#1 Classroom as a Learning Communities
During my student teaching I have noticed that the classroom is a learning community. The students spend every moment in the classroom with their peers and teacher focusing on different aspects of each educational subject and social concepts. Each student is working on developing their own thinking however the students are all doing this together through partner talks and group work. I have noticed that in the morning we start the day together playing which is building social skills, team work, problem solving skills, and the sense of community. We then move into our daily morning meeting which is a type of responsive classroom training where we greet one another and everyone gets to share about their life outside of school. This aspect builds a sense of trust and safety within our classroom which allows for learning to happen later on in the day. If my students do not feel trusted and safe their basic need would not be met in the tier two of Maslow’s pyramid and for learning to happen my students need to be at tier 4. Going beyond the classroom teachers are also a learning communities as stated in How I Survived My First Year by Bigelow where he went to talk about listening and sharing with other about their experiences and learning from them together. Another is in Landscapes of Learning by Greene talks about how we need to be awake to our surrounds of each other to become a better community of learners.
#2 Knowing Students
As listed above; if my students do not feel trusted and safe their basic need would not be met in the tier two of Maslow’s pyramid and for learning to happen my students need to be at tier 4. I know because of this is it is very important for me to establish a relationship with my students one that is built on respect and one that is their to understand and listen and not to judge and not to assume. A great way that relationships with my students are being built is the morning meetings where students have the chance to share about what is happening in their lives which also goes with building a great community of learners. Students are also given the chance to write almost everyday about a true story that happened for them during our writers workshop. By giving them creative freedom it supports me knowing my students lives more. Another way for me to know my students is for me to understand what their needs are in the classroom which can include reading support, math support, picture that go along with the lesson, extra wait time, etc. Every student has needs in my classroom that must be met for them to be able to learn and grow efficiently which can only be giving if I know my students. In Because You Like Us by Ballenger the author discusses between who North America teachers and Haitian teachers know their students and how they interact with their students by the language in which they address the students. Where as in Can We Really Look Through Our Students Eyes? By Ellwood talks about how to really know students we need to think about the perspectives in which they are coming from.
#3 Supporting Student Learning
As listed in the above paragraph where I talk about me knowing my students it helps me be able to support my students learning. All my students have different needs when it comes to learning. Some of those needs might involve reading support, math support, fine motor, etc. I have learned that small group work is more effective in giving each student the support they need. In small groups I can cater the learning to the pace of my students and I can give them extra materials that they will need to support them in moving forward in their learning. For example in reading groups I will place students with peers who are around the same pace as each other and they will be able to get more one on one guiding instruction from me as well as from those 2 to 3 other students in their group. The books chosen for their small group will be challenging enough to stretch them not challenging enough to overwhelm them. Math groups will be along the same line as reading groups. Showing student you care about their work and who they are as a person by getting to know them personally helps support them to feel safe and secure in the classroom in Fires In The Bathroom by Cushman goes into more detail about getting to know students for this reason. Social-Emotional Learning Is Essential To Classroom Management by Jones, Bailey, and Jacob discusses how it is important to support the students mental health for them to be able to grow in their educational learning within the classroom.
A community of learnings can only be established if the students are given the supports they need for their learning and the supports can only be done if we the teachers know our students. By having and implementing these three main ideas our students will grow to be great learnings not just in knowledge of education but also in the knowledge of knowing each other and how they can grow together as a community.
Resources:
How I Survived My First Year by Bigelow
Landscapes of Learning by Greene
Because You Like Us by Ballenger
Can We Really Look Through Our Students Eyes? By Ellwood
Fires In The Bathroom by Cushman
Social-Emotional Learning Is Essential To Classroom Management by Jones, Bailey, and Jacob