Belonging to a place is when it’s possible to “sit still and weave ourselves into a place…so that we feel a bond with everything in sight”
(Sanders qtd in hooks, 2009)
Examples: Childhood home, metaphorical “happy place,” your alma mater
Functions of place that help foster belonging:
Locale for gathering: Place for students to interact
- Opening up opportunities for students to connect. Ideas might include:
- Utilizing different discussion structures (see Brookfield’s work on classroom discussions)
- Integrating class post-ops for the class to check-in with each other at the end of each session
- Informal discussion boards that students might opt into
Repository of resources and expertise. Ideas might include:
- Establishing resources & access students wouldn’t otherwise have access to
- Bringing in the “experts:” Who might students like to hear from that they would not otherwise have access to?
Showroom for student work & achievement. An idea might be to have a place to post exceptional work
Place of purpose and safety. Place where students can be safe to engage in learning. Ideas might include:
- Establishing class norms
- Opening up different forms of participation
- Defining what engagement and student presence means
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