Communities Don't Just Happen

The Sapon-Shevin reading was full of wonderful examples of how to successfully build a community.  I particularly appreciated the reminder that the classroom community would not just happen on its own.  It has to be a full team effort.  Everyone in the community must feel like their input is needed and valued.  The teacher must, of course, encourage the students to determine what they will need from one another in order to feel that they are in a safe environment and can contribute freely.  They must somehow eliminate the fear that “someone won’t like my idea” or “they’ll think I’m dumb”.  It won’t happen overnight.  The students will have to build their trust in one another.  I have witnessed that same type of environment that was mentioned in the reading where a student who is struggling with a concept need only announce it and they would immediately receive help from several classmates.  There is a wonderful collaborative atmosphere at each of the table groups during the volunteer rotations that I attend.  I frequently hear the words “turn to your neighbor and explain what you learned/discovered/found”.  The teacher has made the children feel that what they have to say is very important; important enough to share with the other students.  The teacher is also very aware of who has and who has not had a chance to participate.  She makes sure that every child has a chance to contribute, not in every lesson, but enough that no single student seems singled out as “the one with all of the answers”.  She is also very careful with her language when requesting feedback regarding anything a student has shared with the class.  She does not simply ask for comments, but specifically says “we have time for three compliments or questions” and allows the student to choose which students will provide that feedback.  She is very aware of when students talk over someone who is particularly quiet.  She does not raise her voice, she simply says something to the effect “Oh, I’m very interested in what Johnny has to say, I’ll just wait until it is quiet so that I can hear him.”  There are constant subtle reminders that everyone should have a voice and that everyone has an idea worth hearing.

It then made complete sense, in the Greene reading, to tie the teaching of arts in the classroom to the ability to create a community.  If we strip away all of the activities that allow for self-expression, how will the children learn more about themselves.  If we do not allow them to use their imagination, how will they put themselves “in each other’s shoes” and gain deeper understanding of each other.  If a student does not have the experience of visiting other worlds, worlds completely unlike their own, how will they be able to conceive that one of their classmates might have a completely different life outside of school than their own?  Imagine how many more connections the children might be able to make with one another if their classroom library was rich with stories from various cultures.  What a wonderful experience to read a story and then have a student in their very own classroom be able to share a real life experience.  Just like finding out that hippos sweat a pink, oily substance or that the Surinam Toad actually carries her eggs inside the skin of her back until they pop out as froglets; they may find out something about a classmate’s heritage that even their wildest imagination would not have considered.