Community in the Classroom by Alexandria Williams https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n How community in the classroom is linked to progressive education en-us 2022-07-08 14:12:45 UTC 2026-01-04 20:46:00 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/270f.png What does it mean to have a community in the classroom? willi718 https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239801252 Something that is talked about a lot in regards to education is creating a safe space for your students. A way that many people suggest you do this is by creating a community in your classroom.

But what do people mean when they say that?

First, we can think of what a community is. A community is a group of people in one spot. Then, we can connect that to the classroom. You have many students in one classroom and they all have a common goal: learning.

Learning is why students are in school, but for some students, learning can be difficult if they feel like they don't belong in their classroom whether it be because they don't understand the material, they don't have friends in the classroom or they feel left out.

A classroom community is to help those students. Having a classroom community creates a safe space for students where they feel like they belong in the classroom. They will feel comfortable with their peers and they will then be more comfortable learning and engaging in the classroom.

Source: Importance of Classroom Community

]]> 2022-07-08 14:27:44 UTC https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239801252 What does a community in the classroom look like? willi718 https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239827036 A community in the classroom is where students work together, talk to one another, include everyone, respect one another, solve problems together and be active participants in the classroom.

In an article from Edutopia called Building Communities in the Classroom it says, "The education theorist Etienne Wenger has stressed that learning occurs best through social participation, and participation is the best indicator of whether or not students are paying attention." (Arsiwala, 2017).

This article also states that, "Teachers build communities to promote collaboration and build relationship that foster a positive and productive working experience." (Arsiwala, 2017).

A community in the classroom gets students to build positive relationships with one another and are able to build positive relationships with their teachers as well. 

Team building exercises and letting students lead the classroom are some things that you can see in a classroom community.

Source: Building Communities in the Classroom]]> 2022-07-08 15:25:04 UTC https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239827036 Traits of a Classroom Community willi718 https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239833790 A big trait that comes with community in the classroom is that students are being encouraged by their peers and by their teachers.

From Edutopia's article called 10 Traits of an Encouraging Classroom lists 10 traits that are from an encouraging classroom which is something that you would see in a classroom community.

The traits that this article lists is:
  • "Relationships and trust
  • Listening with an open mind and without judgement
  • Encourage creativity
  • Time to reflect and grow
  • Recognize failed attempts as a step in learning
  • Empathy
  • A Safe Place
  • Seeing them as unique individuals 
  • A fun environment" (Pescatore, 2014). 

These traits are important to have in a community classroom because they lead to students feeling empowered and encouraged to participate in class, engage in their learning, and they will learn from one another because of the social interactions they get from being in a community classroom.

Source: 10 Traits of an Encouraging Classroom 

]]> 2022-07-08 15:40:57 UTC https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239833790 Wellbeing of Children willi718 https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239847117 An article titled Developing a 'Classroom as Community' Approach to Support Young Children's Wellbeing by  Victoria Whitington and Elspeth McInnes talks about a posed theory that states that creating a community in the classroom to help give students a sense of belonging in the classroom which helps with their wellbeing.

In this theory, it is explained that social interactions for children with their peers helps develop their mind. Along with a developing mind with these social interactions, there is also a sense of achievement, identity and efficacy in their lives because they feel like they are doing well in their lives and also doing well when it comes to their education.

A way that this needs to be done is by teachers letting go of some of their power in the classroom to let the students interact with one another, share their own thoughts and ideas behind things, share their ways of thinking and help them understand why they think a certain way and help them understand their feelings.

Source: Whitington, V., & McInnes, E. (2017). Developing a “classroom as community” approach to supporting young children’s wellbeing. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 42(4), 22–29. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.miamioh.edu/10.23965/AJEC.42.4.03


]]> 2022-07-08 16:14:42 UTC https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239847117 The Importance of Inclusion and Belonging willi718 https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239854290 From my own survey, I found that for the majority of people think that inclusion and belonging is important in the classroom. 

This information supports the idea that having a community in the classroom would be important as well. 

Community in the classroom is based on students feeling like they are included in classroom activities and feel like they belong in their classroom.

With students feeling like they are included and belong in the classroom, they are more likely to be active participants in classroom activities and are more likely to retain the information they are being taught. ]]> 2022-07-08 16:31:41 UTC https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239854290 What is Progressive Education? willi718 https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239864016 Progressive education is giving students a role in their own education which aids in their development. It is learning that is based on experiences and working together in the classroom.

Experiences in the classroom when it comes to progressive learning is the act of doing things by hand to learn, relating the instruction to the real world and letting students understand the information on their own based on what they have experienced. 

Progressive education gets students to be engaged in their education and helps students create habits and learn skills that will help them make learning and retaining information more fun and enjoyable. 

Progressive education is not focused on memorizing material. It is based on students understanding the materials and making sure they know how to apply it in their own lives and in the real world. 

Progressive education is focused on the community, aids in group work, participation and focuses on emotional intelligence as well. 

Progressive education has problem solving skills, critical thinking, and reflecting on their learning and asking questions to better their understanding.

Source: https://www.theschoolinrosevalley.org/the-core-qualities-of-a-progressive-classroom/]]> 2022-07-08 16:58:36 UTC https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239864016 John Dewey willi718 https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239932044 Known as "The Father of Progressive Education"

John Dewey was a supporter of progressive education. Dewey believed that education was important for both social development and moral development.

Dewey thought that education should be socially engaging and have different learning experiences. He also believed that education should include real life situations and have different social settings to aid in a child's education.

He was a big supporter of people coming together to look at problems, think of solutions together and solve the problem as a team.

Source: John Dewey in the 21st Century]]> 2022-07-08 20:25:32 UTC https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239932044 Similarities Between Progressive Education and Classroom Community willi718 https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239937531 The main similarity between the two is that with both of these, is that it gets students to actively learn. It helps students work on their social skills as well as helps students get more engaged in their education.

Another similarity is that they both help the students work on their problem solving skills. In both students work on different problems and find solutions as a team. The problems that the students are working on are real life problems or problems that they could possibly encounter later on in life.

Both progressive education and classroom community focus on the whole child and what they need in order to succeed. It does not focus just on the child memorizing  the required information, but it looks at making sure they can apply the materials, understand what it means and why it is important. They both also make a point to make sure that the child's mental health and their emotional needs are being met and they know how to cope with their feelings and understand their feelings.

Source: Progressivism]]> 2022-07-08 20:45:48 UTC https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239937531 Positive Learning Environment willi718 https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239938729 In a progressive education classroom and a community classroom, there is always a positive energy to it.

Teachers focus on the positive things in the classroom and look at all the achievements and improvements that students have made.

These classrooms are very flexible. Teachers and students can have choices in what they are learning and how.

There are flexible and open work spaces for the children to be comfortable in their learning environment and can work with their peers freely.

There is an abundance of resources for the students to be used when it is possible.

Source: Characteristics of a Positive Learning Environment ]]> 2022-07-08 20:51:11 UTC https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239938729 Why Progressive Education? willi718 https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239940273 This video explains that in progressive education, teachers and educators take note of the things that student are interested and what they like so that they can incorporate that into the classroom to make the materials more engaging and entertaining for the students. 

Progressive education isn't just about teaching the curriculum and following the guidelines on what the students need to learn. You can teach in a variety of ways, make the materials engaging and hands on, make it collaborative, and let students lead the way in the curriculum and they will learn even better than before. 

Students that work with their peers, are hands on and feel like they have control over their education are more likely to have a interest in their education and are more motivated to learn because of it. ]]> 2022-07-08 20:56:03 UTC https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239940273 Strong Relationships willi718 https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239940913 With both progressive education and classroom communities, having strong relationships are very important. 

Having a strong relationship with the teacher means that students feel like they can trust their teacher and they don't feel like they can't talk to them if there is something going on.

Having a strong relationship with their peers mean that the students are comfortable in their environment and students can work together with their peers to solve problems, socialize and overall develop their social skills. ]]> 2022-07-08 20:58:34 UTC https://padlet.com/willi718/nvxxu5pg20i37d0n/wish/2239940913