectively guides students to express vulnerability. In this session, I will lead attendees through this three-stage activity. Attendees will walk away from the session with a ready-to-implement activity that will greatly enhance a supportive classroom culture, resulting in learning that is more inclusive, interactive, and meaningful.