Kari Frauendorfer

EDU 603

Monthly Reflection

September 2, 2017

The resounding theme this month has been community. I have given a great deal of

thought to the word community since we met and community can have several different

meanings. To me community means having a special connection and having similar interests.

Community involves connections that are unique and genuine. The first Community of Learning

meeting really had me thinking about what the word community means as I feel it can have

different meanings depending on the situation. Following our meeting, I was able to make

several connections between our class meeting, my classroom, as well as the readings that we did

in class. I was able to think deeper about what the word community means to me and how I

currently apply this concept in my classroom as well as additional things that I can implement in

my classroom to build and maintain a strong sense of community.

I made several connections this past week between what we did in class and what we did

in my classroom. First of all, I thought it was great that we sat in somewhat of a circle during our

class meeting. There is no table to pose an obstruction or distraction and it creates an openness

that is important when building a community. It is almost as if you take those barriers away in

order to get to know everyone on a deeper level. I think at first it can be uncomfortable, but the

end result is definitely rewarding. During our class meeting we needed to go around and

introduce ourselves. Similarly, in my classroom we do this as well where we sit on the carpet and

share things with each other. This year I am implementing classroom meetings with my

kindergarteners, which I think is definitely similar to what we do during our Community of

Learning meetings. This gives my students an opportunity to talk as well as giving them a chance

to feel listened too and important. It makes them feel as though their opinion matters and their

voices are heard. As a result, relationships are built and a strong foundation for a community is

set. For example, we discuss rules and procedures quite often during our carpet time, especially

at the beginning of the year. However, it is not just myself regurgitating a list of rules to my

students. Instead, we discuss these rules and we discuss why we have them and why they are

important. I also get feedback and opinions from my students. This is one way to build a strong

community within my classroom because it gives my students a sense of ownership as well as a

sense of belonging in the classroom. Instead of having someone dictate the rules to my students,

they are very much apart of making them.

Furthermore, something similar that we did in class that I also implement in my

classroom is breaking up into groups and having discussions. I believe it is important to allow

students to converse and interact with one another as that also builds a bond, therefore creating a

much stronger community. We also participated in a team-building activity during our meeting

and this is something that I have pondered implementing with my students, as this would build

trust and confidence within our classroom community. This is definitely something I am going to

try, although I need to find something that will fit the needs of my kindergarteners.

During our meeting, we read a chapter from the book, The Different Drum. I found this

chapter intriguing because it really made me think about the word community. I was able to

make connections between this particular reading and the happenings in my classroom thus far

this year. M. Scott Peck (1987) discusses how community is often created in times of crisis such

as times of natural disasters. He implies that many times it takes a disaster for people to come

together and form a community (Peck, 1987). One statement that truly resonated with me while
reading this chapter was when Peck stated, if we recognized that crisis is an everyday event

in our lives, it would make community a matter of routine (Peck, 1987, p. 79). I found myself

delving deeper into this comment and really trying to think about what it means. If in my

classroom I can go in with the notion that we are always in crisis then we will always have a

strong and active community rather than waiting until a crisis occurs. I can relate this to how I

implement my rules and procedures in my classroom and how I am doing it different this year

than I did during the previous two years. I have decided this year that we will have class

meetings on a regular basis as a way to build community within the classroom. Therefore, I will

not wait to have a class meeting when there is a crisis. I will always make it a point to have

discussions with my students on a daily basis. Peck points it out beautifully when he stated,

the healthy life consists of meeting and resolving crises as early as possible so that we can get

on to the next one (1987, p. 80). This statement demonstrates perfectly why I want to have

regular class meetings with my students, as it will help solve smaller problems before they turn

into bigger problems. I did not conduct regular class meetings with my students during my first

two years of teaching and looking back I realize that was a mistake. Of course we discussed the

rules, however I cannot say with all honesty that it was a classroom discussion about the rules.

Instead, I feel as though I was just dictating the rules to them. It would have been more effective

to have open and honest conversations where every member of the classroom is a contributor. I

am quite curious and excited to see how this simple change will make this year different from the

prior two years.

My classroom seems to have a bit of a different dynamic this year. It seems as though it

is taking a bit longer for my students to really get in a good routine. I have a chattier class this

year and it is just different from my previous years and I am having difficulty pinpointing exactly
what it is. Therefore, I am really anxious to try different team-building activities as well as

different ways to build a strong and solid community. I find myself wondering if this help my

students get into a good routine as well as maintain that good routine throughout the year.

During our class meeting for Community of Learning, I really enjoyed how we were not

simply sitting at a table all day listening to someone talk. In my opinion, it is impossible to build

a community with only one-sided conversation. Individuals must have the opportunity to interact

with one another and share ideas, concerns, and personal stories. This is how a genuine

community is built and this is exactly what I experienced during our first class meeting. This, in

turn, got me thinking about how I can implement something similar in my classroom. This also

made me reflect on how I teach my students. Oftentimes I find myself at the front of the room

teaching my students. I am talking and they are listening. To make this more meaningful for my

students however, I need to incorporate more activities and provide more opportunities for my

students to interact with one another. While I do implement the think-pair-share technique in my

classroom, I truly believe that I can take it up another level. This is something that I am going to

try within the next couple of weeks. I intend to provide opportunities for my students to get out

of their seats and interact with their peers. I may even incorporate some sort of flexible seating

for our discussions. As I stated earlier, I do have a chattier class this year. Instead of

discouraging that chatter, perhaps I need to enhance it. Rather than trying to change my students

behavior, perhaps I need to find new ways of teaching that suits their learning best. It is possible

that by discussing things with one another, we may find a solution.

In conclusion, I made several connections this week between what we discussed and the

activities we completed in class, the readings, as well as things that happened within my

classroom. The things that I have learned during this short time have been invaluable to not only
how I will teach my students but also to my students as well. I am looking forward to learning

what else I can implement in my classroom to make my students as successful as they can be.
 References

Peck, M. S. (1987). The different drum: community-making and peace. London: Arrow. 79-80.