Classroom Community

Having been homeschooled, I view education differently than most people I know.  As I read the textbook, “Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom,” by Carol Tomlinson, I came across a description of how a new student often feels when they attend school for the first time.  This description resonated with me because I have felt these same feelings.  A child who has never been to school might resent having assignments and homework that take time away from other things that matter more to them. A child in this situation often feels that school is stealing their time, and controlling their life.  This is actually the reason my mother chose to homeschool me. She was tired of feeling like the public school controlled her life, and she was not going to let the school continue to control her life through her children.   

                I believe a foundation of trust is the key for helping students feel welcome and excited to come to class each day.  I will strive to create a classroom community of trust. I desire to have my students trust me to only give assignments that will help them experience joy and satisfaction as they learn and grow.  I want my students to be able to trust that I will be there to help them learn because I believe in them—their capabilities and their potential to achieve and become. I also want my students to trust one another and work together as friends, and not be afraid to share their thoughts and feelings.

                Creating a classroom community of trust seems like a daunting task, but it is worth the effort if every child can feel safe, secure and benefited for having been in my classroom.  In order to create this environment of trust I need to listen to my students; I need to find out their interests, hobbies, and goals.  Utilizing the sharing time portion of morning meetings in my classroom will be a valuable tool for me to use to learn about my students and for my students, to learn about each other.   Sharing in morning meetings will also help my students to feel comfortable, instead of anxious or worried, with me and their fellow classmates.  

                Another useful tool for creating an atmosphere of trust is assessments.  In order for my students to trust that I will work to help them individually, I will use ongoing assessments to help me know where each child is academically.  I will explain to my students the importance of the assessments and how the assessments help me to help them. I will use the assessment results to inform my instruction.  Giving feedback to each child about their assessment results is important—because it will help me ensure that each student knows that their growth is important to me. 

                Meaningful learning activities and tasks are another way to create trust in the classroom.  I need to be clear about what I want my students to know and do.  I need to give each of my students tasks that we both feel will benefit them, and are not just tasks to fill their time while I work with other students.  My students need to experience joy and satisfaction as they learn and spend time at school.   One way to help my students recognize all we accomplish in our class is to take a few minutes at the end of each day to make note of what we did that day.  I will do this by writing a short journal entry, dictated by my students, at the end of every day on a PowerPoint slide.  I will also add pertinent pictures to the slides of various classroom activities.  Every few weeks, as a class, we will review the slides so we can remember the fun, worthwhile things that we have done as a class.   At the end of the year, we will watch our completed PowerPoint slide presentation to see all that we have accomplished together throughout the year. 

                Additionally, I will give my students responsibilities as a means of creating trust in the classroom.  My students need to know that I trust them.  I will create class jobs and explain clearly what my expectations are, so that my students can complete the tasks I give them. I will give my students the responsibility to complete the tasks, and hold them accountable for getting their tasks done by having a system of rewards/consequences.  

                Creating a universal sense of trust in my classroom is the vital foundation required for learning to occur.  When students feel safe and secure it opens the pathway for learning.  If trust is absent, student learning will be hindered by feelings of insecurity and fear.  An atmosphere of trust in my classroom will enable me to help each one of my students reach their full potential.