The Value of Community

 “…there is always more to be discovered ...” –Maxine Greene

“This is the essence of community. A community is a safe space to grow, a space that welcomes you fully, that sees you for who you are, that invites your participation, and that holds you gently while you explore.” (Sapon-Shevin, page 102) 

 “To become a community, students must learn to live in someone else’s skin, understand the parallels of hurt, struggle, and joy across class and culture lines, and work for change. For that to happen, students need more than an upbeat, supportive teacher; they need a curriculum that teaches them how to empathize with others.” (Christensen, page 48, ROC, vol. 1)

We had a very meaningful and deep discussion last night in class about Inclusion. We read Sneetches On Beaches by Dr. Seuss. We talked about Special Education, Autism, English Language Learners, Racially Integrated Classrooms, Gifted Students, Discipline, Gay and Lesbian Inclusion, and Grief and Loss. We talked about including everyone's story as a metaphor for classroom community.

For a link to our presentation, please see the page "Education and Opportunity" on the wiki.

But, I am wondering if there is “more to be discovered and more to be said.” (Maxine Greene) What does all this mean? What are the broader themes? What are the finer details? I’m going to try to puzzle it out in this and my next few blogs.

I think what I learned in putting together this presentation is that true inclusion requires a lot from teachers.  It isn't enough merely to put students from different backgrounds into a classroom together.  It isn't even enough for the teacher to value each student. True inclusion requires the building of a classroom community in which differences are valued by everyone. Building a classroom community requires that we teach students how to treat each other. To do this, we must not be afraid to openly discuss and celebrate differences even when the topics seem really big or hard to talk about.

“In working toward the goal of an inclusive classroom community in which all children – regardless of race, disability, cultural or family background, or skill – are able to function as a cohesive group, teachers must engage students in forthright discussions of the joys and difficulties of building and maintaining a community. Such discussions may be hard and even painful, but the willingness to open up issues of exclusion, fairness, difference, prejudice, and  discrimination, as well as the challenges of learning to work together can enrich the community as a whole and deepen teacher and student understanding of the many forces that keep people separate and isolated.”  (Sapon-Shevin, page, 112)