A Strong Sense of Community

The power of community is in the sense of shared purpose and support within a group of individuals with common experiences. A strong sense of community allows us to support and challenge one another both as people and as professionals as we pursue our common vision.

How do we develop a true sense of community in our school and in our classrooms? What strategies are most effective in helping our students see their role in the greater community? How can we promote a sense of belonging and purpose to our young people so that we are truly making a difference? Sometimes in times of crisis, we see the need for community and we feel the power that having a sense of community can bring. We can build that sense of community within our classrooms and our school in order to help our students be more compassionate as people and more focused as learners. Morning Meeting is a powerful tool in creating a sense of community. Using the power of the community circle to create a safe place where students have mutual respect for one another and have the ability to share who they really are is critical to teaching students to value and respect one another within the learning community. I regularly used community circle in my classroom – as a beginning to our day to set the tone of our work, as a problem-solving meeting if things were not going well, as a reflection on our learning and our work together, or as a fun way to engage with one another in our learning. There is great value in the circle within our learning communities. Here is another powerful article that stresses the importance of building community within the classroom through purposeful and explicit expectations and the development of a set of norms for how we will work and live together in our learning community. http://www.edutopia.org/envision-schools-learning-community-respect

Schools who develop a sense of community are able to withstand any challenge. That sense of belonging, safety, and support within a school learning community makes it a safe place for staff or students to be real people within the challenge of the work. There is power in knowing that we are here to support one another and to care for one another – and there is strength in our common vision and purpose that brings us together. Community supports us as we continue to push forward and continue to focus on the work we are engaged in. Community pushes us to have rigorous lessons, high expectations, and opportunities for students to think deeply about the work we are engaged in. Community reminds us that collaborative teams are different than collegial teams and pushes one another in our thinking and in our expectations for student work. Being a part of a community that shares in a common vision, a common belief, and a common commitment to the work is unique and does not happen without purposeful development and leadership. If you are fortunate enough to be a part of a community that shares a common vision and belief, values reflection and growth, and develops the best thinking and practice in its learners, then you are fortunate, indeed.