AITSL STANDARDS FOR GRADUATES Standard #4

AITSL
Standards for Graduates

4.1 Support student participation

4.2 Manage the learning
environment
4.3 Manage challenging behaviour
4.4 Maintain student safety

4. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning

environments
By Sophie Love

Case Story - 4.1 Support student participation and 4.4 Maintain student safety

Each morning in my final practicum, the school required teachers to have a devotional, pastoral time
with their form students. The goal, of this time, was to build the unity of the school by mixing all year
groups into a medium sized class. Initially I struggled to get my form class to open up to me; they
often sat blankly staring out the window and refused to participate in question times and think
spots that I was initiating. I had had an idea to get students to write anonymous cares and concerns
on a slip of paper for me to help them feel safe to share with me, but wasnt sure if it was a good
idea. I spoke to my friend and colleague in the school who suggested I do exactly that. I thought it
was a bit of a long shot but I thought I would try. The answers were mixed, some students were
disinterested and wrote I have nothing or drew silly pictures, but not all. Some students had left
their names in the cards and I was able to speak to them privately about their concerns, like how is
your grandmother now? or did you pass your driving test? This was an exciting experience for me.
Because I took form every day for ten weeks and I wanted to keep things fresh, I extended this idea to
increase openness by initiating celebration Fridays where students would share positive things that
happened in their life. As an incentive, I brought along some Freddo Frogs to encourage them to
share. Each week the responses grew and whilst the method was very behaviourist, it was working to
get students to be more and more comfortable with me. I also took the chance to share some of my
life stories with the students. It has been my mantra that if they dont know me and trust me, they
wouldnt listen to me, and it certainly feels true here. When I did another cares and concerns card
morning several weeks later, I had all students write something not a single one made fun of the
situation or made a silly comment and more really important issues came up that I could support
students with. Slowly, I felt as though they wanted to trust me and a highlight was a note that said
the class time I have with them is actually bearable and semi-fun. It was amusing because this
student and others had readily expressed their disdain for the class until recently. There were also
AITSL STANDARDS FOR GRADUATES | Issue # 4 2

more serious needs like fathers not paying child support and having family members who overdosed.
This is incredibly brave of students and I felt very honoured to be trusted by them enough that they
would share so honestly.
What I learnt here was the importance of trust and time in relating to students. One term was, only
just, long enough for me to start seeing a difference in students behavior towards me. Though
commenting on marriage, Gary Smalley (Smalley, 2000) suggests there are 5 levels of connection
which I often refer to when relating to both students and friends. They are clichs, facts, opinions,
feelings and needs. As Maslow also suggests in regards to emotional cognition, one level cannot be
reached before the other. I already use this and plan to continue to do so in the future with students;
I might begin the term with asking the class and students one on one how was your weekend?
simple facts. As time progresses I may begin to seek out their opinions through topics in HASS (as
previously mentioned in my standard 2 write up changing Australia Day for reconciliation). From
there I might go one to see how they are feeling with assignments and assessments. In the case of
special needs students, something I found very powerful was asking what can I do to help you? or
what do you need from me to help you learn? I believe these questions help students feel that I am
on their side and build their trust. I my experience it often made a massive difference. Its steps like
these that I will continue to take in my future teaching.

Figure 1 Here are two sets of notes: the first set (on the left) gives an example of things students wrote the first time we did cares and
concerns notes. One note reads, I dont know what to wright I didnt spill water on my uniform to day and a stick figure. The second (right)
shows the more concerted responses from my second cares and concerns cards which were written after I had spent time building up
relationship with students; some of which were deeply personal.

Reference:
Smalley, G. (2000). Secrets To Lasting Love: Uncovering The Keys To Lifelong Intimacy. New York: Simon and Schuster