Creating a safe climate takes time and work. These are some of the most important components:
- Active teaching of social-emotional skills
- Attention to creating positive relationships
- Bullying prevention and intervention
- Community building
- Explicit focus on understanding and appreciating differences
- Meaningful conflict resolution
- Teaching students to challenge bias and exclusion
Critical Component #5: Values-Based Classroom Management
Classroom management is central to classroom culture. Classroom management systems must support safe, inclusive communities by promoting high standards for respectful interaction; incorporating student-generated classroom norms; teaching conflict resolution; and actively addressing all instances of bias, bullying, exclusion, or disrespect.
Disciplinary incidents must transition from punishment to opportunities for growth, restitution, and community building. For community respect to be a core classroom value, students should not be cast out of the group but rather given the support needed to be positive, contributing members of their classroom community.
Finally, classroom management practices must reflect fairness, equity, and cultural awareness.
