Standard SEVEN – Create and maintain safe and supportive learning environments

Teachers understand individual and group motivation and behaviour, and create safe, supportive and stimulating learning environments that promote positive social interaction and active engagement in learning. Practice Teachers apply professional knowledge and understanding of learners, the curriculum and teaching and learning to: P7.1  create respectful, positive and safe learning environments and constructive relationships that are based on mutual trust, provide social support for all students and foster positive attitudes to learning, participation and achievement P7.2  establish, communicate and maintain clear expectations for student learning and behaviour and provide explicit feedback on appropriate behaviour P7.3  apply behaviour management strategies in a fair, sensitive and consistent manner, and know when to seek advice on matters associated with student learning and behaviour P7.4  undertake explicit teaching of skills to assist students to assume responsibility for themselves and behave responsibly towards others, participate in decision making, work collaboratively and independently, and feel safe to risk full participation in learning P7.5  manage teaching time, resources and physical space to create and maintain a challenging, engaging, safe and supportive environment for learning P7.6  monitor independent and group work and apply effective teaching, motivational and classroom management strategies to maximise the full and varied participation of all students. Knowledge Teachers know and understand: K7.1  school and employing authority policies and relevant legislation relating to behaviour management and the provision of safe and supportive learning environments K7.2  contemporary evidence-informed theories and research on child and adolescent development relevant to early, middle and senior phases of learning K7.3  the principles and explicit strategies of effective classroom behaviour and learning management K7.4  effective communication, time management, conflict resolution and negotiation strategies K7.5  how the classroom environment influences learning and can promote responsible behaviour for all students K7.6  techniques for planning, implementing and monitoring independent and group work strategies and effectively using teaching materials and resources K7.7  learning styles and a range of techniques for ensuring the full and varied participation of all students in learning activities K7.8 appropriate sources of advice on student learning, behaviour and wellbeing. Values Teachers are committed to: V7.1  creating safe, supportive and stimulating learning environments V7.2  taking responsibility for establishing and maintaining a positive climate in the classroom and participating in maintaining such a climate in the school as a whole V7.3 creating learning environments that model participatory and democratic values.

The core vocational teaching and the expertise and development (3013VTA) subjects provided knowledge and practice of this standard. I gained an understanding of motivation and behavioural theories and demonstrated the implementation of these theories through teaching in the classroom. The Curriculum Development (4141EBL) introduced the concepts of intended, enacted and experienced curriculum, allowing me to analyse the relationships between the intents and implementation of supportive learning environments. How the needs of the different parties involved was explored and models used to design and enact safe and supportive learning environments were analysed and used. The Inclusive Teaching course (3142VTA) gave me understanding and practice in promoting positive social interaction and active learning. The Instructional Design course (4143EBL) used theoretical foundations to allow me to determine the most appropriate means in resolving problems that involve a range of complex factors. I can now create strategies and resources that use the correct approaches for supporting different learning types. The Working Text (4161EBL) and Teaching Literacy and Numeracy (4162VTA) courses used contemporary research and theories to help create supportive learning environments. The Expertise and Development (3013VTA) and Advanced Teaching (4231EBL) courses provided theories and practice in individual and group motivation, learning differences and behaviour modification.  The Core Vocational Teaching course (3231VTA) gave practice in implementing supportive learning environments using a range of learning and behaviour management techniques. The Values and Ethics course (3014VTA) provided theories and practice of professional practice, respecting authority policies and legislation