Creating Safe and Caring Environments

In order to create safe, caring learning environments I will start by building

relationships. As the teacher in the classroom, it is important that I have a strong relationship
with each of my students in order to create an environment where they feel safe and cared for
by me and by each other. Having a clear set of classroom expectations will help create a safe
space within the classroom. At the beginning of the school year students can brainstorm and
come up with the expectations for the classroom. Expectations such as respect for one another,
listening without judgement, or being quiet when others are talking would all contribute to
creating a caring environment. Establishing these expectations at the beginning of the year sets
the tone for the rest of the year. Displaying these expectations somewhere in the classroom
works to remind students of what they are all expected to do. I want my learning environments
to be student focused, where students have input and opportunities to be leaders within the
classroom. Giving different students different classroom jobs each day will help to create a
sense of community within the classroom.
Creating different areas in the classroom for different needs can help make students feel
safe. For example, designating one corner of the classroom as a quiet workspace and another
as a group or partner workspace can provide students with the type of environment that they
need in order to get their work done. Another way to make sure that students feel cared for is
to check in with how they are feeling at the beginning of each day. This can be done by having
them show me a thumbs up or down each day, or by having some sort of interactive board in
the room with sections for great, good, okay, and not okay. Each day students could move a
magnet with their name to the section that fits their feelings best. This also allows for changes
throughout the day. As a teacher, this method would let me know if some students are having a
bad day, from there I could talk to them one on one and make sure that I am doing what I can
to help them through their day. On top of this, I will make sure that my students know that I am
always happy to listen to them if they need someone to talk to.
When it comes to conflicts in the classroom, I believe in a restorative approach. This goes hand
in hand with having a student-centred classroom. A restorative approach to conflict takes all
sides of the issue into consideration and has students and teachers agree upon a solution. This
will let each student involved have a chance to explain what happened and think about what
they need in order to move forward. Approaching issues in this way will show student that I
care about and respect them.