"High social capital can be described as the relationships that are forged in a community between its adults and its young people. In communities that are characterized by high social capital, parents often know the names of other children in the neighborhood; they'll offer children they know a ride; they'll cheer for children at sporting events and congratulate individuals on their successes; they'll call one another to share what they saw, particularly if anything they see is suspicious. Children who grow up in communities with high social capital tend to do well in school. In communities that are characterized by low social capital, children move through the neighborhood seemingly unnoticed; often no one at home asks about them or their schooling; sometimes children are left home alone for long periods of time without anyone checking in on them' parents in the community do not necessarily the other children nor engage with them. Children who grow up in communities with low social capital who attend private or parochial schools that foster high social capital tend to improve their academic performance."Dr. Nancy Sulla - Students Taking Charge
Reflection Questions:
How does your school promote high social capital?
What strategies do you use to make sure students have strong relationships within the classroom?
Relationships are encouraged in the band class through food:
ReplyDelete- Pep Band pizza
- Pretzel Monday
- Donut & Orange Juice Friday
Relationships are encouraged in the band class through events:
- Pep Band basketball and football games
- Trips to performances
- Trips to adjudicated performances
Relationships are encouraged in the band class through critiquing:
- We critique our individual and ensemble performances through video and audio. This allows the kids to speak to each other respectfully about the performances.
I believe our school promotes high social capital through hosting several events throughout the school year such as: Back to School Night, Family U, Wellness Day, Lip Sync and all our social dance activities. If a student is involved in an extracurricular sport, a club or mentorship program they will also benefit from these activities. As a district, we hold CSE and 504 meetings throughout the year, where students, teachers, parents and administrators meet to support "the child", mirroring the old adage that it "takes a village".
ReplyDeleteThink about your own learning experiences in which you interacted with an adult in your school community on a regular basis. How did that change you school experience. For me, I think about a computer teacher that took a particular interest in me. Because she communicated to me that i was important, she influenced my belief and opinion about schooling in general.
ReplyDeleteTo encourage strong relationships within the classroom we have Monday Morning Meeting Time where children share a personal experience they are proud of or enjoyed with the classroom family. We take time to celebrate accomplishments big and small throughout the learning experiences. We embrace and respect differences within each other and learn from them.
ReplyDeleteThe English department staff, and beyond our doors, teachers frequently discuss their tools for success with shared students and shared knowledge of parents.
ReplyDeleteI encourage social capital by allowing students to express themselves in a variety of ways, through writing, speaking, and collaborating. I spend a lot of time showing the students how to respond to each other appropriately, and to to show empathy for each other.
ReplyDeleteOur school needs to encourage this more. Teachers who get out and interact with the kids outside the classroom are respected, connected, and feel more compelled to action when it comes to intervention issues. This also teaches the kids that we are people too. Meet them on their turf and when they are on our shared turf the results will be more positive. Be real....but you have to be engaged in the class and out.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am a new teacher at our middle school, my own son attends, along with other students who's parents I associate with through other groups. Parents and teachers live in the community and interact with the community. It's almost as if the school and community are "alive," working together to promote positive interactions and foster learning. I love that the parents know one another, engage in other social settings, and help the students, regardless if the student is theirs or not.
ReplyDelete