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Building community is important in the classroom because it impacts children's growth and development in a positive manner. It incorporates an inclusive attitude towards others and it encourages unity among peers. Students in a positive community can inhibit a sense of safety and acceptance to be able to trust and express their ideas..
A way that I could build a positive sense of community in my classroom would be to remember and memorize names right away and have the parents beforehand, fill out a questionnaire about their child so I have ideas about future lesson plans. I would also start exhibiting appropriate eye contact with my students and not remaining solely behind a desk when speaking but moving among them. Another is giving my students clues to correct answers and respect them by allowing them enough time to respond to complete their thoughts.
-A.G.

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If a child feels unwelcome, under appreciated, or under valued, they will mentally check out before they even enter the class. For maximum learning potential, the student needs to feel safe, welcome, and emotionally supported. Fun lessons are the most useful! Games that involve students cooperating, like matching with a partner, working in teams to create something, circle songs, and other aspects can strengthen concepts and lesson plans simply because the students feel more involved.

-ZJ

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Creating a community allows the students to not only get to know each other and get along. but it creates a safe and active environment. Not only is this true for children, but all staff as well as we all rely on each other. I plan to create communities the same way, letting the students know each other and make them feel safe, not threatened or overwhelmed by anything. Getting to know the school and all its routes is also a way to familiarize yourself as to where you need to go, including places like the health center or activity areas like soccer field or baseball field.

C.M.

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Creating a community in the classroom is extremely important. It helps create a safe and welcoming space for students. Having a healthy community in the classroom also makes students more comfortable to embrace who they are.
I plan to build a community in my future classroom by making it known that they are welcome and accepted. I believe that the teacher should be the first example of how to accept everyone as they are.
-SDC

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Creating a community is important because it makes the student feel comfortable and safe. It will also give the student the comfort of opening to students, and even the professor. It's also important because that is a step to being a prepared and good teacher. As a future educator and a way I want to build community in my classroom is having a unique handshake with my each one of my students. We will do this handshake every morning before class to start off our day good. I got this idea from a video on youtube, and I liked the concept. I think this will be a good technique because the students will be comfortable around me and see that I care for each of them in their own way.
J.B

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Classroom community is important because it allows students the feeling of safety both physically and emotionally allowing them to truly be themselves and get to the business of learning. As a future middle school teacher with multiple classes of students I feel that introductions and  getting to know each other exercises will be  instrumental in helping to build community in each class.
-KM

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Creating classroom community is important for teachers because without it, it's impossible to teach. Only in a positive atmosphere that supports acceptance can students truly learn with their peers. When students are able to feel safe inside a classroom, it allows them to be more communicative and open. The goal of a community is to reduce the distance between individuals and groups so as an educator we must make it clear that every student is valued and respected.

The way I see myself building community in my classroom is by establishing a “team-like” atmosphere. I know each student has their own individual goals, but what can we achieve together as a class? When students adopt a team like approach they will be more inclined to help their fellow classmates succeed. I’m also thinking about having “no assigned” seating that forces students to sit by someone different each day. This will allow them to feel more comfortable around their classmates and hopefully willing them to open up more.
-EM

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Classroom community is vital to creating an environment where students are willing to take risks and teachers have the ability to reach all of their students, individually. In addition, it allows students to "drop their guard long enough to begin to get to know one another" on a deeper level, and encourage each others educational journey. I will encourage classroom community in my future classroom by incorporating an idea that I saw in a classroom I volunteered in. After recess and lunch the students did a five minute check-in and three students shared a positive experience that they saw on the playground and then they would share how they can incorporate positive acts like that into the classroom. It really allowed the students to focus on positive things they were seeing and can help them better understand how small acts of kindness effect their peers.

MP

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Creating a community is essential in the classroom, both teacher and students will be seeing each other majority of the year. Making sure that your students feel that they are in a safe place, to be able to answer questions confidently, whether or not they are wrong. Having a good classroom community will also get students excited to go back to school the next day. One of the ways that I would create a classroom community is by using one of the ideas I saw in a classroom I volunteered in. The teacher would ask the students a question and pass a ball for a student to share. If someone didn't want to answer the question for whatever reason they could say pass and toss it to someone else.

MY

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In Allen's article, "Creating Community in Your Classroom," he explains that when a class has successfully created a community then its students have built a sense of unity and inclusion with each other.
-TS

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Creating a community in the class room is a vital part of sucessful teaching Allen says, because when students know one another they feel safer with each other and are more likely to be vulnerable, take risks, and engage in deep learning. It also becomes a more meaningful experience for the teacher when students are connecting with each other on more than a superficial level. I think that one of the best ways to foster community in the classroom is through playing games, so in my future classroom I would like to find activities to do in every class that involve team building, and lots of creativity. I would like to let the students create their own classroom experience in a way.
-HB

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In the article Allen explained that building a community in your classroom is important because students begin to trust and have a sense of unity. Without creating a comfortable space in your classroom it is much harder to teach students new things. They won’t have confidence to want to answer in class or be involved in discussions. He also explained that if you have a community in your classroom it becomes noncompetitive. That is huge because kids always want to be the best at things. The way I would create a community is by making each student feel comfortable by allowing them to talk to me about anything. Also remind them constantly that they are important to me. I would want all my students to know that once they enter my class it is a safe space.
NS

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According to the Allen article, creating  a community in your classroom is important because students need to build relationships with each other and their teacher.  After all, they'll be spending 6 hours every day together for the entire school year.  Communication and trust in the classroom play a huge role in building a community because we need students to feel as though they can speak their mind to their teacher or peers in a judge-free zone.  This creates a more welcoming environment for the students so they won't feel outcasted or pressured, but rather a sense of comfort with their peers.  As teachers, it's important for us to build this type of unity in our classroom.  I would do this by starting the day off with a check-in by asking the students how they are feeling.  I saw a video where a teacher labeled different emotions or feelings with a number 1 through 5.  For example; 5 was angry, 4 was sad, 3 was happy, 2 was confused, and 1 was just okay.  The teacher asked her students how they were feeling and they would put up their fingers.  If the students wanted to share why they were feeling that way they could, but they didn't have to.  A lot of them participated and it seemed as though they were more understanding and respectful towards each other after discussing their feelings.
M.M.

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According to the article by Allen, creating a community in the classroom generates an environment where students are included and met with respect and acceptance from both their classmates and their teacher. Building a community in the classroom is a crucial aspect for the success of the students. A classroom community is a place of positivity that welcomes discussion. It is a space where students can be comfortable being vulnerable and feel safe to be themselves without judgment. This type of environment will give students pride in their class which will encourage them to attend school. There are many ways in which I plan on building a community in my future classroom. As exemplified by Christine Carrier, I will begin the community building before the beginning of the school year with a student questionnaire and a student selfie. I believe it is beneficial for the teacher to get to know their students on a personal level before the start of school. To create a community amongst the students, I will have several ice-breaker activities for the students to do on the first day of school.

~KK

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According to Allen’s article, is important to create community in class because it "becomes more inclusive and builds a sense of unity." Community is "committed to accept, support and bear with one another," including teachers. If this is practiced in class, it helps the students feel comfortable to be themselves. I would like to build this type of community so that my future students feel secure and enthusiastic to attend class.

I might build a community where they respect each other, learn that everyone is different and that is all right, we can learn from each other. Build communication between the students and teacher so we create honesty and free to talk without shyness. I will start building it by trying to make them feel comfortable by accepting who they are and not misjudge. I might create activities that can help know more about each other maybe by including a game.
C.H

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According to the Allen article, creating a community in your classroom is important because it makes students feel safe and comfortable with taking risks. Allen writes that if you take the time to really connect with your students and get to know them, you will be able to reach them in a way you otherwise can not. If the students feel that your classroom is a safe space, and that you support them and care for them, they will be more connected and willing to learn from you and trust you as a teacher. I could build community in my future classroom by doing activities so we can all get to know each other like the ones Allen talks about in the article, particularly at the beginning of the year. Continually showing interest in what the students have to say, asking them about themselves and their interests, and being open and honest with them about myself are all ways to make my classroom a community. I know that as long as I make it known to my students that I love them and care for them, they'll feel safe and comfortable in my classroom.
K.B.

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Community in a classroom is very important because it contributes in building the foundation of your class and what the students can expect. It is important for students to actually want to go to school and not go because they have to. A community should be free from judgement and be more inclusive bringing everyone together. As teachers, it is necessary to create an environment where our students could feel safe and be themselves.  I would help create a community by introducing my students to different icebreaker games where they can share about themselves with classmates. It is important for students to feel welcomed and comfortable in the class environment because this is where they spend most of their time. Building relationships will help them not only at the moment but in the future as they can learn from their experience in the class. I remember watching some clips about teachers connecting with their students by having a special handshake with each one of their students which builds a unique bond between student and teacher. This is something I want to emulate in my classroom to build the community of the classroom. I believe that students would be more enthusiastic about learning if they have a supportive community in the classroom.
C.C

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Classroom Community Creating a community in a classroom is a necessity because without it there would be no trust and communication at all. The students need to feel secure and able to tell anything to their teacher.  For instance, if there is some kid bullying another kid; the kid that is being bullied must feel that this is a safe environment. He will be okay after telling what is happening to the teacher, and the other kid will have to have some punishment that requires him to comprehend that what he was doing is wrong. The article gives examples about little games that help to break the ice. Personally, I like the idea of the “Me Bag”, besides of the basic idea of showing five articles that represented you. I liked that the whole classroom will have the same paper bag, so everyone may feel the same about their bag. Inclusion is always a good tool when it comes to managing tricky details for kids or even adults. I would like to make my students feel comfortable and happy in my classroom. I would treat them respectfully and pay the most possible of attention to their needs and struggles. I would like to have a classroom where everybody would get along as a family. It is okay to have different opinions and stress about our next tests, but I would love to get to know each student. Hopefully, someday he or she becomes a great human being.

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Classroom Community Creating a community in a classroom is a necessity because without it there would be no trust and communication at all. The students need to feel secure and able to tell anything to their teacher.  For instance, if there is some kid bullying another kid; the kid that is being bullied must feel that this is a safe environment. He will be okay after telling what is happening to the teacher, and the other kid will have to have some punishment that requires him to comprehend that what he was doing is wrong. The article gives examples about little games that help to break the ice. Personally, I like the idea of the “Me Bag”, besides of the basic idea of showing five articles that represented you. I liked that the whole classroom will have the same paper bag, so everyone may feel the same about their bag. Inclusion is always a good tool when it comes to managing tricky details for kids or even adults. I would like to make my students feel comfortable and happy in my classroom. I would treat them respectfully and pay the most possible of attention to their needs and struggles. I would like to have a classroom where everybody would get along as a family. It is okay to have different opinions and stress about our next tests, but I would love to get to know each student. Hopefully, someday he or she becomes a great human being.

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-A.M.

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Creating a community in a classroom is extremely important because it allows the students to feel more comfortable with their peers and the teachers. After reading Allens article I have a better understanding on how building a classroom community plays a large role on a students ability to learn. I would build my community in my classroom by using different name games and activities which allow the students to know their classmates names and makes the students feel more comfortable to speak within the classroom. Based on my own experience, I always feel more comfortable in a classroom where I get to know my classmates on a more personal level.
K.C

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The reason creating community in your classroom is important is due to everyone working together to improve their education.  As Allen explains, having a positive teacher and student relationship creates the students to feel better to interact more and feel safe. Also positive student and student relationship is important since students will learn from one another and be more comfortable having discussions and pairing up. By doing this you are putting students to work with each other and not against. The way I would build community in my future classroom is for everyone to be able to get to know each other to begin the unity. Furthermore, I would have more ways for my students to pair up or group with other students they haven't worked with before or rarely interact with. Another way would be using "I" statements and making my students feel safe in my classroom.

J.S

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Building a community in the classroom is important because it creates an atmosphere where students feel included, welcome, wanted and safe to express themselves. According to the article, "In class, kids need to feel accepted for who they are," kids need to walk into a classroom and want to be there. It is crucial for the teacher to create a classroom community for his/her students. In my future classroom, I will create a classroom community by quickly learning their names. Addressing students by their names makes them feel accepted and wanted. Having activities such as creating a self portrait and writing a small paragraph about themselves, and posting it on the classroom walls will help them feel accepted. It will demonstrate to them that everyone is different and amazing in their own unique way.

VL

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According to Allen article, creating community in your classroom is important because it creates a sense of unity and be more inclusive. As describe community is used to be anything from a neighborhood or a professional organization. If you don't create community in the classroom students will "Welcome Conflict" meaning they have to be in a safe environment were they can feel cared and trust abound, acceptance, and the parents would be willing to work with you meaning the teacher. I plan on building community in my classroom, first of all by setting the first step "help students drop their guard  long enough to begin to know one another and their teacher as people." They need to know that kids should be accepted from who they are. I plan on doing activities with my students such as games to get to know my students, do questionnaires, and do appointment buddies. It's also important to know their names as soon as possible. I also want my students to come with me as questions and come to me and feel free that they can come and talk to me no matter the problem, or just say hi.
- A.D

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According to the Allen article, creating community in your classroom is important because it creates a sense of unity, respect, and acceptance. Community within the classroom also allows students to feel valued and as if they are in a place of safety to express themselves. The article also expresses that a classroom community can also make it so that students feel comfortable being vulnerable and also being able to disagree at times without feeling judged. In my future classroom, I plan on building a community from the start. I plan on having activities on the first day of class for my students to get to know their classmates, such as the 'Me Bag' activity. I also plan on letting them know about me so that I build a relationship between everyone in the classroom. I also plan to respect and treat all my students equally. I think it is also very important to learn my students' names as fast as possible, so that they know that I am making an effort to really get to know them and build that respect. I like the clock idea and would like to use that so that my students have different partners during activities and get to know more than just a couple students sitting at their table. I want my students to always feel like they can come to me and ask questions or just talk, as well as feel valued and accepted.
-F.L.

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In a classroom, I believe it is extremely crucial to integrate community. As Allen points out, having a sense of community allows room for freedom within the classroom. Students need to have the opportunity to be themselves and be accepted.  I think community in a classroom also allows students to be more comfortable and motivates them to voice their opinions and share their creativity. I think there is a lot of ways to build community in future classrooms. Some ways could be integrating culture into word problems or readings, allowing students to relate to each other. I believe group work is very important because it allows the students to not feel alone and to not have to compete when they are working together to reach a goal. Although ice breakers can seem to be cliche, I do think it is a good way to get students to meet each other. and bond. Classroom community brings positivity and a sense of comfort that creates a healthy learning environment.

-DE

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Creating community in your classroom is important because it creates a healthy, fun, and respectful environment. I especially liked when Allen describes how a community is noncompetitive. How competition will only drive people away from each other. We strive for a community that everyone will feel welcomed and cared for. It is crucial to build a healthy classroom community because all a teacher would want is for their students is to feel safe and important between their peers and the teacher because everyone's goal is the same. Which is to succeed in school. I would build my community in my class by first trying to learn everyone's name as quickly as possible and play games such as "Up the ladder, down the ladder" for students to learn each other's names as well. There was this activity one of my professors would make us do that I believe strengthen our class community and I would love to implement into my future classroom. It was that every week we would write down three things good things that happened to us in the last week, and everyone would share at least one good thing that happened to them. Everyone would always have smiles on their faces talking about something positive and learning all these good things that happened to their peers. And at the end of the semester everyone had a whole list of good things that happened to them that year, it was great.
-R.B.

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According to the Allen article building community in classrooms is a crucial part of a students ability to learn. Allen mentions community in a classroom builds the freedom to be themselves, approach situations collectively, appreciate each individual, create a sense of acceptance, and encourage participation. Now with the freedom to be themselves doesn’t eliminate the idea of disagreement, but as teachers, building effective communities, they build communication. And with communication the community can create conflict resolutions together. Another important aspect to remember in a classroom community is that there is no competition among students. Competition doesn’t exclude for example “the occasional spelling bee,” but to be mindful and remember it’s a noncompetitive environment. All these ideas according to Allen, means teachers will teach students the importance of confidence, communication and respect.

In my classroom I can build community by first introducing myself, have students introduce themselves, have them introduce themselves on an index card, and build positive relationships with their parents/guardians. I can receive information from the student from an index card that can help me help them. Introducing themselves to classmates can be a key role as well as be the first step towards building a classroom community. Personally one of the scariest things to do is to meet and talk to strangers. I have found it to be so much more effective when a teacher does build a safe environment by getting us to interact with others. It has helped me improve with the struggles I have.

VG

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Marisela M.

Creating a community within the classroom is extremely important, for the students need to feel accepted, important, welcomed, comfortable. Building that community begins when  the teacher and students get to know each other. In addition, the classmates as well as the teacher begin to feel more like a family when the community is built within the classroom. The students feel like their opinion matters, for they are more likely to speak their minds when so, they get involved in class discussions and/or speak to the teacher or others classmates if a question and/or problem arises. I and others may build a community in our future classrooms by getting to know the students asap and vice versa, for they must feel like the instructor cares about every one of them and is truly there for them. A way I can put this to work is by asking every one of my students questions about themselves, but first introduce myself and speak about myself, so they know a little about me as well. I can use games that can help us know more about each other, can be topics related to favorite animals, music, hobbies, favorite color, foods, etc. The article states one may use bulletin boards featuring the students which I think is a great idea. I can also go up to them, make eye contact and be attentive, listen, comprehend, acknowledge what they have to say, give feedback, encourage them, so they feel comfortable speaking; it’s important that the students don’t feel judged when speaking their minds. The key to building a community within a classroom is communicating both coming from the teacher and the students, but it’s the teacher’s responsibility to encourage the communication with their words and actions.

-       MM

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In a classroom, creating a community is beneficial for students because it helps students feel welcomed and more open to discussing topics. It's important when you have a positive environment so that students do not feel scared to talk in a classroom. I took in a class where my teacher would partner us up with someone different each time. After that, we all built a connection, made new friends, and we were no longer scared to say whats on our minds. We all felt as we were a team and felt comfortable with one another. Therefore, the best way for students to feel comfortable in a classroom is by doing many group activities so that they are able to get to know everyone and get the opportunity to make new friends. Some ways I would build a community in a classroom is to have many group activities so they are able to know one another. Also, to create a positive environment and allowing room for mistakes. I also agree with my my colleagues about how group games are beneficial in a classroom because it is fun and can relieve stress. Overall, creating a community is significant because it leads to a comfortable, positive and happy environment.
-V.H.

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Creating community in your classroom is incredibly important because you want your students to feel very comfortable and welcomed in the classroom environment. By having a positive environment in your classroom you are allowing students to express themselves, be more confident, and create a better learning environment. This allows students to have group discussion in a comfortable setting, and for relationships to be created. When students and teachers feel more comfortable in environments they will share their ideas and help out with group discussions. One way I would build community in my future classroom is to make sure students feel 100% accepted and welcome in my classroom. One way of ensuring this would be to allow my lunch times to yes be for lunch but also a time where students can come by for a period of time to talk about problems they are having in class that they might not feel comfortable asking in front of the class. Making sure my attitude towards students is always positive and encouraging. I will also try and help students come out of their shell and hopefully build friendships that they might to shy to do on their own. I would do this by creating group discussions, group projects, and partner work as well as some ice breakers. Every morning I will have "family meetings" where as a class we can discuss stuff other then school so children know that I am invested in there lives and not just their schooling. Community is incredibly important to have in a classroom because it allows students to be themselves and get to know others in their comfort zones.

-S.M.

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Community in a classroom is important because you want the students to feel comfortable in the class and be able to fully be themselves. I know that I feel the most comfortable in a classroom when I know the people around me and I do not feel alone. Some ways I might build community in my future classroom is to have activities where not only they can get to know each other, but also be able to open up and feel 100% themselves around each other and me. This might include icebreakers, partner/group work or even morning gatherings to talk about our week and affirm each other. This has worked for me in the past with groups I am in and hope it could work for younger students as well.
-B

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Creating community in your classroom is very important, because it allows for a more positive and welcoming environment.  Having a positive and welcoming classroom environment is a very amazing thing, because it allows for meaningful discussions and relationships to be formed. If students feel like they are friends with their peers and teachers, they may feel more comfortable to contribute their ideas and opinions with the group. This can also help students come out of their shell and feel more outgoing around their peers and teachers, and in their futures. I might build community in my future classroom by playing lots of ice breaker games. I would also like to play the name chant game that we played in class, because learning your peer's names is very beneficial. As the article stated, playing getting to know you games in the classroom can be very fun for teachers and students, and they allow for students to share out things about themselves with very little stress or pressure. Community is a very important thing to have in a classroom.
-C.S.