Blog Post 8
In my future classroom, I would like to have an environment where students feel safe and included. I would like students to feel comfortable having their own opinions on things and feeling comfortable sharing them regardless of anyone else’s colliding opinions. A classroom for me is a place where everyone should have the right to their own individuality and should not be suppressed by the institution, educators, or other students. My future classroom will incorporate and celebrate other cultures and take the opportunity to learn from their fellow classmates who come from different backgrounds and bring new perspectives and worldviews with them. My classroom will also be a place where I as an educator will be humble and learn new things from my students as well, showing interest in their differences and allowing them to share unique experiences.
As for creating a sense of place in my classroom, I would like to have a classroom setting that incorporates the local community, local history, as well as culture into my classroom. I grew up in a small town when I was younger and all I ever heard was how much everyone hated it and wanted to leave. I think that if a student’s local community can be turned into a positive and fascinating learning experience, they may start to feel differently about the place they were raised, appreciating and celebrating the place that they come from. I think that things like local field trips to a historical site, a museum, somewhere that is significant to the place they are living can really help students develop a more positive relationship with where they are from, and create an incentive to be more involved in their community.