In the beginning of the school year, creating a sense of community is important. Within a community, citizens are responsible for certain jobs in order to make their community thrive. In a thriving community, all children feel secure and supported by their neighbors -- all members working for the common goal -- success.
With each year brings a new group dynamic and a new group of challenges because of varied interests, abilities, and cultural differences. Each child arrives in the classroom with experiences that enriches the whole group.
The one thing that brings us all together in our new environment is feeling a sense of responsibility and caring for the things around us. This concept is something I try to set from the beginning with classroom jobs.
With each year brings a new group dynamic and a new group of challenges because of varied interests, abilities, and cultural differences. Each child arrives in the classroom with experiences that enriches the whole group.
The one thing that brings us all together in our new environment is feeling a sense of responsibility and caring for the things around us. This concept is something I try to set from the beginning with classroom jobs.
The assignment of classroom jobs is one of the most common classroom strategies for getting students to work together, make them feel special and teach them important life skills.
In a classroom it is important for students to feel like they belong. In the article From Tourists to Citizens in the Classroom, by H. Jerome Freiberg, he writes that tourists pass through and environment without any commitment, involvement and definitely no sense of belonging. These words are just as true today as they were 10 years ago.
I want students to feel like they belong and that in turn makes them feel comfortable and free to express themselves in positive ways. Classroom jobs are a critical component of creating the classroom community where students working together, plan, participate. Students will then take pride in their classroom community. In addition, students have fun doing it.
