Teachers don't just teach lessons. They are also members of the community they teach in. How can you, as a future educator, be involved with the community you teach in?
A teacher plays an important role in a community, offering students guidance and sometimes being the first adult in a child’s life to show interest in their goals. Teachers help shape the community and can direct students in positive directions that they may not have pursued otherwise.
There are many ways a teacher can get involved within their community. Not all teachers live and teach in the same community, but there are ways to involve any community in our classroom, allowing us to be a part of the community!
For instance, a lot of community events happen at a school. Schools organize plays that the students perform in and usually invited community members to attend. As teachers, when we promote and attend events such as a student theater productions, choir performances, band and orchestra concerts, sports events, and more, we immerse ourselves in the community. Not only that, but when we show interest in our student's lives and attend their games and concerts, they'll know we care. Attending and participating in events also give you the opportunity to interact with parents in a non-threatening and positive environment. You are all there for the common goal of supporting the students. They will be happy to see you and will remember your efforts in supporting the school.
Another way to involve the community and be part of the community is to have community members come into your classroom to talk about who they are, what they do, and how they got there. You can connect it to the curriculum by posing hypothetical questions and then inviting a few local professionals to come into your class so students can ask them what they know about the issue and how they’ve tried to solve it. Involving members of the community in your classroom will not only be an engaging lesson for our students, but it also creates unity in the community!
A third way to be involved in the community is to use different locations in your community as tools to teach. One example would be visiting local museums that correlate with social studies standards in the grade you are teaching. You could go visit businesses, fire stations, and police stations to talk about being good citizens. There are so many tools in our communities that can be used to teach about topics in our curriculum in a way that is more engaging for students!
These aren't the only ways teachers can be involved with the community and bring the community to the classroom. For more ideas, check out this article!
If you have any questions, feel free to set up an appointment with one of our Student Ambassadors by clicking here!