Holding Space for Someone to Share Their Story

At first, I was unsure what the term "holding space" really meant, but as I have come to understand it, it is a way of listening to someone that makes them feel understood or that their story has meaning. In holding space in class, I have become more aware of my listening skills and now feel like I am better suited to listen to my loved ones when they have something they want to share with me.

I want to be a teacher (middle school English, to be specific), but one of the things that I want for my classroom is for my students to feel that they matter. I do not want my students to think that their one and only role in my classroom is to learn new material. I want my students to feel that my classroom is a place where they are free to be fully themselves and not have to hide the things that they care about. I want my classroom to be that space that I am holding for my students where they feel like they can talk about what they feel is important. My goal is to teach my students how to hold space for one another but also for themselves. It is important for young people to understand that they matter and deserve to be heard just as much as their classmates. I also want them to learn from each other's stories and get to know each other better through sharing their stories.

What I learned from the person I spoke with in class is that no matter what my past looks like, I am not stuck with one reputation forever. I can grow and change to become better and more open and open-minded. No matter what my past looks like, I still matter and deserve a place in this world. I want to show the people around me that I am capable of growth and positive change and that they are capable of the same things.