Examples of fostering a caring community include establishing standards of equity so all students are receiving the same opportunity, promoting cooperation among students so they learn to work together toward a common goal and putting practices in place that check in on students' well-being.

From the article, the angle of empowering parent and teacher groups was an important takeaway. Beyond just administrators making decisions, it's important to have shared decision-making through input from faculty, parents and community members. Having such decision-making authority also promotes professional development in teachers, which creates positive impact on students.

Another takeaway was the implementation of community service work with students, which is a great way to show students how caring can extend outside the classroom. Contributing to their community at large, students learn early on the positive impact they can have in their own acts of caring.

-Brandon Kirby

 

One of the take aways from the article that stood out to me was the idea of “connecting everyone’s care to create a school culture of care.” This idea is similar to the “it takes a village” sentiment, which is very true in education. The actions of teachers, parents, and administrators all have an impact on the education of a child. It is critical that they work together and share a unified sense of compassion and concern for the students in order to provide a successful caring environment. 

 

The second take away was regarding “empowering groups for shared authority.” The administration, parents, faculty, and community work as a collective group to share in the decision making.  This creates a stronger partnership, better communication, and is the foundation in creating a community with a larger voice who can make a greater impact in the fight for caring education. 

 

Karen Thomas 

 

We can foster a caring community by setting goals and guidelines for the entire community to reach and abide by. Setting an expectation and example for all in the community to treat others with respect is a great starting point. Letting students and parents know that the classroom and school is a safe place where they are cared for, respected and valued is another. Service learning should be a strong focus in creating a caring community. It can show students the benefit of caring for others, while focusing on the importance of empathy and opening their eyes to situations beyond their daily lives.                                      

Two takeaways from the article include creating policies for equity are crucial to a school community and focusing on equity, empowerment, and teaching caring in the classroom was critical to LCMS’s success. Showing that all people deserve the same resources sets a basic standard for caring for others. After focusing on a caring community at LCMS, there was vast improved student behavior, attendance and test scores.  Even though they are not saying caring caused it, all of those things happened after shifting focus to educating the whole person, not just teaching academics. 

 

One way we can create an environment is through respect. This concept of respect between everyone in the classroom is seen in the reading how simple psychological understanding can actually reduce violence. “Only the deliberate creation of caring communities holds genuine hope of reducing threats of violence.” Children acting up, anger from students, absenteeism, and dropping out are students expressing problems but not expressing these problems in a constructive way. If a teacher makes the effort to look calmly at a student, who is perhaps being disrespectful, taking into account all the different aspects of a student’s complex life, and try to understand the student, the student will reciprocate this energy that is being given to them and try and understand who their teacher is. This understanding is the basis for respect and equality amongst students and teachers. With understanding we have a lack of fear, and we can begin to respect the student’s actions and motives because the teacher knows about their causes, even if the causes are not readily apparent. 

The fact that the school in the reading had no auditions or admissions requirements is a great way to have an open environment with many different students from many different types of backgrounds. The diversity of the student population due to their being no exclusionary elements to the acceptance process with an environment of respect, understanding and empathy between the students and teachers can create a school environment of profound learning where students of different backgrounds begin to relate, broadening the students world-view, and showing the student that people different from themselves are just regular students they can identify with, understand, and perhaps build a social trust that will become an academic comradery and a friendship through understanding. This leaves the student with an educational experience that gives them insight into other student’s personal lives, so they can view others in an empathetic light. The teacher will set the tone of the academic, personal and social interactions between the students of the class by their example and properly guiding the students in how to be caring and respectful.  

                                                                                                                                                                        Different students need different kind of support. If the teacher takes this into account they can create equality amongst students of varying abilities and levels of learning. Having students be in separate reading groups, for example, but still be in one class room, can be a way to create a fully supported classroom of students at many different levels.                                                                                  John Rogan

 

 

We can foster a caring community by communicating effectively to the students on how to establish a foundation among characteristics such as respect, inclusion, safety, and positivity. Goals should be set to progress the growth within the entire community and achieve the success of those goals and expectations placed. Students will have a more valued setting allowing them to become better individuals for each other. 

 

Two takeaways from the article that stood out to me the most were how the community made a collaborative effort and extended their services after school at the CLC where they provided dinner and transportation as well as learning resources and programs for the students. It really demonstrates the effect of how some communities will outreach more than the typical school day but offer additional resources for students who need them, which can make up majority of the schools numbers. Another takeaway was how teachers have progresses cooperative learning within their care instruction meaning they want students to be more collaborative and share within the classroom. LCMS teachers give students the opportunity for growth, where they allow students to make mistakes because that only trains them for learning. 

 

Two takeaways from the article including “everyone is a leader in some way” and teaching students “share and collaborate” is part of the mission of a caring community. Students who are more willing to express themselves or have better academic performance are usually considered as individuals with more leadership. However, each individual is unique; they have potentials in different areas. For example, educators and schools should treat them equally and help to encourage students develop their potentials. By creating a caring community, it is important to not only show our care to the students, but also teach students care about each other. As students learn about the meaning and importance of caring, the structure of the whole caring community will also be fully established and strengthened. Studying in such caring community, students will be able to improve and achieve more academically; on the other hand, they will be encouraged to become better social well-beings. 

                                                                                                                               Tongya (Rachel) Jia

We can foster a caring community by establishing an equity environment. Equity is the first goal that need to be met, and when people feel and respect the equity, then the caring is possible to be shown. Efficient communications are also essential, we need to listen the voices from all aspects: teachers, students, parents, and advisors. I believe caring starts from talks. Providing more activities that connect teachers, students and parents is also a good method to foster a caring community. 

Two takeaways I have from the article is cooperative learning and service learning. Cooperation is essential for every individual in the society, so students need to learn to share and collaborate. They should learn to help their peers and know how to ask assistance from others. Working in groups is great way to improve students cooperative leaning. Service learning is impressed, and I never though this before. Students should not be limited into school this small community. For the society, and even the whole world, students need to show their caring and service the greater community. 

Meng Lu