Psychological Safety: ACTION (Part 1)
Beyond Self Care
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In this episode, Gail Markin, Caroline Picard, and Jade Garratt from Psych Safety, a seasoned educator and expert in psychological safety discuss the critical role of implementing action to build psychological safety in education. Jade, who has extensive experience in teaching, leadership, and organizational development, shares her passion and specific techniques for fostering environments where individuals feel safe to speak up, share ideas, and learn from mistakes without fear of judgment.
Everyone in a school, not just leaders, plays a role in creating a culture of psychological safety in education. The conversation acknowledges that teachers often create safe environments intuitively in classrooms, but that it is more challenging to establish such safety within educational institutions and workplaces. Jade highlights the fragile nature of psychological safety—how it takes time to build but can be easily destroyed by overwork, stress, and high expectations. The good news is that it can also be protected and fostered with communication and collaboration. The conversation moves to practical steps and the challenges educators face in creating environments where it is “safe to fail." Throughout the episode, Jade's passion for her work and her dedication to making teaching a more sustainable, fulfilling profession shines through.
There is so much goodness in this interview that we’ve split it into two parts! Join us for part 2!
“In order to feel safe... we have to believe and trust and have confidence that [ideas] will be well received, and that we won’t be punished or humiliated.”
Show Notes:
Guest: Jade Garratt is an expert in psychological safety with over 15 years of experience spanning education, the charity sector, and private industry. Jade holds a physics degree from Oxford, a master’s in educational leadership, and is pursuing her PhD in educational practice at the University of Nottingham. She works with Psych Safety, alongside Tom Geraghty, where they provide resources and tools to organizations of all sizes across diverse industries, helping foster environments where people feel safe to share ideas, raise concerns, and grow. With her rich background in teaching and educational development, Jade’s passion lies in creating psychologically safe spaces, not just in classrooms but in workplaces as well.
“Psychological Safety is Easier to Destroy than Build”
Overwork and Overwhelm: High workloads and stress inhibit individuals from speaking up, contributing, and fostering a safe, collaborative environment.
Passion in Education: Passionate educators can inadvertently set very high expectations for themselves and others, creating pressure that can stifle psychological safety.
While leadership plays a role, everyone in an organization is responsible for fostering psychological safety, as everyone has the power to both create and destroy it.
Building psychological safety in workplaces and educational settings is crucial for fostering creativity, learning, and collaboration.
Part 2 of the conversation coming Sept. 14th Subscribe to be notified!
“If the tone being set by leadership is supportive of psychological safety, that permeates the culture... but it is a shared responsibility.”
