Transcript Building a Classroom Community  It really boils downs to this: that all life is interrelated.

Building a Classroom
Community
 It
really boils downs to this: that all life is
interrelated. We are all caught in an
inescapable network of mutuality, tied
into a single garment of destiny.
Whatever affects one directly, affects all
directly.
 Martin Luther King, Jr.
Purpose and Objectives
 Facilitate
the setting of classroom
standards that help create a respectful
and supportive classroom community
 Describe behaviours that promote a
positive learning environment
 Discuss ways to maintain classroom
standards and consequences for not
respecting them
 To
set classroom standards that help
create a respectful and supportive
classroom community
How can you make a
difference?
 The
belief that one person can make a
difference is the hope of the world.
 Hubert H. Humphrey, former VP of the
USA
What do you think “make a difference”
means?
 Who are some of the people making a
difference in our community?
 How are teenagers viewed in our community?
 What might we do to reinforce the positive
view of teenagers in our community?

Classroom Community

Syn- Greek prefix meaning together
 Ergy-Greek ergon- means work
 Synergy- work together
 Iron can be turned into high quality steel by
combining it with other metals such as nickel
and copper. Each has different
characteristics, but the combination is much
stronger and durable than any of them alone
Group Activity

Notes: Write your name in the centre
 A concern in the school or community
 Someone you respect because of what s/he
has done
 Something you have done to help someone
 A way others benefited from this person’s
actions
 Share your info with group members
Brief Discussion
 What
were some of the issues
identified?
 Who were some of the people named
who made positive contributions? What
did they do? How did their actions
benefit others?
 What are some ways people in this
class have helped others?
Diversity in a classroom
 What
interests are shared by people in
your group?
 What are some different strengths or
abilities members of your group bring to
the class?
 What advantages would there be if
everyone in this community were
similar/different? Problems?
Ideal learning environment

Think of a classroom environment where you
would feel comfortable and respected,
encouraged to learn and participate
 Complete hand out, Standards of Behaviour
 Large group sharing
 These characteristics can serve as guidelines
for standards of behaviour- a major step in
building community
Standards of behaviour

Group work: Write 5 standards of behaviour
that would bring about a positive learning
environment and a sense of community to the
classroom
 Word in positive terms
 Write a one sentence description of what you
hope to accomplish with your standards
 E.g. To make a place where everyone is
respected, supported and treated fairly.
Gallery Tour

In groups go to each poster of standards
 Copy down any standards you had not
thought of in your group
 Return to your poster and add these items
 Combine similar standards
 Delete any that are too specific
 Final list of 5-7
Goal
 Discuss
the one sentence description of
what you wish to accomplish with your
standards
 Write a single goal from all the
descriptions
Maintaining Standards
 Group
work: Ways to help one another
maintain the standards
 Consequences for not doing so
 The object of consequence is learning
NOT punishment
 When do you change a standard or add
a new one?
 Review weekly
Closure

How can these standards help reduce conflict
in the classroom?
 Sign list of standards to indicate agreement
 Post in visible place
 Each student gets a copy of the standards,
the goal and the consequences
 Complete Gives to Get handout
Cooperative Learnig
 Groups
of 10
 In 2 minutes arrange yourselves in the
order of members’ birthdays, by year,
month, day
Discussion
 What
problems did you encounter?
 What were some ways people
cooperated?
 What would help you work together
better next time?
Team Work
 Stack
of newspaper and roll of masking
tape
 Work together for 10 minutes
 Build a freestanding bridge at least 1 ft
(30 cm) high and 1 ft (30 cm) wide
 Strong enough to hold a paperback
book
Follow-up Activity
 Behaviours
of members that helped you
work together
 What slowed you down?
 Read handout pages 28 & 29
 What similarities , if any, are there
between our class standards and those
that helped the groups work together?
Effective Groups
 Safe,
supportive environment that
encourages people to get involved,
share ideas and work cooperatively
Five Stages of Development

Page 29 handout some stages may last a day
while others may take several weeks
 Which stages has this class completed?
 What might be ahead?
 What skills do you think will be needed to
deal with the next stages?
 How can your listening skills help you cope
with conflict?
Closure
 Learning
to work as a group takes time
 Involves trying new skills, making
mistakes, talking about what happened
and trying again