🌟 Reflecting on 2023: The Power of Belonging 🌟 2023 has been a year of challenges for so many. I am personally grateful for a bit of extra time spent over the past two weeks with family and the opportunity to reflect on our paths forward. Inspired by my #PennCLO classmate, Dr. Beth Kaplan, Ed.D., who writes about the importance of belonging in the workplace, I've been thinking about how this concept is crucial not just at work, but also in our families, among friends, and especially in schools. As educators, fostering a sense of belonging in our students is vital. But how do we achieve this within our school systems, buildings, and classrooms? Here are five research-based ideas: 📚 Inclusive Curriculum: Studies show that a curriculum that reflects diverse cultures and perspectives increases student engagement and fosters a sense of belonging (Smith & Floden, 2021). Lately, I have been experimenting with AI tools to recreate content to align better to students' interests and environments. 🤝 Positive Teacher-Student Relationships: Would you believe that schools with self-reported higher expectations outperformed those without on PISA 2022. Research by García-Moya et al. (2019) highlights the importance of supportive teacher-student relationships in enhancing students' feeling of connectedness to the school. 👥 Peer Collaboration: Encouraging collaborative work helps students feel more connected to their peers, promoting a sense of community, as suggested by Johnson & Johnson (2018). ✨ School-Wide Positive Behavior Programs: Implementing these programs can create a positive school climate and enhance students' sense of belonging (Bradshaw, 2020). 🧘 Mindfulness and Social-Emotional Learning: Integrating mindfulness and SEL into the curriculum has been found to improve students' self-esteem and sense of belonging (Jennings & Greenberg, 2019). These ideas are just the starting point. What would you add to this list? Let's share our thoughts and experiences to make our educational spaces more inclusive and welcoming for every student. Asha Alexander Laurence Myers Toni Ting Francia Marco Charina Concepcion Abdelfatah Ghozlan Lena Borno Hunzullah Khaliqnoor Joy Buckner Helen Loxston-Baker Anthony Loxston-Baker Catherine O'Farrell Asha Sanjay #Education #Belonging #Inclusivity #SchoolCulture #ReflectingOn2023
Wishing you all a joyful start to 2024. Let there be peace on Earth.
Love this, Christine Kerlin Nasserghodsi. Wishing you the best in 2024 (and always)!
International Educational Leader | Educational Consultant | Education for Sustainability | Service Learning | Systems Thinking | Student Directed Learning
10moWhat a great list to start the year! I would consider adding the sense of belonging that you speak about as a fundamental characteristic for positive communities. I might also consider the shift toward more authentic (and thus relevant) learning approaches and the shift toward sharing the planning of learning and increased focus in the learning (and not what’s missing from the learning). Thank you for being a voice for great education Christine Kerlin Nasserghodsi! Happy New Year!!