Page 10 - Norwood Spring 2019 Magazine

In the Classroom

When you peek inside a Norwood classroom, you will see children engaged in a number

of different learning activities. Some students may be working together in a small group,
collaborating on a problem-solving assignment. You might observe students sitting at desk
or tables independently working on a piece of writing or conducting research for a report.

Other times you might see students quietly focused on a chapter quiz or unit test. What you
don’t necessarily see—but you will feel—is the very foundation that supports this engaged
and successful academic learning: community.

A classroom community is an environment in which students their best learning and feel safe taking risks while growing
feel valued as individuals, and connected to their teacher(s) socially, emotionally, and academically. “Norwood is not a
and to one another. In a child-centered learning environment Responsive Classroom school per se,” says Matthew, “but
like Norwood’s, a strong classroom community is key to helping most of our teachers have training in the approach and use the
students feel a part of something larger than themselves, Responsive Classroom strategies that work best for them. It’s
encouraging them to make positive contributions, and another tool to be used in a child-centered classroom.”
empowering them to take academic risks. “Academic content
and goals are certainly important, but a safe, respectful,
joyful, and child-centered classroom community is the key to Cultivating
achieving academic success and empowering children to do Kindness
their best,” says Head of School Matthew Gould. “WE HAVE GOOD RULES”
A popular Responsive Classroom technique used in Norwood
classrooms is a collaboratively created contract. “As a teacher,
Intentional you’re establishing the environment,” says Terri Woodard,
CREATING COMMUNITY IS AN a third grade teacher. “You’re setting the tone and building
INTENTIONAL PRACTICE trust so everyone feels safe to be themselves, to connect with
Norwood’s educational philosophy has always focused each other, and to take risks.” Many teachers at Norwood,
on the belief that children have a need to belong, to feel Terri included, begin the year by listing goals and creating a
accepted, respected, and loved. Meeting this need begins classroom agreement. “We do this together, everyone signs it,
with establishing classroom communities that feel like a and we keep it on display throughout the year,” Terri says.
child’s school family—in other words, mini communities
within the larger school community where every child feels Children are more likely to buy into rules, expectations, and
known, valued, and safe. “Our teachers work hard to create consequences when they see what is important to them
these special environments,” explains Matthew. “Building reflected in the contract. “It creates a sense of ownership and
a classroom community takes intentional e ort that is children feel as though they have a voice and everyone has
sustained throughout the school year.” responsibilities,” says Terri. Additionally, classroom contracts
are framed in the positive: what we will do to support one
Many Norwood teachers borrow strategies from the Responsive another as opposed to what isn’t allowed. Contracts focus on
Classroom practice, an evidence-based approach to education values, such as respect, responsibility, and kindness. “We have
that focuses on the belief that integrating academic and social- good rules,” says a third grader. “Sometimes we have mess-ups,
emotional skills creates an environment where students do but we fix them.”

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