Safe, seen, and ready to learn

Abstract

For far too many students, schools are not places of belonging. This is due, in part, to the cultural mismatch between schools and students that, despite even the best of intentions, too often leads to student harm and negative student outcomes. Gloria McDaniel-Hall and Nina F. Weisling provide insights for understanding why belonging is vital to student learning, how teachers can recognize when they fall short of building spaces where all students feel they belong, and suggestions for starting to learn, unlearn, and relearn so that all students feel safe, seen, and ready to learn.