Building a classroom community - engagement and motivation. Day One

Teachers spend time thinking about ways of creating strong community relationships in their classrooms - and use a range of strategies to keep their students as sharp as possible.

BUILDING MY NEW CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

So, I'm a new teacher, well, that is, I'm in a new school.................before the beginning of the academic year, I've spent almost every day, every hour, and, in my head, certainly every minute, setting up my new classroom. I have cleared wall space for future displays. I have ensured that all necessary resources are easily accessible. I have ensured I have MY resources available. In particular,

• I have arranged the seating so that kids sit in groups of four. (On the first day, they can chose where to sit).
• I have a table on which I placed an old treasure chest (purchased from my nearby Thrift Shop).
• I have an easy chair for me.
• In my pocket, I have an old OXO tin, one I have saved since my childhood..........

• and I have paper and a packet of filter papers handy...................

A few minutes before school starts, I go out in the school yard and come in with the kids. I greet my class individually at the classroom door, shaking hands and exchanging smiles with everyone.

I go to my chair and invite my class to come and join me.

I look around and smile as I tell them (using a soft voice)  about  a seaside walk I took with my mum and dad when I was five.

I tell my audience about my childhood Sunday afternoon walks to the seaside, searching for special pebbles Mum called wishing rocks.......

Finding one or more wishing rocks made me feel great.

As I talk, I take an old tin from my pocket. I tell my class that its a tin I had when I was very young. I hold it in the palm of my hand and, slowly, very slowly, open it.

I stare at its contents ( a pebble and a piece of amber) and then take out the smooth pebble that has a white line of quartz running through it.

"THIS is what I found," I tell my kids, "on my fifth birthday. It's a wishing rock." I pause and check to see that I have everyone's attention. I continue my story. "Finding a wishing rock that rests comfortably in the palm of your hand makes you feel good. You slowly wrap your fingers around it and squeeze really tight. When your fingers warm the pebble, you close your eyes and think about someone you want to send a special wish to. You make the wish.........then, slowly, you open your eyes, uncurl your fingers, knowing that somebody, somewhere, suddenly feels a warm shiver down the spine, just as that lucky person gets your wish!" 

I smile. I pause. I then tell my class that, when I was young, I always sent my very best wishes to my mum and my dad.

Then, I recall how I found the yellow amber, something even my mum and dad had never seen before. I took it to school and my teacher, Miss Harvey, she knew JUST what it was...............telling me that I had found something really wonderful and that I should save it, save it forever.

I have.
I pass it around so everyone could have a close look.

I then go through the childhood routine of sending a wish, saying out loud "I'm sending a wish to everyone in class - a wish that everyone will have the best of times working with and for each other."

I put my wishing rock and amber back in the tin and close the lid tight. I take out and read: EVERYONE NEEDS A ROCK..........................

And, thus,  I have just completed step one in building MY community of learners......

Cheesy? Mmmmmm..........it always worked for me.

Then, I explain to my students what will happen next.............

Reader, see next posting!!!!!!