Building Classroom Community!

Classroom community is a passion of mine. I consider myself strong in fostering a strong sense of community among my class. The reason I am so passionate about this topic is because students learn best when they are in a safe, comfortable environment. The safer a student feels the more likely they are to take risks. If there is no fear of judgement they will not be intimidated to take chances and try out new skills.

To help you foster this same sense of community in your classroom I have compiled a list of my go-to methods at the beginning of each year.

My go-to method number 1:

Be a person with your students! Crazy right? We must remain in the “teacher who lives at school”-professional role! FALSE! If you show your students that you are a human too they will have an easier time connecting with you. Show your students your interest and passions. Tell them silly stories of things that have happened to you! I love to ask students to bring in personal family photos so they see themselves represented in the room. I also will share photos of my family and dog. Make yourself seem like a person who they can relate to.

My go-to method number 2:

Create rules with your students not for your students. Class rules are so important! Students need structure and guidance. In fact they thrive on it. However, if you simply list off rules, students may zone out. When asked, they may not remember al of the rules. That’s why it needs to be kept simple! Do not over complicate it and create a long list. Create just a few positively worded rules. Let the students be apart of the process! I am not a fan of a pre- made poster with class rules because it is not something the students took part in or have ownership over. Instead, I recommend reading one of the following books: What If Everyone Did That by Colleen Madden, All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold or Have You Filled a Bucket Today? By Carol McCloud.

Then sitting down and generating ideas of how to stay safe and have fun in class. I like to make it a messy brainstorm at first. List every and anything that students say on a large web. Then identify the common themes and guide them towards rules you would like such as: be a helper, try your best, respect each other, etc.

Once you have complied it down to the few rules have each child sign it, or add their handprint. This makes sure students are apart of the process. At this point you should also open the discussion (based on student age!) about what happens when we mess up. No one is perfect and students might forget to follow a rule. If you set expectations ahead of time they will have less of a reaction if it comes to that circumstance.

My go to method number 3:

Allow choice in your day. First let me preface this with a very common new teacher mistake: choices should be structured and helpful.

An example of a choice you should not give: “do you want to do math?”

This is opening up for the student to say no, and gues what, that’s a fair answer! You then become stuck as the teacher.

An example of a choice that can be given: “would you rather do math from your seat or the carpet today?”

This shows that students must participate in math however they can find a comfortable space for them to learn. When students have choice and ownership, they will thrive!

My go-to method number 4:

Pick your battles. Do not let the influence of other teachers in your school dictate how you run your class. Something I wish I could remind my first year teacher self, is that a quiet classroom where every student is in their seat is not a “good” class. A class should allow movement and flexibility and laughter! When I say pick your battles, it relates to what you let become big issues versus not. Of course you must maintain safety and certain standards to ensure your students are learning. While someone is presenting you should practice active listening. However if students are working on a project some movement and talking can be allowed. You will work with students to understand the balance. As a teacher it can become overwhelming when a student is tearing boundaries and it may be easy to slip into a power struggle. If you have built a solid relationship with every student, it will become easier to navigate a boundary testing situation. If the child is trying something that may at first feel “wrong”, stop and ask yourself is it harming them or someone else? Is it distrusting the learning in any way? If not then find a way to work with the student not against them.

These are just a few tips to start you off! Contact me if you have any questions or ideas!