ABSTRACT
I open the door to the school and walk through the hallway, smelling the canteen food, hearing and sensing the stir of pupils’ voices and movements. Suddenly I remember how it felt to be a primary school student, coming to school in the morning. Feelings that this memory brings back are mixed: I remember feeling safe and content, and at the same time uncertain and insecure. Do I fit in? Am I good enough, ‘cool’ enough? On the corridor wall I see a hand-painted poster with red letters on a black background: “Remember that bullying is absolutely forbidden in this school!” I walk towards the classroom, feeling affected by the environment, and optimistic about what is about to happen (Excerpt from my field notes in Martinlaakso school, Vantaa, September 2016).
