Standard 4: Create and Maintain Supportive and Safe Learning Environments

I create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments across all areas of the school day. I do this in various ways including the establishment of collaborative class expectations and student contracts for learning. I utilise the school behaviour policy and procedure and refer to this as needed. In addition to the formal rules and procedures I strongly believe in establishing a positive and safe environment where students feel free to offer ideas free from judgement or criticism, where they receive feedback in a positive, helpful manner, from both their peers and teachers. To establish this I engage students in an explicit discussion about basic values such as mutual respect, trust, honesty and forgiveness. With younger and older students I often relate these values to our feelings, this helps students to identify with the real life applications. 

On my first day at each new school I engage students in ice breaker games including games that help me to learn student names and interests. During these games I also disclose some fun facts about myself, this is an effective relationship building strategy. I commenced my most recent placement on the first day of the year, I believe this activity helped students to develop a sense of safety and trust with their new classmates.

I actively provide students with specific screened websites and educate them on safe ICT use. I identify and manage physical risks in the environment and manage these, whilst reporting any issues, such as broken equipment, to the appropriate persons. I have developed formal risk assessments and I always carry out risk assessments as part of my lesson planning where students are engaging in physical activity, using physical hands-on materials or moving between school spaces

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