How to Use Safekeeper Rituals in the Principal’s Office

The brain functions optimally when a person feels safe. The basic job description for a teacher in a Conscious Discipline classroom is “My job is to keep you safe.” The children’s job is “To help keep it safe.” The principal is the Safekeeper of the school, with the job description “To keep the school safe.”

Safekeeper Ritual for the principal looks different than it does in the classroom, but the purpose of committing to safety is the same. One of the most common Safekeeper rituals involves each person possessing an item that represents him or herself (a cutout, a photo glued to a popsicle stick, a small toy, etc.). Each morning the teachers commit to keeping the school safe by putting their item in a decorated Safekeeper box.

Complete instructions for the Safekeeper Ritual can be found in the Creating the School Family book. Helpful songs include “Safekeeper” on Kindness Counts and “Safe and Calm” on Brain Boogie Boosters.