Standard 4: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
Summary of Standard
The fourth standard of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers requires all teachers to create an environment for their students that are supportive and safe for their learning. This environment then needs to be maintained throughout their learning. An environment always needs to be inclusive of student participation and engagement in the classroom. It is crucial that each student feels safe in their learning environment for them to be able to participate and be engaged in their learning. The learning environment will only maintain to be a safe one as long as challenging behaviour is managed in a practical way.
Situation Action Outcome
Focus Area
4.1 Support student participation
Situation
There are some students in the class who don’t want to participate during class discussion or are easily distracted when being taught to. Most of the time, students actually know the answer but are too shy or scared to participate. Mat sessions are the main place where students feel they don’t want to participate in the learning taking place. I knew I needed to support participation for all students, so I decided to use some strategies to encourage participation for all students.
Action
Each student’s location on the mat is crucial to student participation. I moved those students who get easily distracted or don’t like participating as much as other students closer to the front where I would be close enough to stop them from getting distracted and could also encourage students to answer questions and have a go. At certain times, I also decided to reward students with group points for answering. I would also help, support and encourage those who were less likely to participate to give an answer so they could be rewarded too. I always told students to have a go and constantly encouraged them to participate. If a student participated who would not usually participate, I made sure to really encourage them so they knew that they can safely participate and have no reason to not be involved.
Outcome
Over the course of my internship, particular students started participating more and more on mat sessions. I was witnessing students who normally would not participate, having a go and participating, even if they did not answer correctly. Students knew they were in a safe and supportive learning environment, which is the most important factor of student participation. The group reward system worked really well as team members would all encourage each other when having a go.
Focus Area
4.3 Managing challenging behaviour
Situation
One particular student refused to sit down and do his 5 minute “time out” during lunch time. This student is usually very difficult and will often shake his head and won’t do what is asked of him by his teacher. I realised after I had asked him to sit down a few times that he wasn’t going to listen to me. Many other students were watching because they could not believe he was not sitting down and doing his time out.
Action
I decided not to give him the attention that he was after and instead gave him the choice of what he wanted to do. I said he could either stand up and miss out on all of his play time or he could sit down for only 5 minutes and do his time out. I told him the decision was completely up to him.
Outcome
This whole time while talking to him, he refused to look at me. After I gave him the choice of what he wanted to do, he still would not look up at me. 5 seconds later he slowly pressed up against the wall and slid down it. Many other students were watching so I knew I needed to stay in control the whole time so they all knew they could not take advantage of me. Even though this student was given a choice, whichever choice he made, he was still going to have some form of time out and I was still in control of the situation.
Focus Area
4.3 Managing challenging behaviour
Situation
A particular student had many behaviour issues and each day is often in trouble. I decided to create a behaviour chart for him so that he could be rewarded for his positive behaviour and not just told off for his bad behaviour.
Action
I decided to create a behaviour chart for this student where each day he was given a sticker if he was well behaved for that day. By the end of the week if he had a sticker for each day, he was rewarded for his good work. I also had a discussion with his mother and created a chart that he could use at home. His mum was having problems with trying to get his homework done each night so she thought creating a behaviour chart was a great idea.
Outcome
This behaviour chart system worked very effectively. The student looked forward to gaining a sticker for each day so that at the end of the week, he could enjoy his reward. I noticed a change in his behaviour straight away in class and was very pleased I had implemented something positive. I regularly talked with his mother to see how the chart was going at home and she was very pleased with the outcome it was having. The student’s homework was completed almost every night.
The fourth standard of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers requires all teachers to create an environment for their students that are supportive and safe for their learning. This environment then needs to be maintained throughout their learning. An environment always needs to be inclusive of student participation and engagement in the classroom. It is crucial that each student feels safe in their learning environment for them to be able to participate and be engaged in their learning. The learning environment will only maintain to be a safe one as long as challenging behaviour is managed in a practical way.
Situation Action Outcome
Focus Area
4.1 Support student participation
Situation
There are some students in the class who don’t want to participate during class discussion or are easily distracted when being taught to. Most of the time, students actually know the answer but are too shy or scared to participate. Mat sessions are the main place where students feel they don’t want to participate in the learning taking place. I knew I needed to support participation for all students, so I decided to use some strategies to encourage participation for all students.
Action
Each student’s location on the mat is crucial to student participation. I moved those students who get easily distracted or don’t like participating as much as other students closer to the front where I would be close enough to stop them from getting distracted and could also encourage students to answer questions and have a go. At certain times, I also decided to reward students with group points for answering. I would also help, support and encourage those who were less likely to participate to give an answer so they could be rewarded too. I always told students to have a go and constantly encouraged them to participate. If a student participated who would not usually participate, I made sure to really encourage them so they knew that they can safely participate and have no reason to not be involved.
Outcome
Over the course of my internship, particular students started participating more and more on mat sessions. I was witnessing students who normally would not participate, having a go and participating, even if they did not answer correctly. Students knew they were in a safe and supportive learning environment, which is the most important factor of student participation. The group reward system worked really well as team members would all encourage each other when having a go.
Focus Area
4.3 Managing challenging behaviour
Situation
One particular student refused to sit down and do his 5 minute “time out” during lunch time. This student is usually very difficult and will often shake his head and won’t do what is asked of him by his teacher. I realised after I had asked him to sit down a few times that he wasn’t going to listen to me. Many other students were watching because they could not believe he was not sitting down and doing his time out.
Action
I decided not to give him the attention that he was after and instead gave him the choice of what he wanted to do. I said he could either stand up and miss out on all of his play time or he could sit down for only 5 minutes and do his time out. I told him the decision was completely up to him.
Outcome
This whole time while talking to him, he refused to look at me. After I gave him the choice of what he wanted to do, he still would not look up at me. 5 seconds later he slowly pressed up against the wall and slid down it. Many other students were watching so I knew I needed to stay in control the whole time so they all knew they could not take advantage of me. Even though this student was given a choice, whichever choice he made, he was still going to have some form of time out and I was still in control of the situation.
Focus Area
4.3 Managing challenging behaviour
Situation
A particular student had many behaviour issues and each day is often in trouble. I decided to create a behaviour chart for him so that he could be rewarded for his positive behaviour and not just told off for his bad behaviour.
Action
I decided to create a behaviour chart for this student where each day he was given a sticker if he was well behaved for that day. By the end of the week if he had a sticker for each day, he was rewarded for his good work. I also had a discussion with his mother and created a chart that he could use at home. His mum was having problems with trying to get his homework done each night so she thought creating a behaviour chart was a great idea.
Outcome
This behaviour chart system worked very effectively. The student looked forward to gaining a sticker for each day so that at the end of the week, he could enjoy his reward. I noticed a change in his behaviour straight away in class and was very pleased I had implemented something positive. I regularly talked with his mother to see how the chart was going at home and she was very pleased with the outcome it was having. The student’s homework was completed almost every night.
Evidence
Action Plans
I strongly believe that the learning environment needs to be safe and supportive for each individual learner. I plan on researching more ways to make the learning environment more positive and encouraging towards each learner.
Behaviour management is one of the most aspects to being a successful teacher. It is also the area I feel I need to grow and improve within this standard. I feel I need to further my research in regards to behaviour management and also learn about specific actions required for different circumstances. There are many text books available that focus on behaviour management in the classroom. I plan to read and study some of these texts to expand my knowledge also.
I strongly believe that the learning environment needs to be safe and supportive for each individual learner. I plan on researching more ways to make the learning environment more positive and encouraging towards each learner.
Behaviour management is one of the most aspects to being a successful teacher. It is also the area I feel I need to grow and improve within this standard. I feel I need to further my research in regards to behaviour management and also learn about specific actions required for different circumstances. There are many text books available that focus on behaviour management in the classroom. I plan to read and study some of these texts to expand my knowledge also.