Building a Sense of Community in our Schools

Children thrive in settings outside the school. This includes the home and settings for extra-curricular activities. They are “themselves” and are comfortable when they are in the peace and quiet of their home or running around the soccer field on a crisp fall day. Often times, some of the most innovative thinking occurs here (even though most educators who hate to admit it…) because children are in their comfort zone. These environments offer the proper balance of structure and freedom of expression that our children need.

For a lot of students, completely different experiences accompany their time in the classroom. As soon as many children enter the classroom, their shoulders heighten and they are on-guard and hoping to avoid mistakes, negative attention, or any behavior that will result in the dreaded “call home”. This is really no way for our children to be experiencing school and it isn’t going to help their development on an individual, social, or academic basis. Considering the great amount of time students actually spend in the classroom, we really need to make sure that our schools are nurturing, encouraging, and comfortable environments for the students and that they actually promote learning and success.

This goal is the responsibility of all school professionals. Building this sense of community begins with having an administration who is willing to put a great deal of hard work and dedication into making sure students are at ease and making them feel “at home” while they are in the classroom. This involves collaboration among the administration, teachers, and faculty. Building a community always starts with a foundation. Here, the foundation is the unique make-up of educational professionals within the school. If they collaborate effectively, a lot can accomplished.

The building process doesn’t stop here. Teachers are responsible for implementing strategies in their own classrooms that will promote this sense of belonging and community. They must get to know their students on a one-on-one basis and truly care for them, just as their mothers and fathers do. Teachers who fill parent roles can have a huge impact on the academic, social, and personal development of a child.

In addition to this individual focus, teachers should implement team-building activities into their lesson plans so that each class feels like a family (at least to the greatest degree possible). I know, you are probably wondering where this fits under state standards or how it will help with achievement testing. However, it actually can lead to progress in these areas. Team-building and bonding with peers leads to higher levels of self-confidence and self-efficacy. If children accomplish tasks in groups, they are more likely to succeed on an individual basis. Everything really goes full circle here.

So, I think it’s time we start implementing a “community-like feel” in our schools. There is really no need to make school the structured and high-stress environment that society has built it up to be. If we could foster a sense of community in more schools across the nation, I think a lot of progress could be made. It is proven that children thrive in supportive, comfortable environments that bring out their best qualities. They also learn a lot from things they truly love and are passionate about. Shouldn’t we make our classrooms more equipped to foster this kind of support? If we do this, children are going to learn a multitude about themselves, their growth and potential, and how they can contribute to the community-like feel other children are craving to be a part of.