Classroom Community Building as Framework and Practice in an Elementary Humanities Methods Class: An Instructor's Reflections

Abstract

A team of humanities methods instructors framed their course within the concept of classroom community building to address issues relevant to preservice teachers in areas such as moral commitment, professionalism, caring, and concern. Through activities, lessons, a classroom community analysis paper, and oral and written responses, preservice teachers were asked to address the question, “How can we teach humanities in our classrooms to help students develop a sense of classroom and global community?” This article discusses how classroom community building became a course framework, provides examples of how a community was built and the strengths and limitations of that choice, and closes with insights for teacher educators who may wish to use a similar approach.