Building a Safe Atmosphere

To really dig into the differences of a positive and negative learning environment, let’s start with some positive learning environment examples:

• Students feel safe to come to school without feeling like they have to act like someone else for acceptance
• When students feel safe in their environment, they’re more willing to take risks in their learning without fear of failing– sometimes we learn best when we fail!
• A true community exists. Students and staff members alike are more engaged and excited to interact with one another under positive circumstances.

In a negative learning environment, you’re going to see more undesirable behaviors such as:

• High levels of student frustration, likely leading to increased disciplinary rates. This could be mitigated by clear classroom management strategies.
• A disconnect between members of the community (ie. staff, students, and parents/guardians), leading to tension and less involvement from parents/guardians in the school environment. High levels of parent involvement have a direct impact on positive learning environments.
• High levels of stress for teachers leading to burnout and anxiety, which research has shown can even cause a physiological anti-stress hormone response in students. Practicing self-care techniques can be a great way to de-stress.