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Planning Procedures for Supportive Classroom Environments
Teachers can use this tool to develop consistent routines and procedures that support a sense of emotional safety.
When teachers build the structures that support belonging and emotional safety, they lay the groundwork for students to focus on learning (Sergiovanni, 1994 in Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). SEL teams can support classrooms in creating the conditions for belonging and emotional safety by being responsive to students’ perspectives and needs, affirming all students’ full identities, and establishing structures that create predictability and consistency.
To feel emotionally safe, students need teachers who are responsive to their needs. Responsiveness is grounded in trusting relationships between the teacher and students, and an understanding of how classroom life is experienced by students (Darling-Hammond et al, 2017; Steele and Cohn-Vargas, 2013). To develop a responsive environment, teachers can:
Students thrive when teachers know them well, and affirm their individual and diverse identities (Steele and Cohn-Vargas, 2013 in Darling-Hammond et al, 2017). Teachers who affirm students’ identities communicate in ways that show that they genuinely care for and respect each student, and that they believe all students’ knowledge, life experiences, and culture are an asset to the classroom community.
Teacher can support identity-affirming classrooms when they:
Reflect on how students participate in and perceive the classroom.
Effective routines, procedures, and structures do not overly control students’ choice and voice, but create predictability so students know what to expect. These types of consistent, predictable routines help reduce stress and facilitate learning for all students (Darling-Hammond et al, 2017), including those who have experienced trauma, are on the autism spectrum, or who struggle behaviorally.
Carefully planned routines and procedures provide opportunities for student leadership and SEL. Ideally, teachers will develop these routines and procedures before the school year begins, but if not, your team may want to support teachers in establishing or re-establishing their routines in a way that supports SEL. The goal is to make both the procedures and rationale explicit and, as the year goes on, help students actively participate in designing and maintaining an inclusive and safe classroom.
When teaching first-graders the procedure for walking from their tables to the carpet, talk with them about why it’s important to walk carefully to get there. By making the rationale transparent (e…More
When teaching first-graders the procedure for walking from their tables to the carpet, talk with them about why it’s important to walk carefully to get there. By making the rationale transparent (e.g., we walk carefully—not run—to make sure that we keep ourselves and others safe), you create social awareness around how our their actions can impact others.
When asking students to brainstorm silently before discussion, build social awareness by discussing different learning styles and explaining that some students need silence to focus on new ideas. A…More
When asking students to brainstorm silently before discussion, build social awareness by discussing different learning styles and explaining that some students need silence to focus on new ideas. Assure students that this is merely a strategy to get thinking started; there will be opportunities for all voices to be heard during the discussion.
Your SEL team can use the tool below to support teachers in planning classrooms routines and procedures.
Teachers can use this tool to develop consistent routines and procedures that support a sense of emotional safety.
Additional Resources to support a sense of belonging and emotional safety:
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Anti-Bias Tools & Strategies
Teaching Tolerance Questions for Reflective Practice
Teaching Tolerance Professional Development Plan: Critical Practices for Anti-Bias Education