On the first day . . .
I will implement a getting-to-know-you activity with the students. As they first come in, directions will be made clear: find your three favorite color crayons from the big crayon bin and sit down at your desk. We will be creating "All About Me" pages to share with our classmates on our first day. On each desk, there will be a piece of paper with prompts such as "My name is ________." As everyone gets settled into the classroom, students will work on their papers and then once everyone is present, we will work on them together. Later in the day, after introductions and housekeeping, we will swap pages and read each others, asking questions. This activity will set a positive tone for the year because students will get to know each other and begin to form relationships.
During the school year . . .
I will build community in my classroom by having students engage in writing letters to each other, fund raising for the school, and producing a class play for community members. By doing these activities, different kinds of bonds will be strengthened. Practicing writing letters allows students to express their thoughts and interests to each other, fund raising helps to build stronger connections between our classroom and the school as a whole, and preforming a play brings us closer to our town. Throughout the year, our class will create community at a class level, a school level, and a town level.
By the end of the year . . .
My goal is that my students are a group who are ready to take on first grade together. I will know that I succeeded by observing the way they interact with each other. If students regularly support each other and their actions are kind, I believe that a solid community has been built. Additionally, I will have students take an end-of-the-year survey to obtain quantitative results about students' comfort level in my classroom. I will use these surveys to improve the learning environment each year!