Socialization is an important element of my classroom.  In today’s world, our relationships are vital to our ability to succeed in the “real world”, and I believe that we must develop a children’s attitudes to learning so they can become role models, not only academically but also behaviorally.

I love it when we reach outside our classroom and into various aspects of our community. Since I live and teach in a village, Liwa, my options are a bit scarce, however I find it even more relevant and necessary to find connections. We have been asking more teachers, students and members of the community to become involved in our learning. Whether we ask them to come in as guest speakers, conduct home visits or invite them to share in our learning, I find that the kids really enjoy the various interactions.

It has been wonderful to see how the community has responded to our requests. We may have a small school, but our community has a heart–a Big Heart–and they love our children and are happy to find ways to encourage and support our littlest of learners.

Here is an example of how we build relationships with other students at school.  In this example, older students are reading with my Kindergarten students with books related to our unit theme.