After all of the research I have done for this project I have learned quite a lot about my topic. I now believe that there are many (almost infinite) ways through which teachers can create physically, emotionally, and psychologically safe and inviting writing environments and communities for their students to thrive in. Even through the sentence before this one, I feel as though I have had to add many vocabulary words like "psychologically" and "inviting" and "communities" to my original topic title because I have learned to associate them with what I have been studying.
Where am I in this project as of now? Well, I think I have reached the end of my research for this topic. I have read multiple secondary sources from scholarly sources, interviewed students, teachers, and myself, went to sessions and workshops that pertained to my topic, and have gained new and exciting strategies and ideas for my future classrooms. I think there were a few things that surprised me as strategies: classroom cheers, Post-Secret incorporation, trust exercises, games, and unique writing exercises like writing a BAD poem.
While learning about this topic there were also a few things that frustrated me. I think the biggest thing was hearing from both teachers and students how often it is that they are uncomfortable with the temperature of their classrooms and how often it is that the school does not have the funds to fix these issues. I know from experience that I am less likely to concentrate on anything academic when I am sweating gallons of sweat in a room with no windows and no air conditioning when it is in the low 90's outside. I also remember how aggravating fans were because they were always very loud and we could not hear our teacher when they were on. Temperature is a huge distraction in a classroom when it is not properly handled and, unfortunately, many schools do not handle this issue. This was probably the biggest frustration of all because I know that this will be an issue that I have to handle in the future. A few lingering questions I still have is: Why is this not a priority in schools? Will this issue ever be fixed or taken care of properly? I guess these are just some complexities that I will have to live with for now and in the future. Temperature has always been a huge issues to me, and I think that it is something that needs to be paid attention to more.
In conclusion I can say that there are many things that factor into a classroom's environment and community: physical conditions (temperature, organization, decoration, lighting, air quality, etc.), physical safety (eliminating bullying), emotional and psychological conditions (student-student relationships, student-teacher relationships, student-self relationship, feeling like one belongs in his society, writing and sharing strategies, assessment and grading strategies, etc.) and so on. I can also say that, in order to create a safe and inviting environment, it takes a lot of planning and time. Though this is true, the outcome is always worth the work. Through these strategies and through planning, students are more likely to feel comfortable with their work and, therefore, are more likely to produce their best possible writing. What is most important is creating relationships that are based on mutual-respect and trust within in a classroom. Almost every source I went to (both primary and secondary) stressed this point. In order to create these things in the class we, as teachers, need to plan, plan, plan, and then plan some more.
Overall this project has really taught me a lot about my topic. I have learned tons of new strategies to keep in my teacher's tool box for the future.
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