Understand own responsibility for maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment
3.1 Explain how to establish and maintain a safe and supportive environment
A safe and supportive environment, on a practical level, would involve the tutor taking responsibility for the physical environment i.e. health and safety issues, ensuring all risks have been assessed. Seating arrangements; i.e. either informal to promote more casual participation or formally to promote formal learning such as lectures etc. Ensuring the students have access to toilets, outside smoking areas, relaxation areas and regular breaks. Resources such as whiteboard, screen and hand-outs need to be easily accessible to all students. Learners that require learning support such as dictaphones, coloured hand-outs, one to one assistance etc. have their required needs accommodated. The aims and objectives for each session must be clearly presented at the beginning of the session so that each learner is fully prepared and motivated. The classroom or learning area is the basis of the learning environment and as such this is where the safe and supportive atmosphere begins. Classroom furniture can be rearranged to ensure the atmosphere becomes established, the teacher is responsible to ensure the environment is safe, in accordance with the College’s Health and Safety Policy, minimising risks. Rapport is also a significant element in establishing the safe and supportive learning environment and developing a culture in the class of good behaviour and respect. By clearly informing the learners of the lesson objective at the beginning of the session, the learners will feel safe and confident in the learning process, by answering open questions during the session the learners will continue to feel confident in the learning process and by concluding the learning outcomes at the end of the session, the learners will have experienced a safe and supportive learning experience. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, (Gravells, A. 2012 Preparing to teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector. 2nd ed.
A safe and supportive environment, on a practical level, would involve the tutor taking responsibility for the physical environment i.e. health and safety issues, ensuring all risks have been assessed. Seating arrangements; i.e. either informal to promote more casual participation or formally to promote formal learning such as lectures etc. Ensuring the students have access to toilets, outside smoking areas, relaxation areas and regular breaks. Resources such as whiteboard, screen and hand-outs need to be easily accessible to all students. Learners that require learning support such as dictaphones, coloured hand-outs, one to one assistance etc. have their required needs accommodated. The aims and objectives for each session must be clearly presented at the beginning of the session so that each learner is fully prepared and motivated. The classroom or learning area is the basis of the learning environment and as such this is where the safe and supportive atmosphere begins. Classroom furniture can be rearranged to ensure the atmosphere becomes established, the teacher is responsible to ensure the environment is safe, in accordance with the College’s Health and Safety Policy, minimising risks. Rapport is also a significant element in establishing the safe and supportive learning environment and developing a culture in the class of good behaviour and respect. By clearly informing the learners of the lesson objective at the beginning of the session, the learners will feel safe and confident in the learning process, by answering open questions during the session the learners will continue to feel confident in the learning process and by concluding the learning outcomes at the end of the session, the learners will have experienced a safe and supportive learning experience. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, (Gravells, A. 2012 Preparing to teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector. 2nd ed.