My first week of being in the field was a great learning experience. We started with a tour of the school, and I immediately noticed the diversity within this school. I saw teachers honouring different ways of knowing and doing through embracing all the different cultures and backgrounds within the school. The diversity among students was very refreshing to see, and these different cultures were embraced through the other flags and posters around the school and classrooms. They also had many different lgbtq+ flags around the school and the teacher’s pronouns on the doors. This representation for the students is super important as it builds a welcoming environment and helps create a community where they can learn about each other’s differences. 

An example of a way teachers build a sense of community was in the one grade 4/5 class I went to; they had a point system with each table group being in a specific Harry Potter house. They would earn points for behaving, and each group would compete for their house. This created a super fun way for the students to build relationships within their groups and strive to behave, so they do not let down their group. Another way I saw the teachers creating a sense of community was with the openness and collaboration of the whole school. The principal told us the school is designed to be very open so the students and teachers can communicate and work with one another. This collaboration helps create a sense of community and ties in with building relationships with one another. 

Ways teachers can build hospitable and welcoming educational environments by having a community that is a safe space for the students. The posters and flags help create that safe place as kids who relate to those flags or signs feel represented and understood. Then the students who may not relate to those flags or posters have the opportunity to learn about diversity and then make connections with other students. Teachers can also check up on the students and their feelings to show students that the teacher is there to listen and not strictly teach.