Tenet 3: We are all part of our classroom family community.

An important start point when establishing your class family or community is helping students identify themselves as individual and separate from others but to also see the similarities they share with others in their classroom community. (Put up your hand if you have 2 arms, 1 nose….)

An example; “You are very special; there are so many wonderful things about you and I love you very much. You are important to me and to our class. Now look beside you, you see the person there…they are important and special too. Now look around our whole circle…every person here is important and they/we all want to feel safe and happy at school SO we need to make sure that we are keeping our class a safe and happy place.

We need them to be able to identify with one another. Very important first and at the beginning of the year.

Over time we start to see the differences. Someone can do something another can’t “and that’s ok. We’re all learning” “Do you remember when you couldn’t get your boots on? And now you can”….Sometimes the progress is intangible so it’s not recognized. But need to recognize it (when you were a baby you couldn’t stand or walk and now look what you can do).

Most kids don’t come critical of other people.