Safe Learning Environment

A physically and emotionally safe learning environment is created for students.

have an idea? submit a picture or lesson plan if you think you have an exemplar of this idea.

Minimize Threats & Distractions

One of the most important things a teacher can do is to create a safe space for learners. To do this, teachers need to reduce potential threats and distractions in the learning environment. When learners have to focus their attention on having basic needs met or avoiding a negative experience they cannot concentrate on the learning process. While the physical safety of a learning environment is of course necessary, subtler types of threats and distractions must be attended to as well; what is threatening or potentially distracting depends on learners’ individual needs and background. An English Language Learner might find language experimentation threatening, while some learners might find too much sensory stimulation distracting. The optimal instructional environment offers options that reduce threats and negative distractions for everyone to create a safe space in which learning can occur.

Create an accepting and supportive classroom climate
Vary the level of novelty or risk
Charts, calendars, schedules, visible timers, cues, etc. that can increase the predictability of daily activities and transitions
Creation of class routines
Alerts and previews that can help learners anticipate and prepare for changes in activities, schedules, and novel events
Options that can, in contrast to the above, maximize the unexpected, surprising, or novel in highly routinized activities
Vary the level of sensory stimulation
Variation in the presence of background noise or visual stimulation, noise buffers, number of features or items presented at a time
Variation in pace of work, length of work sessions, availability of breaks or time-outs, or timing or sequence of activities
Vary the social demands required for learning or performance, the perceived level of support and protection and the requirements for public display and evaluation
Involve all participants in whole class discussions

Promote Expectations & Beliefs that Optimize Motivation

One important aspect of self-regulation is the personal knowledge each learner has about what he or she finds motivating, be it intrinsic or extrinsic. To accomplish this, learners need to be able to set personal goals that can be realistically reached, as well as fostering positive beliefs that their goals can be met. However, learners also need to be able to deal with frustration and avoid anxiety when they are in the process of meeting their goals. Multiple options need to be given to learners to help them stay motivated.

Provide prompts, reminders, guides, rubrics, checklists that focus on:
Self-regulatory goals like reducing the frequency of aggressive outbursts in response to frustration
Increasing the length of on-task orientation in the face of distractions
Elevating the frequency of self-reflection and self-reinforcements
Provide coaches, mentors, or agents that model the process of setting personally appropriate goals that take into account both strengths and weaknesses
Support activities that encourage self-reflection and identification of personal goals