Creating Community

In order for students to succeed in the classroom they need to feel safe, they need to know the expectations, and they need to have voice. Students should feel a sense of belonging to the community and they deserve to have a say in what that community looks like. This involves the creation of classroom norms, routines, and boundaries. Through my student teaching experience I have learned to be explicit with expectations, to remind students of norms often, and to encourage students to advocate for themselves and for the group. Students alone know how they want to be treated and what their learning environment preferences are and these are valuable tools for creating a classroom culture that serves students while providing the structure necessary for each student to flourish.

Pictures:
1. Notes recorded from a discussion around what community is
2. A poster illustrating a classroom routine around lining up
3. An anchor chart about boundaries and privacy created with student input