Day 23: Community in the Classroom @teachthought #reflectiveteaching
Day 23
Write about one way that you “meaningfully” involve the community in the learning in your classroom. If you don’t yet do so, discuss one way you could get started.
I like this topic because it offers me the option of admitting that I don’t do enough and then gives me a chance to redeem myself by suggesting a way that I can get started.
My first question, however, is does the community WANT to be involved in my classroom? As a parent and teacher, I get the impression that many parents would simply like to get their kids to school and let them do what they do without any involvement.
I am not sure how I can make a move to “meaningfully” involve the community. Last year, this was easy because I taught our senior project class and for the final, students give speeches to members of the community.
This year I teach Creative Writing, American Literature, Humanities and Oral Communication. I am sitting here trying to think of ways to get out into the community or to bring the community into the classroom. I’m open to suggestions. The hardest hump for me to get over is that initial contact. How do we get the word out to people in the community and get them to care and become engaged?
So I just sent an email to a local business trying to create a partnership in which my Oral Comm. kids will make a commercial for a local business. We’ll see what happens. Thanks for the push!