Margaret's Reflection Three

This semester I have learned so much about the importance of creating a sense of community in the classroom. Although it may seem so, creating a positive and welcoming classroom is not the easiest to establish and can only happen with effort from both students and teacher. Listening to past and present teachers’ experiences it is so nice to hear how he or she established a sense of community within the classroom. A sense of community in the classroom can be created by involving students in a morning meeting or having a classroom meeting to discuss and ideas or concerns students may have. There are many different ways to do so and it is important to find the right fit for both teacher and students.

In the classroom I am in this semester I do not get a huge sense of community in the classroom, but there is some. Although I am surprised my SBTE does not greet the students as they walk into the classroom in the morning, once the tardy bell rings at 9:15 he will generally say “Good morning” to the class as well as say the Pledge of Allegiance with them before they head to electives. There is not a class carpet, which also surprises me. It may be because he thinks upper grade students are too old for a carpet, but, I love the idea of morning meetings and gathering the class together at the beginning of the day. I think morning meetings are great transitions for students coming from home or bus to the classroom, getting ready to take on the day.

My SBTE does talk with his class several times throughout the day if something needs to be addressed. If he thinks they need reminder of something, whether it is behavior or turning in fieldtrip forms, he will randomly let them know throughout the day. In my opinion I think these topics should be talked about during either a morning meeting or some sort of closing meeting at the end of the school day. By bringing the whole class together at one time and discussing new/events/reminders the students may be able to remember more easily what is discussed. One thing I really like in the classroom that my SBTE does is he talks to his students like adults. I think that is a great way to create a positive community classroom. He never talks down to them and always encourages them to do their best and reminds them how important their education is. I really like how he treats his students.

My partnership school does a nice job creating a school-wide community. All of the teachers are very kind and welcoming, they always say “hello” and “good morning” while walking down the hall. It is nice to be in a school where everyone is so friendly! I have also had the opportunity to sit in during elective courses throughout the school, which is really neat. I have been able to see how other teachers structure their electives and I quite enjoy it. One teacher in particular I observed three different times was the dance teacher. She is great to watch, she always treats the students with respect. She also has them gather as a group to watch each other perform and give compliments about their performance(s). I also really like the way she compliments her students, many times she will say, “(Student’s name), I really like how you did this…” or “Great job (student’s name)! Can you show the class your great idea?” She does a great job bringing the class together and encouraging them.

I have been fortunate to see several senses of both classroom and school communities at Underwood Elementary. Although there are some things I may do differently within the classroom to really create that sense of community, I still observe it when I am there. Learning and experiencing a sense of community in the school and classroom is so important and I have been able to pick up on some great ideas to create a sense of community in my future classroom.