How can schools create a positive classroom community where everyone feels valued?
Hoffmann, J (2022, May 04). Classroom Community: A teacher's guide. Retrieved from https://www.structural-learning.com/post/classroom-community-a-teachers-guide
A classroom community represents a dynamic and cohesive environment where students, guided by their teacher, engage collectively towards common educational and interpersonal goals. This concept, integral to creating a positive classroom climate, emphasizes the importance of social skills, affective learning, and cognitive development through structured yet flexible community-building activities. In essence, a strong classroom community is not merely about coexisting in a physical or online space but involves an entire class actively participating in discussions, collaborations, and shared learning experiences that foster a supportive and inclusive atmosphere.
In a well-established classroom community, every school day is an opportunity for students to partake in class discussions that enhance understanding and respect among peers. This active participation is crucial as it helps in building a strong community where learners feel valued and motivated. Furthermore, the community of learners works collaboratively to achieve a common goal, which in many cases, extends beyond academic success to include the development of critical life skills.
The benefits of cultivating such an environment are manifold. Firstly, a positive classroom environment nurtures student interactions that are essential for both affective and cognitive learning. These interactions often lead to improved academic outcomes as students feel more connected and engaged. Secondly, the routine integration of community-building activities throughout the school day reinforces a sense of belonging and security among students, which is vital for their emotional and social growth.
A classroom community is a foundational element that transforms learning into a collective, interactive journey rather than a solitary pursuit. By prioritizing this communal approach, educators can significantly enhance the educational experience, ensuring that learning is not only informative but also profoundly transformative.
Key Components of a Strong Classroom Community:
-Identifying people in the class community and tools for creating relationships
-Connecting with families
-Putting key strategies for building a learning community into practice
-Making student learning come alive in the class curriculum
-Prioritizing connections to fellow teachers to seek tools, skills, ideas, and partnerships to strengthen the class community
This article focuses on the class community in the primary school years. Students are at the central focus of the classroom community which builds outwards to include student interests, families, school personnel, community members, local businesses, and other teachers. Relationships are prioritized to maximize student learning, minimize behavior concerns, and strengthen lasting partnerships.
Who is in the classroom community?
-Students
-Families
-Community Helpers
-Local Businesses
-School Personnel
-Fellow Teachers
The main relationships in the class community are the students. Creating a welcoming environment and getting to know student interests and needs are at the centre of the community. Optimize opportunities to connect with students prior to the start of the school year. Some schools value home visits to meet the student and their family. This can ease the transition to school especially when the children are at the beginning of their school journey. Students are met in the environment they feel most comfortable, their own homes. Families can fill out some class paperwork, but the focus is to start the relationship with the student. Open houses and teacher meet and greets are another way to jumpstart the relationships with students and families. Students can see their class prior to the first day and this strategy can minimize the students' nervous behaviour on the first day of school.
Building a class community on day one starts with going over expectations. Start the morning with a student discussion to plan for ways to support maximum learning. Class meetings are a great way to do this! Start with class rules; have the students and peers co-create the class rules. Work together to determine four or five rules the students need to foster learning, minimize behaviour and partner with their peers in a safe environment. As a class community, it is important to get on the same page. When students can agree on the class rules they created, have them sign them (or a painted handprint for young children) to show their intent for a safe learning community.
As the school year progresses, it is helpful to keep notes on the students to identify their interests for embedding into the curriculum. Simple notecards in a recipe box is an easy way to begin. Jot down the student's name and observations about their interests and backgrounds to refer to when planning inquiry learning lessons. When incorporating students' interests into the class learning, the students are not only more engaged, but this strategy minimizes negative behaviour. Write down which peers get along or have struggles, ideas for upcoming learning based on what students discuss in class and a note to remind yourself about family attributes. Being a responsive teacher to student relationship is central to building a welcoming class community.
Prioritizing relationships with families is a key strategy to ease difficult situations as they arise throughout the school year. If the family considers the relationship with the teacher important and there is mutual respect, when tough conversations need to happen, they go much smoother.
Accept the unique attributes and characteristics that make up the family. Families are as unique as the students and creating a welcoming and accepting tone starts you off on the right foot.
Use parent and guardian first names. This is the #1 piece of advice for teachers. Taking the time to get to know the family members' first names and using it in conversation, shows the value you put on the relationship. This is a rare strategy teachers use, but it is incredibly helpful!
Share child development and parenting resources. On the back of the weekly class newsletter, consider putting resources for parents to learn about the development of their child, strategies to support parenting and fun, local resources, and events the family may enjoy. Parents As Teachers (parentsasteachers.org) has parent pages that pinpoint relevant development at specific ages. The bonus is, if there is a challenge for a particular student, for example, friendship concerns or transitions, the information goes on the back of every newsletter, so the family does not feel targeted. This strategy can help to avoid uncomfortable conversations or a resentful parent who feels a teacher is giving unsolicited advice.
Ask for family volunteers! Send home a volunteer sheet at the beginning of the year and include a section for parents and guardians to share their interests. They can be field trip chaperones, assist with art projects and prepare bulletin boards and book orders. When learning about the families, consider if they have unique talents to share with the class. Past volunteers have led monthly science lessons (the mother's background was in science), a classically trained ballerina performed a dance, a guardian who was a firefighter showed his gear and equipment, and a musician parent performed songs. This type of volunteering strengthens the relationships with the families and helps learning to come alive for the students!
Family Nights! Plan nights after school for families to get involved in their child's learning. Make them simple and fun; consider offering a snack or light meal to encourage busy families to join. Typically, offer two to three family nights per school year. It is another opportunity to build the school-family partnership and to participate in positive discussions. The students can get together to interact with peers and showcase their learning. Some successful Family Night topics to consider for young students are: Book Bingo (bingo with books as prizes), shirt decorating (for students to wear on field trips), Very Important Person Day (a child can choose any family member to come to visit at school and join in on activities), Ice Cream Social at a local park, and a spaghetti dinner. To be inclusive to all families, avoid Donuts for Dads and Muffins for Moms since families have unique make-up. These nights can make a student feel "other than" if they do not have a mom or dad in their lives.
Remember the school neighbourhood: When building the class community, consider what skills and learning the students and peers can gain from the people in the nearby community. Have a discussion with the students to ask for ideas on what they would like to learn about. You may be surprised! Consider which community members could be an asset to the learning taking place in the class. Over the years, I would set aside a few weeks to teach about the community and neighbourhood and invite community members to visit the class. To ease them into the classroom, I would ask them to read a short book about their career followed by a student-led discussion. Student learning is powerful when they are learning from a person who uses their skills on the job. Visitors to the class to consider are:
Firefighters
Police Officers
Librarians
Dentists
Mail Carriers
Construction Workers
Nurses
Doctors
Consider community businesses in the neighbourhood for students to learn from. Successful visits have included a laundromat, grocery store, and post office. Here is a link to preschool students learning about a community taco truck: (https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/preschoolers-investigate-taco-truck). Community businesses within walking distance are great! Students ask the workers great questions, prompting interesting discussion and learning. When students are engaged in their learning, difficult behaviours are avoided or limited.
As the curriculum allows, prioritize inquiry learning in the class community. Ask the students and peers what they want to learn about. It can be fascinating to see learning unfold when it is guided by student interests. Ask yourself as the instructor, what can I do to make student learning come alive? How can I facilitate student learning? Learn more about inquiry learning here: (https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/lesson-curriculum-planning/inquiry-based-learning-what-it-looks-like-in-a-classroom-setting).
Consider the example of an orange. Pretend for a moment, a student does not know what an orange is and wants to learn about an orange. There are many ways an instructor can go about facilitating the student's learning about an orange:
1) Show the student a photo of an orange. Note some descriptions in the photo and discuss with the peers their experiences with oranges, if any.
2) Give the student a pretend orange to hold onto from the dramatic play area. Discuss the attributes and experiences of oranges with peers.
3) Hand the student a real orange. Have the student smell, touch, and taste the orange. Have a student-led discussion with peers to take note of their preferences and observations.
4) Have a fruit grower from a community orange orchard come in and teach the student about oranges. Include the planting and care of the trees, the harvest, and different varieties. Offer the student different varieties to try and foster a student-led discussion of questions with the fruit grower.
All the above examples teach students about oranges, but which option offers the most meaningful learning? There is not an orange grove in every community but ponder who and what is in the community to maximize learning. Have a class meeting to discuss student interests.
6] Teachers and School Personnel: Important members of your community
Join groups of like-minded educators. Consider your area of expertise and find groups on social media or nationwide memberships. LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) offers several interest groups; get ideas and stay current on research in your field. Early childhood educators may enjoy membership with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (www.naeyc.org). Members can enjoy resources, a discussion group, and articles on current best practices.
Commit to creating an action plan to build a class community and maximize learning for your students. Start small; take one or two ideas and start implementing them. You will create invaluable relationships with students, families, teachers, and the community as a whole for an exciting, welcoming and supportive learning environment.
The reviewed studies highlight the importance of fostering a sense of community in both online and face-to-face educational environments. Techniques such as informal communication, supportive classroom practices, and the use of online platforms can significantly enhance students' social and academic experiences.
1. CREATING COMMUNITY IN ONLINE LEARNING: A CASE STUDY OF THE OPEN UNIVERSITY UK
This study examines how creating a sense of community in online learning environments can enhance student engagement and retention. It highlights various projects aimed at fostering a sense of community and discusses their implications for module design and student success (Baxter, 2019).
2. Small Talk and Chit Chat: Using Informal Communication to Build a Learning Community Online
This paper argues that informal communication is essential for building a strong learning community online. It emphasizes the importance of creating opportunities for social interaction to enhance students' emotional and cognitive engagement in online courses (Beins, 2017).
3. Discourse and Identity among ESL Learners: A Case Study of a Community College ESL Classroom
This case study explores how community college ESL students develop their identities and sense of community through classroom and online interactions. It underscores the role of supportive classroom environments in fostering academic success and social integration (Chang & Sperling, 2014).
4. "Go for Broke and Speak Your Mind!" Building a Community of Practice with Bilingual Pre-Service Teachers
This research highlights the creation of a supportive community of practice among bilingual pre-service teachers. It discusses the benefits and challenges of implementing such communities to enhance collaboration and social support in teacher education programs (Cho, 2014).
5. Using Facebook for Leveraging Sense of Community in Self-Paced Open and Distance Learning Courses
This study investigates the use of a Facebook group to enhance the sense of community in a self-paced distance-learning course. It finds that while the sense of community was high among learners, the type of learning activities had no significant effect on community building (Koçdar et al., 2018).
A classroom community represents a dynamic and cohesive environment where students, guided by their teacher, engage collectively towards common educational and interpersonal goals. This concept, integral to creating a positive classroom climate, emphasizes the importance of social skills, affective learning, and cognitive development through structured yet flexible community-building activities. In essence, a strong classroom community is not merely about coexisting in a physical or online space but involves an entire class actively participating in discussions, collaborations, and shared learning experiences that foster a supportive and inclusive atmosphere.
In a well-established classroom community, every school day is an opportunity for students to partake in class discussions that enhance understanding and respect among peers. This active participation is crucial as it helps in building a strong community where learners feel valued and motivated. Furthermore, the community of learners works collaboratively to achieve a common goal, which in many cases, extends beyond academic success to include the development of critical life skills.
The benefits of cultivating such an environment are manifold. Firstly, a positive classroom environment nurtures student interactions that are essential for both affective and cognitive learning. These interactions often lead to improved academic outcomes as students feel more connected and engaged. Secondly, the routine integration of community-building activities throughout the school day reinforces a sense of belonging and security among students, which is vital for their emotional and social growth.
A classroom community is a foundational element that transforms learning into a collective, interactive journey rather than a solitary pursuit. By prioritizing this communal approach, educators can significantly enhance the educational experience, ensuring that learning is not only informative but also profoundly transformative.
Key Components of a Strong Classroom Community:
-Identifying people in the class community and tools for creating relationships
-Connecting with families
-Putting key strategies for building a learning community into practice
-Making student learning come alive in the class curriculum
-Prioritizing connections to fellow teachers to seek tools, skills, ideas, and partnerships to strengthen the class community
This article focuses on the class community in the primary school years. Students are at the central focus of the classroom community which builds outwards to include student interests, families, school personnel, community members, local businesses, and other teachers. Relationships are prioritized to maximize student learning, minimize behavior concerns, and strengthen lasting partnerships.
Who is in the classroom community?
-Students
-Families
-Community Helpers
-Local Businesses
-School Personnel
-Fellow Teachers
The main relationships in the class community are the students. Creating a welcoming environment and getting to know student interests and needs are at the centre of the community. Optimize opportunities to connect with students prior to the start of the school year. Some schools value home visits to meet the student and their family. This can ease the transition to school especially when the children are at the beginning of their school journey. Students are met in the environment they feel most comfortable, their own homes. Families can fill out some class paperwork, but the focus is to start the relationship with the student. Open houses and teacher meet and greets are another way to jumpstart the relationships with students and families. Students can see their class prior to the first day and this strategy can minimize the students' nervous behaviour on the first day of school.
Building a class community on day one starts with going over expectations. Start the morning with a student discussion to plan for ways to support maximum learning. Class meetings are a great way to do this! Start with class rules; have the students and peers co-create the class rules. Work together to determine four or five rules the students need to foster learning, minimize behaviour and partner with their peers in a safe environment. As a class community, it is important to get on the same page. When students can agree on the class rules they created, have them sign them (or a painted handprint for young children) to show their intent for a safe learning community.
As the school year progresses, it is helpful to keep notes on the students to identify their interests for embedding into the curriculum. Simple notecards in a recipe box is an easy way to begin. Jot down the student's name and observations about their interests and backgrounds to refer to when planning inquiry learning lessons. When incorporating students' interests into the class learning, the students are not only more engaged, but this strategy minimizes negative behaviour. Write down which peers get along or have struggles, ideas for upcoming learning based on what students discuss in class and a note to remind yourself about family attributes. Being a responsive teacher to student relationship is central to building a welcoming class community.
Prioritizing relationships with families is a key strategy to ease difficult situations as they arise throughout the school year. If the family considers the relationship with the teacher important and there is mutual respect, when tough conversations need to happen, they go much smoother.
Accept the unique attributes and characteristics that make up the family. Families are as unique as the students and creating a welcoming and accepting tone starts you off on the right foot.
Use parent and guardian first names. This is the #1 piece of advice for teachers. Taking the time to get to know the family members' first names and using it in conversation, shows the value you put on the relationship. This is a rare strategy teachers use, but it is incredibly helpful!
Share child development and parenting resources. On the back of the weekly class newsletter, consider putting resources for parents to learn about the development of their child, strategies to support parenting and fun, local resources, and events the family may enjoy. Parents As Teachers (parentsasteachers.org) has parent pages that pinpoint relevant development at specific ages. The bonus is, if there is a challenge for a particular student, for example, friendship concerns or transitions, the information goes on the back of every newsletter, so the family does not feel targeted. This strategy can help to avoid uncomfortable conversations or a resentful parent who feels a teacher is giving unsolicited advice.
Ask for family volunteers! Send home a volunteer sheet at the beginning of the year and include a section for parents and guardians to share their interests. They can be field trip chaperones, assist with art projects and prepare bulletin boards and book orders. When learning about the families, consider if they have unique talents to share with the class. Past volunteers have led monthly science lessons (the mother's background was in science), a classically trained ballerina performed a dance, a guardian who was a firefighter showed his gear and equipment, and a musician parent performed songs. This type of volunteering strengthens the relationships with the families and helps learning to come alive for the students!
Family Nights! Plan nights after school for families to get involved in their child's learning. Make them simple and fun; consider offering a snack or light meal to encourage busy families to join. Typically, offer two to three family nights per school year. It is another opportunity to build the school-family partnership and to participate in positive discussions. The students can get together to interact with peers and showcase their learning. Some successful Family Night topics to consider for young students are: Book Bingo (bingo with books as prizes), shirt decorating (for students to wear on field trips), Very Important Person Day (a child can choose any family member to come to visit at school and join in on activities), Ice Cream Social at a local park, and a spaghetti dinner. To be inclusive to all families, avoid Donuts for Dads and Muffins for Moms since families have unique make-up. These nights can make a student feel "other than" if they do not have a mom or dad in their lives.
Remember the school neighbourhood: When building the class community, consider what skills and learning the students and peers can gain from the people in the nearby community. Have a discussion with the students to ask for ideas on what they would like to learn about. You may be surprised! Consider which community members could be an asset to the learning taking place in the class. Over the years, I would set aside a few weeks to teach about the community and neighbourhood and invite community members to visit the class. To ease them into the classroom, I would ask them to read a short book about their career followed by a student-led discussion. Student learning is powerful when they are learning from a person who uses their skills on the job. Visitors to the class to consider are:
Firefighters
Police Officers
Librarians
Dentists
Mail Carriers
Construction Workers
Nurses
Doctors
Consider community businesses in the neighbourhood for students to learn from. Successful visits have included a laundromat, grocery store, and post office. Here is a link to preschool students learning about a community taco truck: (https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/preschoolers-investigate-taco-truck). Community businesses within walking distance are great! Students ask the workers great questions, prompting interesting discussion and learning. When students are engaged in their learning, difficult behaviours are avoided or limited.
As the curriculum allows, prioritize inquiry learning in the class community. Ask the students and peers what they want to learn about. It can be fascinating to see learning unfold when it is guided by student interests. Ask yourself as the instructor, what can I do to make student learning come alive? How can I facilitate student learning? Learn more about inquiry learning here: (https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/lesson-curriculum-planning/inquiry-based-learning-what-it-looks-like-in-a-classroom-setting).
Consider the example of an orange. Pretend for a moment, a student does not know what an orange is and wants to learn about an orange. There are many ways an instructor can go about facilitating the student's learning about an orange:
1) Show the student a photo of an orange. Note some descriptions in the photo and discuss with the peers their experiences with oranges, if any.
2) Give the student a pretend orange to hold onto from the dramatic play area. Discuss the attributes and experiences of oranges with peers.
3) Hand the student a real orange. Have the student smell, touch, and taste the orange. Have a student-led discussion with peers to take note of their preferences and observations.
4) Have a fruit grower from a community orange orchard come in and teach the student about oranges. Include the planting and care of the trees, the harvest, and different varieties. Offer the student different varieties to try and foster a student-led discussion of questions with the fruit grower.
All the above examples teach students about oranges, but which option offers the most meaningful learning? There is not an orange grove in every community but ponder who and what is in the community to maximize learning. Have a class meeting to discuss student interests.
6] Teachers and School Personnel: Important members of your community
Join groups of like-minded educators. Consider your area of expertise and find groups on social media or nationwide memberships. LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) offers several interest groups; get ideas and stay current on research in your field. Early childhood educators may enjoy membership with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (www.naeyc.org). Members can enjoy resources, a discussion group, and articles on current best practices.
Commit to creating an action plan to build a class community and maximize learning for your students. Start small; take one or two ideas and start implementing them. You will create invaluable relationships with students, families, teachers, and the community as a whole for an exciting, welcoming and supportive learning environment.
The reviewed studies highlight the importance of fostering a sense of community in both online and face-to-face educational environments. Techniques such as informal communication, supportive classroom practices, and the use of online platforms can significantly enhance students' social and academic experiences.
1. CREATING COMMUNITY IN ONLINE LEARNING: A CASE STUDY OF THE OPEN UNIVERSITY UK
This study examines how creating a sense of community in online learning environments can enhance student engagement and retention. It highlights various projects aimed at fostering a sense of community and discusses their implications for module design and student success (Baxter, 2019).
2. Small Talk and Chit Chat: Using Informal Communication to Build a Learning Community Online
This paper argues that informal communication is essential for building a strong learning community online. It emphasizes the importance of creating opportunities for social interaction to enhance students' emotional and cognitive engagement in online courses (Beins, 2017).
3. Discourse and Identity among ESL Learners: A Case Study of a Community College ESL Classroom
This case study explores how community college ESL students develop their identities and sense of community through classroom and online interactions. It underscores the role of supportive classroom environments in fostering academic success and social integration (Chang & Sperling, 2014).
4. "Go for Broke and Speak Your Mind!" Building a Community of Practice with Bilingual Pre-Service Teachers
This research highlights the creation of a supportive community of practice among bilingual pre-service teachers. It discusses the benefits and challenges of implementing such communities to enhance collaboration and social support in teacher education programs (Cho, 2014).
5. Using Facebook for Leveraging Sense of Community in Self-Paced Open and Distance Learning Courses
This study investigates the use of a Facebook group to enhance the sense of community in a self-paced distance-learning course. It finds that while the sense of community was high among learners, the type of learning activities had no significant effect on community building (Koçdar et al., 2018).
