Unit 2: Classroom community and students emotions
Classroom Community
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A classroom community consists of a space composed of students—who feel a sense of belonging—coming together with the common goal of learning. Feeling a sense of belonging is critical since students who don’t feel connected to their classroom community may not put in the effort to unify with their classmates.
CLRT
When building a classroom based on SEL it's important to begin within the context of culture and cultural identity. Utilizing culturally responsive is a way to reframe a school's approach to SEL.
When integrated into classroom instruction, culturally responsive strategies can have important benefits such as:
•Strengthening students’ sense of identity
•Promoting equity and inclusivity in the classroom
•Engaging students in the course material
•Supporting critical thinking
Understanding students emotions
Stress, anxiety, frustration, aggression, and feeling misunderstood. These are just a few strong emotions. Learn why people can have trouble managing strong emotions and tips for how to handle those feelings.
Kids have a hard time with emotions for different reasons. These include stress and mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Kids who experience trauma may also struggle.
(Take a look around your classroom, observe your students. See how they react to problems and changes. Go through this checklist and see if your students social and emotional needs are being met)
It’s often clear when kids have a hard time managing emotions. They cry or have tantrums or even get aggressive. But some signs are less obvious. For example, kids might:
• Be quick to get frustrated and give up
• Worry too much or too long over minor things
• Often feel hurt, misunderstood, or like a victim
• Have trouble letting go of things that are upsetting
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What does the research say?
"According to the Association for Children’s Mental Health (ACMH), one in five children and young adults has a diagnosable emotional, behavioral, or mental health disorder. One in ten young people has a mental health challenge that is severe enough to impact how they function. Also, 72 percent of children in the U.S. will have experienced at least one major stressful event by 18. What role—small or large—can learning communities play in ensuring students feel as though they matter? Creating a safe space that meets students’ needs is just one way to show support, whether students struggle with mental health or need a place to belong.
A supportive classroom community also increases student participation. If students feel confident and safe in their learning environment, they’ll be more open to sharing their thoughts on a topic or raising their hands to answer challenging questions.
Finally, a strong classroom community helps nurture student ownership and accountability. By fostering a sense of community, students will feel empowered to take a greater role in their learning."
http://www.acmh-mi.org/get-help/navigating/problems-at-school/
https://education.uiowa.edu/news/2020/03/mental-health-k-12-schools
https://www.hmhco.com/blog/doc-participation-in-the-classroom
Please use this space to discuss what you learned from this unit.
Some questions to consider:
"How will your students benefit from obtaining emotional intelligence?"
"What does it mean to have a culturally linguistically responsive classroom?"
"What are some signs that a student is having a hard time managing their emotions?"
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