Teaching Strategies

Teaching Strategy: Creating Classroom Community

In any well-balanced literacy instruction program, it is vital to foster a safe, supportive, positive learning environment. One way to encourage such a learning community is to ensure that students get to know one another and you. To help your students quickly become comfortable in your classroom, try the following introductory activity suggested by Patricia Rieman.

If you have access to your students' mailing addresses, you may mail them their assignment before the beginning of the school year. However, to avoid causing embarrassment to any student who has not pre-registered or for one reason or another did not receive the mailing, it is advisable to give the students their assignments on the first day of class. This activity is recommended for students in grades 2-8.

Randomly assign one of the activities described below to each student. The best way is to have each activity printed out on a slip of paper. After the assignments have been distributed, ask those students who have the "Brown Bag It" slips to raise their hands. Then read the assignment aloud for the class or have one of them read the assignment aloud. Repeat this procedure for each of the other four types of activities. Remind students that on the following school day they are to be prepared to show and explain their activity to a small group of their classmates.

When students enter your class the following day, seat them in such a way that they are in groups of no more than five, with each of the five activities represented in each group. First have the students share their activities in those groups of five, and then regroup the students by their activities into five groups. That is, the brown bags will be together, the maps will be together, etc.

<a onClick="window.open('/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=gif:: ::/sites/dl/free/0072360704/77224/Image1.gif','popWin', 'width=55,height=70,resizable,scrollbars');" href="#"><img valign="absmiddle" height="16" width="16" border="0" src="/olcweb/styles/shared/linkicons/image.gif"> (96.0K)</a> BROWN BAG IT! -- For our next class, bring ten items (Hint: is the item too big or too hard to find? Draw it or cut out a picture of it!) that best describe you. The catch is, all ten items have to fit into a small lunch bag. Be ready to take the items out one by one and explain how each one relates to you.

<a onClick="window.open('/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=gif:: ::/sites/dl/free/0072360704/77224/Image2.gif','popWin', 'width=70,height=85,resizable,scrollbars');" href="#"><img valign="absmiddle" height="16" width="16" border="0" src="/olcweb/styles/shared/linkicons/image.gif"> (43.0K)</a> MAP IT! -- For our next class, draw a map that describes your literacy journey; that is, what do you remember about learning to read and enjoying reading? What are the landmarks along the way? Where are you now? Be prepared to take us on a guided tour.

<a onClick="window.open('/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=gif:: ::/sites/dl/free/0072360704/77224/Image3.gif','popWin', 'width=76,height=80,resizable,scrollbars');" href="#"><img valign="absmiddle" height="16" width="16" border="0" src="/olcweb/styles/shared/linkicons/image.gif"> (22.0K)</a> TIME OUT! -- For our next class, bring a timeline that marks 10 of the most important events that have happened to you in your lifetime. The timeline may be hand-drawn or computer-generated, but make it legible. Be prepared to show and explain your timeline.

<a onClick="window.open('/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=gif:: ::/sites/dl/free/0072360704/77224/Image4.gif','popWin', 'width=62,height=59,resizable,scrollbars');" href="#"><img valign="absmiddle" height="16" width="16" border="0" src="/olcweb/styles/shared/linkicons/image.gif"> (46.0K)</a> STICK IT! -- For our next class, design a bumper sticker that best describes your philosophy about school and education. Your bumper sticker can be a phrase, sentence, single word, or a wordless picture. Be prepared to show and explain your bumper sticker.

<a onClick="window.open('/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=gif:: ::/sites/dl/free/0072360704/77224/Image5.gif','popWin', 'width=73,height=59,resizable,scrollbars');" href="#"><img valign="absmiddle" height="16" width="16" border="0" src="/olcweb/styles/shared/linkicons/image.gif"> (15.0K)</a> CUT AND PASTE! -- For our next class, create a collage that represents your most favorite place. Be prepared to show your collage and explain its pieces.