Safety Safety Safety

Let's talk about School Safety! School Safety affects all individuals associated with the establishment. It affects parents, students, staff, and those associated with those individuals. Here in the 21st century (in the U.S.), when school safety is mentioned it typically has a negative connotation. With so many people affected by a lack of school safety in the states, and the increase in school violence/aggressive actions committed against schools increasing as time goes on, the pressure is rising on schools to come up with ideas that increase safety.

School Crossing Sign

This pressure affects our staff and students. When administrators feel pressure to make decisions they typically push that issue onto their educators. The stress gained from this pressure flows from educators to students directly. With all of that being said, it is important to understand the affects school safety has on the culture and climate of the school. Students learn better when they feel like they are in a supportive, safe environment. If a student feels unsafe in their school for reasons such as bullying or violence, it is crucial to assess those situations and develop ways in which the school can assist in fixing those issues. Schools should create a culture and climate that reflects the importance of teacher/student relationships so that students feel safe going to their educators for help in troubling situations. 

 I believe school safety should be directly tied to the establishment's culture and climate. In a previous blog I discussed how impactful the ideals of a school can affect its students and staff. I believe that it is crucial for a school to address how they plan on dealing with violent situations and how they will reinforce the importance of each individual's safety. This ideal should reflect a protection to learn and connect with others in a nurturing, positive environment.

School Culture and Climate

4 Elementary school students working together in class 

School environment plays a big role in how successful a student is able to learn. School culture and climate create this overall environment. A school's climate refers to the physical environment of the establishment. It is at times referred to as the school's "attitude". School climate includes how teachers, administration, and students engage with one another, as well as how the school operates. However, the school's culture is more similar to its "personality". When thinking of a school culture, think of the actions the school takes and what values/beliefs it upholds. The school's culture directly affects the school's climate. The values the school projects are reflected within teacher/student relationships, and teacher/administration relationships. Now, you may be asking yourself, “How is knowing the difference between school culture and school climate necessary as an educator?” Well, it is likely you are already being influenced by your school’s culture, and that is directly affecting your classroom climate. If administrators are preaching that the school should value grades and student achievement, it is likely the pressure you are receiving from them will eventually negatively impact your students and the environment they are learning in. 

I believe that it is necessary to incorporate a classroom culture on top of a school’s. For example, If a school’s culture revolves around student achievement, then assert to your students that the classroom culture is to promote student achievement through means of cooperation and creativity. This will give your students the ability to work towards those goals, whilst also feeling more comfortable. This is a good example of how your culture can affect your climate, because the more freedom and comfort you infuse into your classroom, the more love for learning  your students will be able to gain.

Teacher/student relationships have proven to have big impacts on how well students learn. When students have a good relationship with their educator, they tend to enjoy being in the classroom and take more accountability for their responsibility to learn/value learning. This is why it is necessary for teachers to understand the difference between school culture and climate, and promote the use of each in their individual classrooms. I believe this knowledge can help educators better support their students and reach objectives.