Safety and respect are obvious essentials for learning. As Goodwin and Hubble (2013) note, it is the teacher's responsibility to "ensure that when students are in (their) classroom, they are in an oasis of safety - a positive environment where students feel cared for, respected, and encouraged" (p.107). No student should be scared when they come to school, instead, teachers should be intentional to make everyone feel valued, respected, and comfortable. However, much work is needed in this area. As Farrington and Tfoti (2010) found from their research, fewer than half of the bully-prevention programs that were implemented to help student feel safe were shown to be effective.
To create an oasis of safety and respect, Goodwin and Hubble recommend:
To create an oasis of safety and respect, Goodwin and Hubble recommend:
- Establishing rules of behavior and consequences for misconduct
- Catching students in the act of doing things right
- Enlisting student support
- Encouraging positive classroom discourse