Community Centered
Community Centered
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In this category, I will be talking about the importance of community and culture. This subject does not only mean the student's physical location but also their emotional alignment with the school. By learning and understanding this, we as teachers can understand how we should design our lessons.
Contributing positively to the school community
School community is an important attribute in a student’s overall learning. It is the student’s identity and will alter the way that teachers teach within a school. It is important to promote this self-identity and celebrate the diversity that the school community represents. By contributing to a school community including the professional relationships with Associate Teachers, Principals, other staff, and students, we create a positive environment where everyone feels welcomed and free to take risk.
Artifact: Community Engagement
This artifact shows an event held by the Wilfrid Laurier University Facility of Education EDI&I Coalition which I helped organize. The "Increasing Teacher Diversity" event showcased many opportunities for local under-represented groups to take part in becoming a teacher. Within this event, students had the opportunity to learn about current educators, their experiences, and the action steps required to pursue this career. Furthermore, this event allowed students to get an opportunity to learn about university life and what it is like to attend university.
This artifact represents one of the many ways, educators and teachers can become involved within their communities. Events like these helped me to better understand my community including their demographics, needs, and culture. All of these experiences have provided a gateway for me to further understand my own students and their lives outside of school which I will use to connect with students and further their learning through shared experiences.
Engaging in professional relationships with the Associate Teacher, Principal, and other school staff
All school communities are different which is why going to staff, parent, or student meetings is important for me to understand which community I reside in. I have gone to as many meetings as I can to learn more about the students that I have been teaching and other teachers that I have been learning from. They have provided me with valuable knowledge that I can use for my own lessons to engage students. Furthermore, student clubs and teams are a great way to build a positive rapport with students and to learn about areas that teachers do not know much about. This creates a better relationship with the students in which they feel respected and listened to.
Building a classroom community that celebrates diversity
Building a classroom community that celebrates diversity means that all individuals within a classroom can learn from each other. Students will then learn how to be more empathetic toward one another and get a better understanding of the lesson through collaboration and discussion. Students then also become more open-minded and feel that they are learning in a safe and positive environment. Finally, by building this classroom community, students learn how to work in a diverse workplace when they enter the workforce.
In my lessons and overall practicum experience, I have promoted diversity by getting to know my students and maintaining constant communication with them. This may be as simple as greeting students in the hallway and asking about their weekend or creating a whole project relating to their backgrounds and interests. By learning about my own students, students feel a sense of trust and respect.
To learn more about how I have built a positive rapport with students and how I celebrate diversity within my classroom please go to:
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