My Research
This website is inspired by my own graduate inquiry project. Here is my story:
As a Master's student also getting my ESOL endorsement, I decided it would be a great idea to further explore an idea that has intrigued me for awhile: building community in the classroom. I chose to implement this project in an ELL class to go along with my ESOL endorsement.
Who: A group of 14 second grade English Language Learners each varying in ELPA levels from beginning to advanced.
What: Getting to know my role as a teacher in creating a close-knit group of students who are comfortable making mistakes and feel like they're part of a united group. The questions I asked myself were these:
When: From March 2013 to June 2013
Where: An elementary school in a Portland Metro school district with a student population of about 600.
How: Over the course of three months, I observed, participated, and created lessons in this classroom of second graders. Here's how it happened:
The data sources I collected included:
As a Master's student also getting my ESOL endorsement, I decided it would be a great idea to further explore an idea that has intrigued me for awhile: building community in the classroom. I chose to implement this project in an ELL class to go along with my ESOL endorsement.
Who: A group of 14 second grade English Language Learners each varying in ELPA levels from beginning to advanced.
What: Getting to know my role as a teacher in creating a close-knit group of students who are comfortable making mistakes and feel like they're part of a united group. The questions I asked myself were these:
- As an ESOL teacher, what role do I play in creating a strong classroom community within my ESOL class?
- What can I do as their teacher to help make the classroom
a safe and respectful environment where students feel comfortable?
- What facets
of the classroom can I integrate into my teaching that help create a strong
connection between me, my students, and their parents?
When: From March 2013 to June 2013
Where: An elementary school in a Portland Metro school district with a student population of about 600.
How: Over the course of three months, I observed, participated, and created lessons in this classroom of second graders. Here's how it happened:
The data sources I collected included:
![Picture](/uploads/2/0/1/3/20131287/4770443.jpg)
Anecdotal notes: I was able to take quick anecdotal notes during the class to see, according to research, if we were part of a community. I tallied when students were working together, when I heard compliments, possible threatening comments that hurt someone’s feelings, the sides of the room I paid attention to, and when I could sense a stronger group effort being made.
![Picture](/uploads/2/0/1/3/20131287/1369333034.png)
Personal reflection: I reflected after almost every day of teaching these students on how I felt the day went, what could be improved, and most importantly, if I felt like we were building each other up instead of the opposite.
![Picture](/uploads/2/0/1/3/20131287/9235134.png?1369334100)
Recorded interviews with students: I got the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with each student and ask them specific questions about how they felt comfortable in their class: if they had friends, if they made any new friends in this class, what they would do for a new student, if they liked this class and why, if they were afraid to raise their hands to answer a question, etc. It was eye-opening to see their responses as they were brutally honest (as second graders tend to be).
![Picture](/uploads/2/0/1/3/20131287/1369333091.jpg)
Observational notes: During my time in the classroom, some of that time was simply spent observing the students and my cooperating teacher teach. Some things I took notes on included: statements she made and activities she did with the students that encouraged community, what students said to each other, the arrangement of desks, etc.
![Picture](/uploads/2/0/1/3/20131287/9740667.png?1369334124)
Interviews with teachers: I had a total of about 10 questions that I interviewed current teachers about. The questions ranged in topic from seating arrangements to beginning of the year activities. Because I realized a lot of this community building must happen at the beginning of the year, I utilized what current teachers thought was important.
![Picture](/uploads/2/0/1/3/20131287/1369333310.jpg)
Cooperating teacher’s observation notes: My cooperating teacher observed me on numerous occasions in which she took note of a handful of things: attention paid to each side of the room, possible threats to creating a positive environment, specific statements I made, and specific activities we did. These notes made it possible for me to look at my teaching and how I could improve. Her notes allowed me to get a better sense of the teacher's role in creating community.
![Picture](/uploads/2/0/1/3/20131287/1369332241.jpg)
Art from students: We read the book Miss Nelson is Missing! wherein which a horrible class with a nice teacher is surprised when their sweet teacher is replaced with the mean Miss Viola Swamp who is the kids’ worst nightmare. Miss Nelson eventually comes back and the students are then like angels. The kids made a list of what they liked/didn’t like about Miss Viola Swamp’s class and also what they liked/didn’t like about my class. They also wrote about how they felt/would feel in each one. Then, they drew pictures of Miss Viola Swamp and me. Click here to see the activity!
Lesson plans: As a way to see if some activities worked better in creating a close group than others, I collected lesson plans. I was easily able to see what I tended to do more of and which ones weren’t necessarily great for building a community. Click here to see some of the activities that helped build our community.
My research findings lead me to believe that:
- The beginning of the year is when most of this community building best takes place.
- Teacher-student relationships are essential.
- Teacher-parent relationships are just as vital.
- The way teachers set up their classroom can inhibit and/or encourage community.
- There are a variety of community building activities that can be built into the daily curriculum and that will strengthen classroom community.