Building Community

Getting Off on the Right Foot for Success

Bruce Imber & Greg Luce, Bucks County Community College

IntroductionsO Who are we?O Who are you?

Goals for this sessionO Introduce the value of building

communityO Share ideas, best practices, and

experiences

Common classroom issues

O Attendance and “disappearing” studentsO Distractions (cell-phones and texting)O Lack of student interaction (participation

and feedback)O Disruptive studentsO Student differences at community

college (diverse backgrounds, experiences, learning styles and skill levels)

O What else do you experience?

How can community address these issues?

OCommunity building contributes to or enhances:O Collaborative & cooperative learningO Respect and responsibilityO Increased motivation & commitmentO Engagement & ownership

It starts with the First-day

O Setting the stage for a welcoming classroomO Introductions & learning names O Explaining expectationsO Teaching how to be a successful

student

Introductions & learning names

O Quickly learning student’s names helps create a connection and demonstrates your respect for the students

O Allowing students to meet each other builds a sense of belonging and a network

Taking students’ pictures

Establish expectationsO Shared decision making

O name and negotiate class normsO Manage discussions

O Avoid monopolizersO Encourage participation from all

O Teach students to be students

Obstacles to considerO Room set-upO Student resistanceO Handling disagreementsO Social loafing

How do you build community on the

first day and beyond?

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