Sunday, July 7, 2013

School Community and Culture

Every year, the staff at the school where I did my first teaching placement puts together a lipdub for the graduating students.  This is the 3rd year they have done this and it was shown at the end of the commencement ceremony last month.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TusLVdPsro

I wanted to share this video with you because I think it demonstrates the exceptional school community and culture I experienced while on placement at this specific school.  As it was my first teaching placement, I had no idea what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised when I realized how respectful, caring, fun, and supportive the entire school community was.  The staff and students were extremely friendly and respectful to each other and I truly felt the inclusive community while at the school. Most importantly, I feel that this video demonstrates how supportive and involved the staff is at the school. Everyone put a great deal of effort into making this fun video and it is something that the students will remember forever.

I believe having a school community and culture like this really enhances education.  It creates a positive, safe, and respectful environment where everyone feels welcome and valued.

If you take the time to watch the video (it's a little bit long), you might see some of the walls in the school - there are painted murals all over (mostly done by students) which I thought was another really neat characteristic of the school.

2 comments:

  1. Wow! That was awesome!! What a great memory for those students and teachers to have. Such great messages they sent to those students. I think it is so important to make sure your students know that you are more than just a teacher inside a classroom. I know from experience that if you can develop a rapport with students outside of the classroom that they are more likely to be engaged inside your classroom.

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    1. That's another great point to make about this video, Chelsea. Thank you for your insight. I absolutely agree that developing a positive rapport with your students is very important. As a teacher, I look forward to getting to know my students a unique individuals inside and outside of the classroom. Likewise, it's great that students can see teachers through a different lens as fun and charismatic individuals outside of the classroom - we are human, too!

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