The Importance of Developing Classroom Community

Abstract

Secondary education students spend approximately 135 hours in one classroom per school year, sitting amongst the same twenty or thirty peers and staring at the same teacher. Whether they end up developing positively or negatively, the classroom’s culture is very quickly and easily formed: The daily routines, student attitudes during work, and the strategies used to implement a well-managed classroom form with or without effort from teachers and students. However, what is much more demanding to create, though ultimately more meaningful and positively impactful on learning is a positive classroom community. When educators embed discussion-based strategies and collaborative, discussion-based activities leading towards relevant, authentic assessments, stronger bonds form between the members of a classroom, ultimately resulting in increased engagement.