What ideas do you have about activities that help create community in a classroom?
Describe a classroom you were a student in that had an exceptional level of community. How do you think that happened?
What questions do you have about building community in the classroom?
I'd have to say the biggest and best community I've ever had in school is definitely this cohort. I think the small class size, the many group projects and discussions, the setup of the classroom (The U), having the online group to rant and help each other out, all helped make us such a close knit group in such a short amount of time. I think by using a lot of community building activities and discussions early on in the school year will pretty much set the pace from there on out. With activities like the online bio, TPS (think, pair, share), and think piece read-arounds, we were able to learn more about how each other felt and though about the content we were all learning.
ReplyDelete^ agreed I almost said this cohort. I think we are all kindred spirits :)
DeleteWe are pretty awesome. I think our level of community might have a bit to do with the fact that we are learning extremely meaningful and challenging material that directly applies to our future as teachers. Do you think that adds to the level of community? If so, how can we make English and Art meaningful and also challenging to our students?
DeleteI think that in our cohort we had the community feeling pretty quickly since we knew we would be going through the next year together and we also engage in a lot of debate, which leads to us getting to know each other better. It is difficult to compare us as a cohort to middle and high school art and English classrooms... So basically, my question is the same as Leslies... hiow will we make that work in our classes?
DeleteCommunities are terrific places for new and higher learning to occur because, when carried out properly, the allow positive emotions to arise and thrive. People, especially students, pay attention to what their peers are doing and how they are doing it. I cannot begin to describe how much easier it is for me to write stories or study for a test when I'm working with a group of friends in the same class or school. I especially love how everyone can offer something to improve another student and the the entire community.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said. Being able to work with other students can be hugely helpful in creating a community feeling in a classroom. In addition I think this also helps struggling students to do better and have a better idea of what expectations are.
DeleteQuestion: Have you guys ever seen a community, with regards to a school or classroom, go awry? How was it lacking in quality and why was it like that?
ReplyDeleteIdeas I have for community building:
ReplyDelete-Projects that relate to personal interests (family, hobbies)
-Songs, games, holiday parties
-Conversations between students
-Group work
My classroom that I felt like a member of a community was (interestngly enough) my high school French class. We received French names, each taking on an identity that sort of cast off the self conciousness of our high school selves and out on a confidence that I only felt in that class. We worked together on homework and the teacher greeted us all as we walked into the classroom. We were supportive of each other and worked hard to learn.
My questions are: How can we assess if our community is good? I know you can sort of feel it, but what if there are a few who do not feel like that?
I also worry about the few that may not feel as connected. Maybe a survey?
DeleteOh a survey! That is a great idea!
DeleteOne classroom where I felt the community atmosphere the most was my 8th grade English class. My teacher was incredibly open with us, used works that applied to us (YA literature, music lyrics, etc), and made it clear that as long as it tied into the unit somehow (even if it was a really random way) we could have class discussions on anything. She made the class a place were we could ask or talk about anything with out the of judgement or of asking a "stupid question". I learned more in that class than almost any class I can remember in middle or high school, and was incredibly close to all of the other students in my class. I think that by applying some of these as well as some of the ideas we have read about such as shaping the room in an open way, making it comfortable for students to have class discussions, games that engage learning, and various other way to engage students while making them feel comfortable.
ReplyDeleteWhitney, I also loved my 8th grade language arts class! That was such a good year. My teacher made us feel so welcome every day. We were grouped in 5's and sat in tables. That was our little community, but we switched seating every unit so that we could work with different people. I remember for our poetry unit, my teacher had us write "I Am From" poems and create a family tree as part of this giant "FAMILY TREE UNIT." At the end of the unit, we shared different poems that we had written. I remember that day being so fun because my team of teachers had decorated our classrooms like a real coffeehouse. They went all out. We all wore black, the beatnik hats, and our shades. It was so authentic and it was neat to see that our teachers went to so much trouble to showcase our poems, art, and other writing. I was nervous to present my poem, but in the end it was a very cool experience. I think that we had created an awesome community of learners and supporters. That night we invited our parents to come see our poems displayed around the coffeehouse and it brought everyone involved into the community that we had established.
DeleteJessica, that sounds so amazing!!! That's it. I'm organizing a coffeehouse poetry reading when I'm a teacher. It's happening. :)
DeleteDO IT!! :P
DeleteThe classroom in which I felt the best sense of community was in my eleventh grade Spanish class. The classroom itself was welcoming in terms of aesthetics due to the decorations that made the room look like a spontaneous Mexican fiesta could occur at any moment.
ReplyDeleteI went to a small school, so I think the small class size played a role in the community atmosphere as well because we all knew each other really well. Because Spanish itself was a very new subject to us (this was pre-Dora the Explorer), I think we all had a sense that we were all on the same team learning this literal foreign subject. We would have group projects each week in which we would write and perform Spanish skits. There was also no embarrassment when it came to making mistakes in pronunciation or interpretation because mistakes were expected.
Another component (perhaps, the most significant one) was our teacher. She had a reputation around the school for being tough, which turned out to be true. She was tough, but in the best way. Our Spanish teacher is what I picture when I think of what Delpit and the other commentators write about what it means to be a warm demander. She acted as if it was her sole mission in life to teach us how to speak Spanish, and in return, we wanted to help her attain this mission and did the work needed to succeed.
A question that I have is about whether or not class size affects the ability to establish classroom community. Is it a huge factor? I know one of my host teacher’s classes had about 30 kids. Any suggestions on how to establish community near the beginning of the year with so many students?
The largest class I ever taught was at Baldwin High School - 34 kids. But the community in there was one of the best I've ever had. I do think there could be some class sizes that really would be too big though for great community.
DeleteIn large classes you might be able to help build community by focusing on small/medium sized group activities, maybe five or six students per group. This would allow students to do the social interaction thing which will help jump-start connections without it being to big or overwhelming.
DeleteQuestion: This hypothetical...maybe. What would you do if you came into a placement mid-way through the year and you want to help build a community, but there are so many other issues going on inside and outside the classroom (behavior issues, orders for certain students to be separated while in class, students frequently in ISS, students that miss school often, etc.)? How would you go about creating a community of learners with the group described above? Where would you start?
ReplyDeleteThis is*
DeleteIdeas I have for community building:
ReplyDelete-"power of praise" -- praise the students that are on task and modeling good work (the others will catch on. This works better than getting onto the ones that are off task.)
-student work displayed around the room or school (EC has a nice bulletin board showing off excellent work.)
-allowing everyone in the class to be teachers, learners, and leaders
-not letting one person answer all the questions, but giving everyone a chance to input a comment or suggestion
-show the students that you care (be actively involved in school functions, chaperone a field trip, attend their orchestra/band concert, cheer them on at a soccer game, etc.)
-allow them to work with one another. The more comfortable they become with the class, the more likely they will share their opinions, ideas, and comments more often.)
These are great ideas. I especially like the "not letting one person answer all the questions." I've found that this is so easy to do. I constantly have to check myself to make sure that I'm not calling on the same person each time. Even though it's nice to have that student that I can always count on to have the answer, I have to make sure that other students are just as engaged and informed.
DeleteI think one of the school communities that was most memorable to me was the high school drama club. I think part of what made that such a community was that we were hanging out almost 24/7 and that helped form bonds. True, there were plenty of dysfunctional moments, but in the end, I think we all formed a good group that transcended years. It may also be because I was in a particularly unhappy place before I joined them and they helped quite a bit. I suppose it's debatable whether or not it was a 'classroom' but it was part of the school, certainly. Also, oddly enough, we were kind of united in disliking the drama teacher(s) at the time... so not necessarily the best example, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI think some things that could help foster community is deciding on class rules as a group, participating in extracurricular activities, distributing the 'get to know you' questionnaires and information about yourself as well... I also think that whenever possible, to really develop a friendly relationship with the students. Be truly interested in what they have to say and their opinions, even if they clash with your own (so long as it doesn't break rules). In addition, I think games could be rather helpful in building rapport in the classroom while still teaching.
Question: How do you think you can maintain balance in the classroom community where you can remain in charge, but not disrupt the community that's building in the classroom and instead be an important part of it? I think it's an important balance to figure out.
ReplyDeleteThe class I remember having the most community-type feel is an English class in high school. The main thing that made that class so community-oriented was that we broke up in discussion groups every single day. We would read something, discuss our interpretation, then come back together as a class and share. There was so much interaction everyday that we couldn't help but rely on each other and ask questions when we had them.
ReplyDeleteMy question is kind of similar to Noel's: How can we make sure to have a classroom community, but not let it get out of hand? How can we do group activities so much while still making sure students are staying on task?
A related question might be, how can we create community but also learn what needs to be learned at the same time?
DeleteI know for the English peeps we learned a lot about Nancy Atwell and watched some videos on how to create a "community of writers".
DeleteSo my question is: Is there a certain order that they form in? Does one necessarily help the other?
In relation to Dr. Alby's comment, from what I have experienced, it IS hard to monitor every group if you're the only teacher in the room. So, how can we make sure that the students are on task and not pretending to be "on task" when we circulate? If we don't come back to that group for 5 minutes, they could be talking about something other than the assignment. I plan to let my students work in groups, but I want to be sure that they are learning what they need to as well. So, it is going to be tough to balance all of that in the classroom. Good thing we are getting a lot of practice now! As for a suggestion, Sabrina, I would say that you could have them fill out a form as they are doing group work to hold them accountable. This will also give them something to turn in at the end of class for your records. In addition, this will allow you to gauge who is taking advantage of the privilege of working in groups and who isn't. Also, you could assign roles for lit. circles and each student would have a job to perform. Each time they got into their lit. circles, they would switch roles. This would hopefully engage them because they wouldn't be doing the same thing over and over. Also, by the end of the unit, they will have perfected each role and hopefully they will have developed good group work ethic, too.
DeleteIn most art rooms, students sit in groups every day which makes sense to me. This works great in High School where most of the students generally remain on task... But in the middle school it is difficult to keep all the students on task (or even in their seats) I try to circulate through out the room regularly, but as Jessy said, they may go off task as soon as you leave... Ideally, if they are motivated on what they are working on they will stay focused. In my experience at the middle school, about half the class is very focused and the other half is just barely doing their work. I am honestly trying to figure out how to solve problems like this, if its even possible. Some kids just don't like art and don't want to be there and it seems impossible to motivate them and keep them on task. What do we do then?
DeleteI think you could try and combine activities and see if that helps (i.e. group activities with your lessons and what-not)... make them something that builds the class and teaches something... maybe early on, break the class into small (random) groups and have each of them meet and talk, then write and/or draw about what they've learned about the other people in their group.
DeleteReally all of my classes my Junior and Senior years of highschool, I feel a deep sense of community. I went to such a small school, so at this point we all knew each other by name and face and got along very well. I don't want to give the impression that were were all best friends, that wasn't the case, but we could speak openly in class without feeling judged or ostracized. I think creating a classroom with a great sense of community comes from how well the students know one another. If the teacher just sits at the front of the room and runs his or her mouth the entire time, the students don't have a chance to get insight from each other on their personal beliefs and interests. Building a safe community, to me, starts with the teacher. He or she should be open to interaction with all her students, fostering a safe zone for the kids, and the rest will follow. As long as the sense of community is maintained. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat are you guys going to do starting from the very first second your students walk through your door to let them know this classroom is a safe zone?
ReplyDeleteIn the summer during our mock 9th grade classroom, Dr. Alby greeted us a the door with a handshake and a muffin (I think?) before we filed into the classroom. That was a really great way to introduce the teacher to the classroom the moment they walked into the door. She also introduced herself first, and then let the students introduce themselves to the class. I thought those were excellent ways to establish a safe zone or community in the classroom, or at least show the students that that is your goal for the year.
DeleteI liked that, too, Leslie! I was just talking about that to a teacher friend of mine the other day. I think kids always respond well to food (I know I do.)
DeleteI think that simply greeting them with a smile and a "good morning" or "good afternoon" is a great start to that. Show them that you are happy to be there and have them there.
DeleteI would like to play around with the idea of a five minute "free talk" period to start of the day (maybe not every day.)
DeleteIt would essentially just be some time to catch up with my students, listen to their troubles, and just get a bit of open dialogue going.
I just try and be friendly to everyone and be available, I suppose. Take the initiative and be sure to listen and be sincere to each student. I guess, just start out setting the mood of the class as fun, safe, and friendly by being fun, safe, and friendly by example...
DeleteMuch like what Dr. Alby does at the beginning of a class, with some sort of warm drink or a cookie or something. We've talked about how some teachers will warn you to be stern at the start of the year, and then loosen up later. But we've also discussed how being caring and nice at the beginning will help you build a relationship adn you won't have to get really stern later
DeleteInterestingly enough, advice I have heard not only recently, but before I entered the program is that you, as a teacher, need to start firm and then loosen up depending on your class. While initially that sounds "horrible", even after one of the articles we read mentioning that that is a bad idea, I think that the spirit behind can be good. I encourage you to try different teaching styles, and see how your students respond to those. yeah we have a lot of work in this cohort, but as that knowledge fades away, make sure you tried to figure the style that works best for you, which may not be, entirely, your natural temperament.
ReplyDeleteThe classroom I had that most had a community atmosphere was current issues/debate class I took in high school. Every day there would be a controversial topic up for discussion and we were free to voice our opinions and debate back and forth. Through this, I believe we learned a lot more about each other and I really enjoyed that class. (how could I not... as you guys may have noticed, I have a lot of opinions and love to share them. debate them etc) Obviously we wouldn't be able to turn an English classroom or an Art classroom into a debate class... But we could possibly try to incorporate activities that would allow students to learn more about each other. Allow them the opportunity to express themselves through activity, discussion, etc.
ReplyDeleteYour debate class sounds awesome, I'd love to be a part of something like that.
DeleteI don't know about art, but I don't think it would be so impossible to run an english classroom in a manner like how you described. Being able to freely voice your opinions, and learning to express those opinions clearly and effectively to others, can be a big part of developing literacy.
Learning to talk clearly to each other means learning to think clearly to ourselves. By allowing students the freedom to share their thoughts, we are proving to them that they have thoughts worth sharing. I bet we can make this work no matter what the subject matter.
I also really love to be involved in classes where you can freely voice your opinion and have a great discussion without feeling like it is an argument. I plan on incorporating discussion in my classes on a daily basis!
DeleteIn my high school placement, there was a sociology/politics/psychology teacher, and for some classes he would have what he called "ponderables". The delivery wasn't exactly perfect, but he did things like get guys to list their "perfect woman," and then show them a picture of a transgender woman that met all of their criteria. Interesting ideas, could be used to spark discussion.
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ReplyDeleteI think I will focus on a bunch of activities where students can work with groups. Especially in a broadcast class, I think this can be done on a frequent basis. It takes a team to put together a production--which forms a tight knit community. I saw this frequently in my undergrad where almost every one of my mass comm classes you had to work together as an entire team. No one gets left out. The more things you create together, the stronger and closer you become. I also had this experience in my high school yearbook class. We were put under deadlines constantly and had to work alot outside of the classroom. Everyone had to participate or the production would fall behind. I think that's what I'm looking forward to most as a technology/broadcast teacher. The idea that everyone has to work together is something I am excited about. My question is: what ways do you see communities fall apart in high schools? Have you noticed anything that might be different in a middle school setting?