Being safety minded focuses on being proactive, aware, and intentional about minimising risks related to student participation in physical activity. Establishing and maintaining a safe learning environment for students is a shared responsibility between school board leaders, school principals and teachers.
The Ontario Physical Activity Safety Standards in Education (OPASSE) provides guidance and direction to support teachers, intramural supervisors, coaches, and school principals meet their obligation to provide safe physical activity opportunities within the courses and programs for which they are responsible.
This blog examines five areas where being safety minded can influence the confidence of teachers, the type and range of physical activities offered, and the overall student experience. Also included are questions to think about, and some references to specific OPASSE resources that can help support safe planning and implementation.
1. Safety Mindedness helps to…increase confidence in implementing new activities
When teachers adopt a safety minded approach, they feel more equipped to try new and varied physical activities, expanding the range of opportunities they offer students. Being safety minded includes taking a proactive approach, this can help increase awareness of safety standards associated with an activity and reduce the associated risks. This awareness can help to encourage teachers to incorporate diverse activities that they may have previously not considered.
Questions to think about:
- Do the physical activities I am planning meet the varying interests, needs, and abilities of the students in the class?
- What steps can I take to plan activities proactively, ensuring that equipment and facilities are safe and ready to use?
- How might professional learning or dialogue with colleagues support me in creating a safe physical activity environment?
For additional supports, OPASSE includes:
- Safety standards for over 125 different curricular activities.
- Sample checklists to help with inspecting the equipment, gymnasium, and outdoor facilities.
- Information on planning for activities that may not be in OPASSE (check out Identifying and Minimizing Risks for Activities not Included in OPASSE).
2. Safety Mindedness helps to…increase student participation
The school environment offers a wide range of opportunities for students to be physically active. Being safety minded when approaching these opportunities helps teachers create a learning environment where students feel both physically and emotionally safe. When students participate in an environment that embraces the way they choose to move and be physically active this can lead to feelings of being included, accepted, and supported. These feelings can positively influence a student’s joy in participation, the development of physical literacy, and increase their willingness to continue participating as well as engage in new opportunities to be physically active.
Questions to think about:
- How can I select teaching strategies that help every student feel physically and emotionally safe?
- How do I ensure I promptly address any safety concerns to ensure students feel safe while participating?
- Do I provide opportunities for students to provide input and feedback about the physical activities planned and their overall experience?
For additional supports, OPASSE includes:
- Safety standards that highlight the importance of supporting students that display hesitation during an activity.
- Safety standards that highlight the importance of modifying activities according to the age, ability level, language, experience of students, number of participants, and the facility available.
3. Safety Mindedness helps to…ensure every student is included
Being safety minded supports the creating of a safe, inclusive environment for every student. Establishing and maintaining this environment requires an understanding of each student’s unique needs and a commitment to making accommodations, modifications and/or alternative programming needs that enable safe participation.
Questions to think about:
- How familiar I am with the Individual Education Plan (IEP) for the students with special education learning needs?
- What types of activities would allow every student, regardless of ability, to participate safely?
- How can I ensure that safety standards and considerations support students with special education learning needs participate safely (e.g., safety equipment, assistive devices, program accommodations/modifications)?
For additional supports, OPASSE includes:
- Safety standards that direct teachers to reference their school board’s policy on equity and inclusion as it affects student participation.
- Safety standards focused on ensuring teachers take into consideration the age, ability level, language, and experience of the student when planning lessons.
- Tools and Resources focused on Disability-Centred Safety Consideration with sample scenarios and a Sample Guiding Questions Checklist.
4. Safety Mindedness helps to…develop important lifelong skills for students
Creating a physically and emotionally safe environment means openly communicating safety strategies and including students in discussion regarding the importance of taking responsibility for their own safety as well as that of others. This not only keeps students safe during activities but also builds skills they can use throughout their lives.
Questions to think about:
- How can I incorporate safety strategies into my lessons and communicate their importance to students?
- What opportunities can I provide for students to report unsafe conditions?
- How can I develop safety routines in my classroom and prepare students to respond appropriately (e.g., medical emergency, injury)?
For additional supports, OPASSE includes:
- Safety standards that support teachers with being knowledgeable of both general and activity specific safety practices.
- Safety standards focused specifically on students reporting both Facility and Equipment problems to the teacher.
- Tools and Resources focused on Student Responsibility.
5. Safety Mindedness helps to…be prepared for emergency situations
Being safety minded helps equip teachers to handle a range of emergency situations that may arise during physical activities. Awareness of students’ medical conditions and knowing how to respond appropriately are key components of planning. Teachers who are prepared can help prevent accidents and emergencies and respond effectively if they occur.
Questions to think about:
- Am I familiar with the school/school board procedures for emergencies?
- Do I know the specific medical conditions of students that may impact participation and how to prevent potential emergencies?
- How can I better understand and respond to suspected head injury and facilitate a safe return to learn and physical activity for students with a diagnosed concussion?
For additional supports, OPASSE includes a Health and First Aid section in Tools and Resources with information on:
- Medical Conditions that may affect full participation.
- Concussion prevention, identification, and return to school plans.
- First Aid plans and emergency first aid responses.
Stay Current
Planning and implementing safe physical activity programs can be complex and challenging. The OPASSE website provides up-to-date information to support the planning and implementing of safe practices. To stay current in your safety practices you can:
- Contact your School Board’s Safety Contact. Unsure who this might be? Contact Ophea at safety@ophea.net and we can help support making this connection.
- Stay updated on Ophea’s resources, professional learning offerings (Concussion Prevention, Identification, and Management for Schools e-Learning Module and Implementing Ryan’s Law and PPM 161: Ensuring Asthma Friendly Schools e-Learning Module) and supports by signing up for Ophea’s eConnection e-newsletter and stay connected to us @OpheaCanada on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Submit a question using Ask Ophea: school/school boards, teachers, coaches, intramural supervisors may use this feature to ask safety questions or seek clarification related to the safety standards.
- Request an Ophea safety consultation or workshop by emailing professionallearning@ophea.org.