Fourth Edition, September 2011

Classroom Climate
Classroom climate is a broad concept that is aff ected by many diff erent factors. We 
know that individual traits of students, relationships and social interaction between 
students, and relationships and social interaction between students and teachers all 
impact classroom climate. 
A caring and safe school is a place where all partners – students, staff , parents, 
and community members – treat others fairly, respectfully, and kindly, and act 
in a socially responsible way towards all members of the school commun-
ity, including students with special education needs. For more resources 
on this kind of positive school environment, look at “Safe and Caring 
Schools in Ontario” at http://ww.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elem-
sec/speced/Caring_Safe_School.pdf
It is generally agreed that a positive classroom climate exists in a 
classroom where students co-operate with the teacher and with 
each other, where there are orderly working conditions, where stu-
dents feel an emotional bond with their class and their school, and 
where students and teachers are treated respectfully. 

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Making a Diff erence: An Educators’ Guide to Child and Youth Mental Health Problems
www.cymhin.ca
L 2
National and Provincial Resources on mental 
health for young people and parents
Several measures have been developed to gauge classroom climate, and these consider a combination 
of factors. The more important factors include: cooperative learning, teacher academic support, teacher 
emotional support, student academic support, student personal support, achieving for social approval, 
and alienation.
School climate can impact classroom climate, and classroom climate can also impact school climate. 
Teachers have the greatest ability to impact the climate in their classroom, and principals have the re-
sponsibility to positively impact school climate. Establishing classroom (and school) climate does not 
happen automatically; it is a skill that educators must develop.