Developing Classroom Community Through Developing Relationships

• In Event: Teacher Research Into Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Science Teaching: Not Going Back to How Things Were Before

Abstract

In working in various schools, I have rarely had control over anything outside of my own classroom. My research question focuses on how to develop a productive and conversational science classroom to better serve my students, particularly those who felt unheard or unseen. Using surveys, conversations, and anecdotal stories, I look for common threads that I can apply in my classrooms. In doing so, I hope to get to know my students better and incorporate more of themselves, their experiences and their interests into the curriculum, a basic pillar of CRSE work (Lopez, 2017; Ladson-Billings, 1995). 

Using an initial survey developed by our larger professional learning group, I found that the best way to learn about students was to talk with them (Butler, 2018). Questions about what they are interested in, who they are, who they choose to be soon became important aspects of my classroom. In focusing on the student as a person first, I found that I had much better results in terms of overall student success. I found that some of these conversations would lead to more accountability and fostered a sense of responsibility for school work. I analyze these individual conversations and anecdotes to look for common threads that I can use in all of my classes. 

In all of my more successful classes, the common threads were casual conversations, honest conversation, responsibility and opportunity. Focusing on the student as a person through casual conversations and humanizing them as opposed to worrying about their grades can give students a chance to recognize unconditional support (Delpit & Dowdy, 2008). Demonstrating honesty, both in their progress and how they feel, humanizes the teacher and models the same behaviors that I expect from the students. Giving students the responsibility for their work and allowing them the chance to successfully fail allows students a sense of ownership for their work and, in the same vein, giving them various opportunities for success demonstrates a willingness to help but not just allow them to move onward without addressing concerns, both behavioral and academic.

With COVID-19, I intentionally shifted my focus even more toward the student as a person. Although there were much fewer anecdotes due to the more impersonal nature of Zoom conversations compared to in-person conversation, I found that the common threads that have worked for me in the past have largely still worked in the remote teaching environment. I will structure my presentation around the four threads, supported with examples from my classroom conversations with students and how they influenced students’ success.

Author

• Kin Tsoi, New York City Department of Education