Supportive Learning Environments

Supportive learning environments can be defined as:
“The creation of a caring, rigorous and relevant learning community that provides support to all learners in aiding them to achieve at their highest potential”(Holtz Frank, 2004).
“Unless students experience a positive and supportive climate, some may never achieve the most minimum standards or realize their full potential”.Urban (1999)
For any training it is important to set up rules and boundaries at the start of the training. This gives the learners and idea of what is expected from them. Tell them the consequences too. It is important that if someone breaks the rules then we deal with it and don’t just leave it.
An Example can be:
Stage 1: Warning (Please be more respectful)
Stage 2: Further Action (Move to another chair)
Stage 3: Removal (Removal from the training)

Rules that can be set:
1. All learners to be treated with respect
2. All mobile phones switched off
3. All information shared in the training to be kept confidential (unless legally obliged to share it)
4. Questions to be asked at appropriate times.
5.
If someone has an opinion that is different to yours you will listen calmly to their opinion and not get angry.
All learners must be treated throughout the training with respect and dignity and the teacher must not allow any personal feeling to interfere with treating everyone the same.
Examples of supportive and unsupportive behaviour are:
Supportive Unsupportive
Using encouragement No praise or insincerity, rolling eyes at answer
Providing constructive feedback Allowing learners to think they have given a right answer when they are wrong or mocking incorrect answers
Setting objectives and ensuring those objectives are met Set unclear objectives or the learning does not follow the set objectives
Participation from learners Teacher does all the talking whilst everyone sits and listens for the entire training
Not allowing any one person to disrupt the rest of the group One person allowed to disrupt the training and other people
Not allowing others to bully to be disrespectful of others Allowing learners to make of fun others or the trainer
No to single out any one person and make them feel “on the spot” If people are quiet or seem to be uncomfortable speaking up, make them answer direct questions and put them on the
spot
Catering for Individual differences All learning geared towards one learning style
To use variations of voice, stance, position, and appearance, to stimulate visual and auditory engagement. Sat or stood in the same position and uses one tone of voice
Group activities / Group discussions Teacher to just talk
Training starts and finishes on time Training starts later than promised or goes over time.

In order to keep learners engaged we have to take all the above into account, it’s when the learners are bored or not engaged or they don’t feel like they are being listened to that they will feel unhappy about the training and may start to cause disruptions. If someone that is normally quiet is put on the spot they will not engage with the training and will not learn anything.

• Everyone has the right to learn in a safe and supportive environment
• By providing a safe and supportive environment we help learners to reach their full potential
• Setting Rules at the beginning of the training lets the learners know what will and will not be accepted.
• Non Supportive behaviour must be addressed at the earliest opportunity