Creating Community
I've been teaching for 10 years....yes, 10. In those years, if I've dealt with any one big problem, it's been relationships. If they're good, they're good. If they're bad, they're REALLY bad! Kids thrive on the relationships around them! They do, however, have a hard time creating positive, meaningful relationships with each other in the classroom, and it is our job, as educators, to show and model what they should look like. I'm sharing a list of 5 ways to cultivate community in your classroom. This is not intended to be a quick fix, but instead a group of strategies for you to employ as you bring your classroom together. 1. Group 'Em Up Not only will it help your sanity, but arrange your kids into groups they wouldn't naturally select on their own. Sitting with new people encourages them to talk to others that they normally wouldn't on a day-to-day basis. They just may find that they have more in common with someone than th