How to Establish and Maintain a Safe and Supportive Learning Environment - Essay Example

Physical, learning and social needs In order to cater for the physical social and learning needs of students, one needs to ensure an environment that is conducive. The physical needs of students are essential in that they enhance even the health of students. To ensure that they are met, one needs to ensure that the learners engage themselves in physical activities. This creates a relaxed environment and full participation from learners. The social needs and learning needs come in handy. This is because while trying to meet their physical needs, the spirit of the team comes in which requires them to interact social can even learn from each other freely.

Ideas are created from themselves and each one feels the urge to participate openly. Adjustments in sitting positions in class can also be made according to the strengths of different students. Students with diverse positions are likely to boost each other as their strengths are placed differently so each one of the wills to learn from the other according to their areas of weakness. Teachers and students do not have much in common. This makes it hard for the teachers to build a rapport with their students.

They should, therefore, be trained in educational psychology (Jane Thungu, 2008). Rapport does not result in learning but is a key to the good conditions of a learning environment. It can be built through respect. Respect is two-way traffic and therefore teachers and students must have it for each other. Teachers must also create an approachable atmosphere where the students are made free to consult. Honesty is a virtue in a learning environment. For students to learn they must be told clearly but not brutally of themselves.

To build rapport teachers should look interested. Students must be able to tell that their teachers care about them and their learning. A sense of humor is also of importance. (Granitz N.A, 2009). Teachers have to make professional judgments on a student through each course. They should therefore always ensure that the students know what is expected of them at the end of the course. Randomly assessing them is however of importance. This can be done by questioning whether consciously or subconsciously.

This helps them translate each individual's understanding and therefore making it possible to give feedback that can help them improve and guide them towards their improvements. (Jones, 2005). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs explains that the various need of each student affects their performance in class. On top of his list, he has self-actualization which explains the needs that stop individuals from actually maximizing their potentials in order to meet them. Under esteem, he shows the importance of students thinking highly of themselves.

People with esteem issues hold themselves back as they do not even know their potentials. Love, respect, care, and safety, as seen earlier are also essential. Psychological needs can also interfere with the learning of students. Teachers should ensure that their students are free to speak to them. With this, they are placed in a position where they can help them deal with their problems. (Maslow, 1954) In order to maintain safety in classrooms, it may be essential for teachers to provide cognitive behavioral therapy.

This makes students more aware of themselves. Also, classroom-based psychological programs can be used to help students deal with their depressions. (Bissonette, 2009). Lessons always seem relevant to students if the environment created for them is not always formal. Teachers can also use real-life examples to show students how they can apply what they learn in real life. Also, they can put them in positions where they have to find their solutions based on what they learned in class.