Community in the Classroom

Another successful start to a school year is in the books!  This year, I had a brand new group of students (minus one) after wishing last year's group the best of luck as they headed to high school.  I fretted a large part of the summer, worried about the incoming group of students.  Their needs and skill levels were so different,  I was a bit overwhelmed.  Okay.  I lied.  I was a LOT overwhelmed!  I decided to start from square one: building community in the classroom, and it was the best decision I've made so far this year!

We started very general, talking about who is in our family, school, and town communities.  I love books, which is no secret, so of course, we incorporated a book in to this activity, On The Town - A Community Adventure by Judith Caseley.  We created our own community using free printable from Lakeshore and labeled the people who hold the community jobs to work on functional vocabulary.  

Next, we read the book The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig.  (I also used Screencast-o-matic to record myself reading the book and sent it to parents at the end of the week along with activities to reinforce their learning at home. If you haven't checked out this cool way to make screen recordings, check it out here. ) The students made a "Who Am I" flip book, giving information about themselves so other students could guess who they were.  We also explored skills and talents they have and how they have a positive impact in the community.  I can't wait to share this with parents at conferences!

Next, we read the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes.  We used Screencast-o-matic again so that the read aloud and activities could be sent home to parents.  The students learned about what makes a "sweet" friend and what makes a "sour" friends.  They used a graphic organizer to help learn more about "sweet" friends.  

We continued our learning with a community bingo game.  The students LOVED this activity as they showed good citizenship while coloring in squares to make a bingo!  I also sent an email out to the staff asking if there was help needed around the building so that the students could learn more about being a part of the community.  The students now have several tasks they do around the building on a weekly basis.  Not only do they take pride in doing these tasks, but they area able to interact with more staff, and other students appreciate it, too!

Building our classroom community has already made a difference in our classroom.  I have a few ideas up my sleeve for continuing to build our community throughout the year!  If you'd like to check out some of the activities listed above, you can check them out here.