Creating Classroom Community

If I could just take one thing I learned this year and use it for my future classroom it would be to create a classroom community. I feel that it is important for students to understand your expectations for how they work in your classroom from day one. This year, it was apparent that there were a lot of clashing personalities and there never seemed to be a sense of togetherness from the beginning. I want to establish friendships between my students and build relationships with them so we can have a successful learning community.

I was fortunate enough to visit a 5th grade class this past week where students worked incredibly well side by side. The teacher emphasized setting the norm in the classroom from day one. She even mentioned she didn't really start teaching content until after the first two weeks once the students were familiar with the routines and expectations. Students were much more focused on the task at hand than worrying about who they were sitting next to or who they were working with.

I plan on having several group building activities and being prepared for day one in the classroom. There are a few resources I have picked up that will be incredibly helpful to any teacher; "The First Day of School" by Harry Wong and "Strategies That Work," are great books to read to get ideas on how to create and maintain a successful classroom.