Building community is a deliberate process that a teacher or leader facilitates over a period of time. It begins by creating inclusion for every person within the intended learning community... (Gibbs, 2001, pg.88)

Abstract

This research project explores ways to encourage a community of inclusion in a primary/junior classroom. The author believes that students who feel secure in their environment are more receptive to learning. Specific strategies were tried and modified to create a democratic society within the classroom. Stated in this paper are the strategies implemented and actions that resulted during the time between September 2002-June 2003.

Background/Context

In the year 2001-2002, I was hired to teach a combined Grades 3 and 4 class. The task of teaching two grade levels from two different divisions (primary and junior) while preparing the Grade 3 group for the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) provincial testing was immense. I began in September to deliver an enormous amount of curriculum. In personal frustration, I reflected on my practise. I was being driven by the curriculum and unintentionally neglecting the people in the classroom. I began to believe that my approach to delivering the curriculum created a wall between myself and my students (especially those with poor behaviour, those who were shy and those who were academically challenged). There were several behaviour students in the class whose actions created a barrier between myself and them. Students with low self-esteem, the shy and the academically-challenged students also created barriers between the teacher and their peers. Students needed to interact positively with each other and I needed to find a way to effectively interact with the students so that I could teach them. I realized that forming relationships was important to the receptiveness and imparting of knowledge to individuals. Reflecting on the interaction within the classroom caused me to think of its interdependence. From these thoughts came the question of study: How can I encourage a culture of community that improves the students' learning environment?

Imagining a Way Forward

In August, I went to a course presented by Stan Shapiro entitled: Classrooms that Work: A Teacher's Guide to Discipline Without Stress. This was where I had first heard of developing a democratic society within the classroom. Although I was sceptical, I decided that I would deliberately set to task and that I would be committed to applying the techniques. I began to plan out the class meetings where whole class discussions and problem-solving would take place. I planned some other class management strategies to curtail unwanted behaviour. I chose to combine a behaviour modification method found on the back of a Stoplight Chartlet published by Carson-Dellosa Publishing (CD-6112) with Lion's Quest problem solving method: "Stop". I even prepared a ticket program to reward good behaviour with prizes. The following are a list of the strategies I used to develop a democratic society within my classroom:

Strategies Used

• Classroom Management Strategies
• Class Meeting
• Sociometry and Setting up Committees
• Community Circle
• Strategy # 1

Classroom Management Strategies

Before the first day of school for the year 2002-2003, I decided to be deliberate with everything. I planned to encourage positive interaction between myself and my students and between students. I was committed to acting out my plan, reflecting on the results and adjusting my practise accordingly to promote a positive community atmosphere.

I chose my curriculum carefully to begin the first term. I was determined to change what I perceived to be negative from last year in first term. I wanted students to feel able to accomplish the curriculum successfully right from the first day without feeling defeated. I chose more kinesthetic and arts-related activities (drama, dance, music) to reinforce lessons and make the curriculum fun and interesting. Purposeful transitions between activities were planned too. These activities were brief. They gave students an opportunity to release some energy, have fun and redirect their thinking to the next activity. These activities included singing, watching a video, playing a game and brain gym activities. I knew that integrating the curriculum would encourage reinforcement of lesson content. I used the social studies and science topics, common between the Grades 3 and 4, as the core to integrate the other subjects accordingly.

Timetabling was a consideration as well. I choose to keep Fridays stressless in activity. I avoided evaluating on Fridays since the frame of mind of some students was often on the weekend and not on the task at hand. I usually saved art, music, drama and handwriting, all activity-based curriculum, for Friday. I decided to alternate days: one day I would emphasize writing, reading and some math and the other day the sciences and math. The longer stretches of time made conferencing, activity-based and cooperative learning activities more effective.

Rapport on a personal level was important to establish. I tried to be transparent and real by telling stories about my children and my life. My children, my husband, even my mother has been in and has interacted with the class on some level. I positively greeted each child each morning at their first entry into the classroom. If I could find something positive to I say, I did. I encouraged students when they did something really well.

Peer tutoring was a good way to encourage leadership, pride, responsibility and empathy for others. I often had worksheet corrections completed while supervised by "experts" in the class. The "experts" were those whose work was 100 percent correct. They were responsible for a group of students ranging from 2 to 4 people. They were responsible for making sure all of the corrections were done and that each student understood where they made their mistake. "Experts" were not to just give the answers. Sometimes I allowed "experts" who completed work ahead of the rest to mark and help their peers complete the same assignment.

The first day of school leaves a lasting impression and I wanted to lay the framework for my project and basic routines. The first day I introduced STOP and the Class Meeting. The first week was dedicated to ensuring these routines were understood and the boundaries laid for acceptable behaviour.

I blended the problem-solving model from the Lion's Quest program with the Stoplight Chartlet: Carson-Dellosa Publishing (CD-6112) behaviour modification. The acronym STOP stands for Stop, Think, Options, Plan. I purchased a Stoplight chart and attached the acronym for STOP on the chart. Students' names were put a clothespin. The clothespins were put on the bottom of the chart. If a child was disruptive during a class lesson or off-task during an activity, I would begin a series of warnings that were made visible on the STOP chart. On the first warning, the student's clothespin would be moved from the bottom of the chart to the Green Light. The second warning moved them to the Amber light and on the third warning the clothespin was put on the Red light and the child was expected to fill out the STOP problem-solving sheet that I developed to work through the acronym. As the year progressed, the students and I tired of using this technique and I found it time consuming and tedious. The class meeting was a more effective tool to solve behaviour.

The class meeting was a huge commitment because it took an hour each day in the beginning to set the process up. The first day, the goal of the meeting was to set class rules. For the next several meetings, the class refined the class rules and the job chart. The class meetings took place every day the first week. The second week, the class meeting was Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The third week I had the meeting Tuesday and Friday. For the remainder, a meeting took place every Friday afternoon. It usually took place at 2:30 for a half hour. More details regarding the class meeting follows.

Strategy #2

The Class Meeting

I used the class meeting model found in the Shapiro/Skinulis book : Classrooms that Work: A Teacher's Guide to Discipline Without Stress.

The meeting always followed the same order. We discussed:

1. what went well this week

2. what is going to happen in the near future

3. how the classroom jobs were working out then chose new helpers and created new jobs if needed

what needs to be improved.

In the beginning, the most important step of the class meeting was the generating and revising of class rules and consequences. Secondly was establishing classroom jobs. I found that it was important to accept rules, consequences, and jobs that the class thought were important even if I thought they were odd. If their ideas were inappropriate the students understood that the teacher had the right to veto the idea.

In the middle of second term I created a new job—secretary. The secretary would write down the minutes of the meeting. Before this, I wrote the information on chart paper and displayed it each class meeting.

At the end of second term I created another job—chairperson of the meeting. This job replaced my position of control. This person was responsible for managing the meeting.

In third term, as individual table groups began to have issues, I found it necessary to have "table" meetings. These could be held at recess. This freed up the class meeting to discuss pertinent issues important to the whole group.

I realized late in third term, that a more effective time to hold the class meeting was Friday morning when the students were more focused and productive.

The most challenging part of implementing this strategy was giving up control and trusting that the students could discuss the issues and suggest appropriate rules and consequences.

Strategy #3

Sociometry

Sociometry was a strategy that I implemented in October after classroom meetings had been established.

"In order to have a cooperative, well-disciplined class you need certain ingredients. Perhaps most important is that each member of the class feel they belong to the group. They should feel accepted by the other students, confident about their own capacity fo getting along with others, and able to develop their social interest. When any of these factors are not present, you're not going to have a harmonious classroom. Knowing how your student feels about each other gives you a special insight into how to prevent potential problems . Fortunately, there is a unique and eminently useful tool for understanding the group dynamics of these complex relationships ....sociometry" (Shapiro and Skinulis, 2000 pg.191).

Sociometry can be defined as:

"the science of understanding group dynamics, and more specifically, how individual students view each other; the likes and dislikes, animosities, friendships, and even ambivalence that exist in every class. ...a systematic way of identifying the interaction patterns of students in the classroom...At the root of sociometry is the fact that the classroom atmosphere is influenced by the social relationships of the students...The tool of sociometry allows the teacher to understand the structure of these social relationships and therefore change and influence them in a way that can bring greater harmony to the classroom atmosphere...The sociometric test is designed to help the teacher learn how individual students are perceived by their peers."(Shapiro and Skinulis, 2000 pg.192)

I was first introduced to the concept of sociometry on Aug.22, 2002 at the teacher workshop presented by Stan Shapiro. I found this part of the research the most fascinating. It gave me insight into the dynamics of the room. I soon realized that my perspective was flawed in respect to my viewpoint of who were considered by peers to be average and who were considered to be popular. I was surprised to discover which students were considered unpopular.

At the beginning of each month I handed a sociometric questionnaire to students to fill out. Each student was asked to order the three people that they would prefer to sit with and list one student that they preferred not to sit with. Afterwards, I gathered the sheets and tallied the results on a chart. The chart revealed to me who were considered ‘popular' and who were considered unpopular. I adjusted the seating plan to try to create a favourable place to sit those students who were considered unpopular. I hoped to improve their social relationships within the class.

Strategy #4

Community Circle

In February I began to have my class meet daily in a community circle. This routine was an idea I had read in the Tribes TLC: A New Way of Learning and Being Together by Jeanne Gibbs. I became convinced that this was an important routine to establish for the reasons stated,

"this community circle [is] so important each morning , each day... to help these students make a transition from whatever has gone on in their lives outside of school to the classroom, ....to have them feel included in the classroom community before working on tasks, ....to involve them in creating and sustaining a positive learning environment." (Gibbs, 2001, pg.88)

A variety of activities occurred during this time. I used this time to review the activities of the day. Simultaneously, I had a student collecting agendas to be checked and a student keeping track of students who completed their homework. During this time, I sometimes introduced a new Tribe Strategy or Energizer. Strategies are cooperative activities used "to achieve learning objectives......and are formats for subject content."(Gibbs, 2001, pg. 209) Energizers are a "quick, five minute physical activity to revitalize the group" (Gibbs, 2001, pg. 210). These activities included some suggested questions for reflection I found these questions a great way to engage students in journal writing so I handed out new notebooks and called them community journals. In this notebook, students reflected on Community Circle activities using the suggested questions. They also used it to set goals, devise strategies to achieve their goals and assess how well they achieved their goal. Students sometimes shared their entries with the class. Periodically, I collected the books and responded to a particular entry. Sometimes these meetings became continuations of subject matter not covered in the Friday class meetings. A student sometimes suggested that a particular issue needed to be addressed. Two good examples of this was when students wanted to discuss "rumours" that were travelling through the class and how "bragging" was hurting some feelings of other members in the class. Show and Tell was another activity that occurred during this time. It provided a valuable time for children to show something they valued and considered special. Other students learned new things about the presenter, discovered common interests and gained respect and tolerance for new things.

How did I gather data to show that the strategies were having an impact?

This research was strongly-based on giving the students a forum to voice their opinions and take ownership of their environment through the sociometry, class meetings and performing jobs. It was hoped that by allowing students to interact positively in their academic environment, that barriers that would hinder them from learning would be removed. I believed the best way to gather data was to be true to the research and allow students to speak through class discussion and survey their opinions on the effectiveness of the class meetings, class leadership and classroom activities. Parents and the fellow colleagues were surveyed about their perceived sense of inclusion, and the attitude and self-esteem of children in the Grade 3/4 classroom environment with Mrs. Aldred. Secretary notes taken during class meetings also gave insight into the success of problem solving. Viewing the monthly sociometry charts gave evidence of how strategic seating arrangements encouraged positive peer relationships. My personal journal entries gave a history of my reflecting, brainstorming, problem solving, and my resulting conclusions.

Analyzing my Data/What Did I Find?

Student Voice on Seating

The students' voice expressed through the survey and taped class discussion revealed some successes. (See Appendix B for survey questions.)

During the taped meeting I asked "How many people liked the idea of knowing that once a month you knew Mrs. Aldred was going to change the seating plan and try to put you with those people who you would like? How many people liked that idea?" Out of 24 surveyed, 19 raised their hands in positive response.

Here are some other positive student comments taken from the survey and the taped discussion regarding the sociometry and the seating plan:

"What I like most about the sociometry is you can pick whoever you want to sit beside and who you don't want to sit beside and if you don't want to sit beside somebody because they talk a lot you don't have to let them know." (Christine, Student Survey, May 15, 2003)

I think the sociometry is cool because I do not have to sit beside the same students all year." (Jessica, Student Survey, May 15, 2003)

"I like when I get to write my friend's name on the paper and I get to sit beside them."(Shayna, Student Survey, May 15, 2003)

"Can you tell the teacher next year to do that?" [referring to sociometry for monthly seating plan] (Tyler, Audiotape, May 23, 2003)

A couple of students replied negatively saying that they barely ever got to sit beside someone they wanted. The few students that said this were students that did not choose to follow classroom rules and were disruptive. Their choice of seating did not improve their behaviour. I often gave them a chance to prove themselves each month and then removed them when their behaviour warranted it.

 I also asked in the class discussion:

Do you think that choosing to sit with the people who you have chosen helps you in the classroom? Does it help you to learn better? Because you got to choose do you think that it affects the way you learn? These are some of the class responses:

"Yeah because sometimes when something is hard, I ask Morgan if something is hard for Morgan he helps me..we help each other" (Renyck, Audiotape, May 23, 2003)

" I like it when sit beside people I choose they're always smart and if there are really tough questions I can ask them for help and um.. when we work in partners we always get it done...we always have the smart people so we can always get it done in our groups." (Devon, Audiotape, May 23, 2003)

I was curious, after seating students in rows to accommodate the EQAO testing whether students preferred to sit in rows or committees.

"I liked it better in groups because you could just ask them [for help] but if it is in a row you have to get up" (Trevor, Audiotape, May 23, 2003)

Student Voice on Class Meeting

When recording, I asked the class about class meeting. I surveyed, "How many people thought that having the class meeting as a point where we can just talk about things and get them fixed was a good idea?" All students showed a positive response with a show of raised hands.

The survey revealed the following:

"My favourite part of the class meeting is when we solve the problems because it actually helps." (Sarah, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"I like class meetings because we can talk through all the problems we have as a class without interrupting class time." (Christine, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"Yes because you get to say what's bothering you in the class." (Caleb, Survey, May 15, 2003)

One student responded that they didn't like the class meeting because he was the main topic of some meetings and it did not make him feel very good. He also said it made him stop the behaviour that was discussed in these meetings.

Realizing that class meetings were encouraging students to voice their opinions freely, I asked on tape, "Do you think that it is important that students are allowed to voice their opinion in class?"

"I think it is important because you get to see what people think and why they think that and see if you can do anything about it."(Christine, Audiotape, May 23, 2003)

"Yes because other people get to hear your opinion and then if you want to make your opinion you can" (Hailey, Audiotape, May 23, 2003)

In class discussion, I also asked, "How many people feel that when you talk to me that I listen and I try to solve the problem ?" 20 out of 21 were satisfied. 17 out of 21 surveyed stated that volunteering to perform classroom jobs was their favourite part of the class meeting and here are some of the explanations:

"I like the class meeting because we get all kinds of jobs like door, sweep, chairs and blackboards. My favourite part of the class meeting is being the secretary or the chairperson and pick people for jobs." (Devon, survey, May 15)

"When we get jobs. It makes me feel good because I have something to do."(Jordan, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"You can help the teacher instead of the teacher doing every single one of those jobs." (Ian, Survey, May 15, 2003)

What were some of the things that you liked the best about being in this class this year?

" I liked the games, and I liked you and I liked to do the work because it was fun work like you get to do stuff and make stuff." (Mitchell, Audiotape, May 23, 2003)

"I like it because if we have a problem the teacher actually deals with it ." (Trevor, Audiotape, May 23, 2003)

Student Voice on the Community Circle from the written survey:

Most students responded favourably to the community circle time.

"I kind of like meeting at the community circle. Just because you get to know what we're going to be doing for the day." (Victoria, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"I like sitting in the community because we don't have to go to our desks right away." (Shayna, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"I like the community circle because when there is a long weekend we get to know what people did on the weekend." (Tyler, Survey, May 15, 2003)

Show and Tell was an intricate part of the Community Circle time each day. It allowed students to share information and special items with the class. Here is what the written responses had to say to whether they liked Show and Tell:

"I am looking forward to bringing in something." (Jordan, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"Yes it is because you can show people something that you think it cool and then they might get interested and get one." (Caleb, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"Yes because people get to learn about other people and they can hear and learn about the person and then they know what that person is like." (A Student, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"Yes, it is because you have free time to show objects without getting in trouble." (Tyler, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"Yes, because you can bring in things you want everyone to see." (Sarah, Survey, May 15, 2003)

Student Voice on Peer Experts and Demonstrators

13 out of 21 surveys responded positively to having class experts. .

"I have not done this yet [peer tutored], but I would like to do this."(Jordan, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"Yes, because our classmates can learn from other classmates." (A Student, Survey, May 15, 2003)

" Yes, I do like that. I like it because you get to teach our people that is why I like it." (Coleigh, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"Yes, because it gives us a chance to see what a teacher has to do" (Mitchell, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"Yes, I do because we can see what other people did and get good ideas." (Christine, Survey, May 15, 2003)

"Yes, because when I get to be the teacher it's fun." (A Student, Survey, May 15, 2003)

Parent/Colleague Surveys

Inclusion

As the following comments show, colleagues unanimously agreed that students felt included in the classroom and parents agreed that their child felt included in the classroom setting.

"Each child is included in such things as class meeting, chores and other responsibilities." (Educational Assistant survey response, May 15, 2003.)

"The students are grouped and work cooperatively in these small groups."(French teacher survey response, May 15, 2003.)

"Yes, he enjoys going to school everyday, he has never expressed feelings of being left out."(Parent survey response, May 15, 2003.)

Environment/attitude and self-esteem

"I think the classroom environment has had a positive effect on the students' attitude and self-esteem because it gives them an opportunity to be an active member and are assured that their ideas are heard and respected." (Educational Assistant, Survey, May 15, 2003.)

"The environment is structured with the desks in groups but less structured than rows. The carpeted open area where small groups or the whole class comes together is very relaxed. This overall atmosphere encourages students to feel free to express themselves even if only in the small group situation; which caters to better self-esteem." (French Teacher, Survey, May 15, 2003.)

Other positive responses were received from parents:

"Coleigh really enjoys fun days and has more self-esteem to "dress-up", participate and have fun. Attitude-enjoys Mrs. Aldred's class." (Mrs. Cunningham, Survey, May 15, 2003.)

"He appears to be more confident in himself-the way he expresses himself-he's not afraid to have an opinion." (Mrs. MacDonald, Survey, May 15, 2003.)

"Continued to grow in self confidence and self-esteem." (Mrs. Street, Survey, May 15, 2003.)

"Sarah has increased her communication with me at home with regards to what goes on at school." (Mrs. Hyett, Survey, May 15, 2003.)

"Shayna thrives at school and in your classroom no less." (Mrs. Pickering, Survey, May 15, 2003.)

Positive Outlook towards coming to school

"I feel they do, they participate and appear to enjoy the opportunity to share their show and tell as well as their concerns." (Educational Assistant, Survey, May 15, 2003.)

"The students (majority) seem very enthusiastic and eager to come to school. Even the study of grammar seems to be a joy for them." (French Teacher, Survey, May 15, 2003.)

All parents who responded to the survey agreed that their child looks favourably on coming to school.

"Very much so! Shayna enjoys her friends and she really likes Mrs. Aldred. I think that is what makes a child really want to go the school. After that, the learning comes together." (Mrs. Pickering, Survey, May 15, 2003.)

" I just wanted to say thank you for the tremendous job you did this year...she [Mrs. Aldred] approached her class with such professionalism and a keen interest in seeing each child grow and learn. Thank you for teaching Caleb so many awesome things. He has been so excited to learn! And thanks also for being concerned with his social world, and helping him make some friends." ( a parent, card, June 28, 2003.)

Class Meeting Secretarial Notes

Most often, issues that were in discussed in the area of "Needs to Be Improved" would be brought up as "What went well" the following week. That demonstrates that strategies determined by the class to solve the issue were effective.

Sociometric Charts

Based on data gathered from the class each month, I would strategically plan the seating so that students who were deemed less popular would have an opportunity to try to connect positively with a different sector of the class. I had some success with this. In October, 13 out of 24 students were considered to be unpopular with their peers. As of May, only 9 were in that category. Three of the original 13 unpopular students had achieved three or more months in a row where they were now considered part of the peer group.

Personal Journal

After spending only a few weeks with my new class I stated on September 23, 2002, "I find this routine more relaxing." This sums up my feelings. The rapport developed this past year has been one of openness and honesty. This truly reflects the kind of person I desire to be. I believe I am more effective as a teacher in a respectful and co-operative environment.

In April, I realized that three of the students' behaviours could not be solved solely using the class meeting. I had attended three workshops presented by Jane Goldspink titled Understanding and Implementing Discipline With Dignity . The workshops were based on the work of Curwin and Mendler. With cooperation from the principal and staff, I applied the insubordination clause from the Discipline with Dignity program. Curwen and Mendler believed, "If the student doesn't accept the established consequences, they can no longer be a part of the classroom process"(Workshop notes, April 2003). This was accomplished by requesting an Educational Assistant to escort the child and his assignments to another class. When the child had completed the task and showed a willingness to be more compliant, the child was welcomed back to the class. Each time this technique was applied, the student returned to the class with a quieter, more respectful demeanor. Unfortunately, this good behaviour was brief. The behaviour did not conform to the social norm in the class and because of that, the individual was isolated from the rest of the class. The scores on the sociometry proved that their peers did not appreciate their behaviour because the class responses indicated that they did not desire to include these students in their desk groupings. With each of these students, I set aside time to discuss their failure to comply, reassured them that I cared about them but reinforced boundaries for appropriate behaviour.

Did it work? I envisioned a Utopia that will never exist. Do I believe I made progress? Yes! I have learned that I don't have to dictate the environment to have a sense of control. I frame the structure but I remain flexible in order to include student input. I have learned that under proper supervision and direction, I can trust 8 and 9 year old children to perform important jobs in the classroom. Of course, the room would run much better without certain personalities but the classroom is a reflection of society. It's real. It's a learning ground for how to interact positively with all personalities. Throughout the year I endeavoured to teach the students to respond appropriately to others - to weigh the words, actions and opinions of others with their character and accept or reject their opinion based on the validity of their character.

Next Step

Throughout the past year the process was being fine tuned and I look forward to starting my program with a solidified program in the area of social development. I learned that arranging the class' seating in groups did not meet the needs of every student. In one of the class meetings, some students expressed a desire to sit alone. Next school year I will include this on the sociometry questionnaire in order to accommodate those requests to ensure the most suitable learning environment was included. I will continue to develop a collaborative, connected environment where students in the room feel empowered to take risks.

I want to continue establishing the social environment but maximize the individuals' academic achievements. I believe that feeling comfortable and accepted is extremely important to a person's achievement but achieving academic success also depends on the teacher using the right lessons and activities to meet the individual learning styles. I will concentrate on integrating learning styles, thinking skills and authentic instruction. Another strategy I intend to use this school year is academic portfolios and student-led conferencing to motivate the learner, to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning and encourage students to take pride in their achievements.

References

Curwin, & Mendler, (1988). Discipline with Dignity. Alexandra, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Gibbs, J., (2001). Tribes: A New Way of Learning and Being Together, Windsor: Center Source Systems, LLC.

Lions-Quest: Skills for Growing,(1990)., United States of America: Quest International

Shapiro, S., & Skinulis, K. (2000). Classrooms that Work: A Teacher's Guide to Discipline without Stress, Toronto: Practical Parenting Inc.

Stoplight Chartlet: Carson-Dellosa Publishing (CD-6112)

Appendix A

May 9, 2003

Dear Parent,

My action research project is coming to an end. Although the year is not over, I am asking you to reflect on your child's year and to write some helpful, honest feedback in regards to how you have perceived your child's year in my classroom. Your input is important to my Action Research.

Action research is a value-based inquiry of one's practise. It involves implementing strategies, reflecting on their effectiveness and adjusting one's practise accordingly. Teachers perform action research in order to improve their personal practise and effectiveness in the classroom. To begin a project, the researcher must have a question to explore. I developed the following question, "How can I encourage a culture of community that improves the students' learning environment?"

This year I have deliberately planned your child's year to create a positive community in the classroom. It is my belief that if the child feels included and safe in the classroom, that the child is more likely to take risks and the academic achievement will improve.

"Building community is a deliberate process that a teacher or leader facilitates over a period of time. It begins by creating inclusion for every person within the intended learning community..." (Gibbs, pg.88)

When conducting this project, I implemented some strategies. Each month I employ a strategy called Sociometry. Sociometry is "the science of understanding group dynamics, and more specifically, how individual students view each other; the likes and dislikes, animosities, friendships, and even ambivalence that exist in every class. ...a systematic way of identifying the interaction patterns of students in the classroom." (Shapiro pg.192) I used this survey to create a suitable seating plan that encouraged friendships and on task work. Most often, all students sit in groups of four or more. I also schedule weekly class meetings that encouraged celebration of the past week, planning for the following days, job sharing and problem solving. Each morning, starting in February, the class met in a circle. This was a time to " .. to help these students make a transition from whatever has gone on in their lives outside of school to the classroom, to have them feel included in the classroom community before working of tasks, involve them in creating and sustaining a positive learning environment" (Gibbs, pg.88). During this time we discuss the agenda, have show and tell and problem solve school and playground issues when necessary . Students independently perform jobs required in the class. I incorporate peer coaching. At appropriate times I encourage students to demonstrate strategies for problem solving, etc. I have included more active components to the lessons to maintain students' interest and reinforce concepts.

Please take a few moments to jot some thoughts down . Your contribution to my report is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Appendix B

List of Questions asked on the student survey:

1. Was the seating plan fair?

2. What do you like most about the sociometry?

3. What do you like least about sociometry?

4. Do you like meeting in the community circle each day? Why?

5. Is Show and Tell a good idea?

6. Do you like class meetings? Why?

7. What is your favourite part of the class meeting?

8. Do you like when you and your fellow classmates get to teach a partner, small group or the whole class? Explain.

9. Are most lessons and activities interesting and fun?

10. What did you like most about this school year? Please consider the following topics: sociometry, community circle, class meeting, jobs, peer tutoring, peer teaching, classroom discipline, class timetable, lessons and activities.

List of Questions asked on the student survey:

1. Does your child feel included in the classroom setting?

2. How has this classroom environment affected your child's attitude and self-esteem?

3. Does your child have a positive outlook towards coming to school?

4. Do you believe that a positive classroom environment contributes to success in your child's academic achievement?

5. Include any other important comments on the back of the paper.

List of Questions asked on the teacher/educational assistant survey:

1. Do you believe that students feel included in the classroom setting?

2. How has this classroom environment affected the students' attitude and self-esteem?

3. Do students have a positive outlook towards coming to school?

4. Do you believe that a positive classroom environment contributes to success in the students' academic achievement?

Include any other important comments on the back of the paper.