DEVELOPING A CLASSROOM CULTURE

Transitioning new children into your program is exciting as well as challenging. Then, when the transitions are over and your group has just begun to work together, it is time to begin the process all over again. Creating a classroom culture requires ingenuity, sensitivity and effort. The most important aspect of the transition is making sure that each child develops social connections within the group. This is especially important if you only have one or a few new children in a well-established group. Thus your role becomes that of "social director", facilitating friendships between individual children and groups of children. This often means setting up situations for cooperative play to happen. For example you may:

• Set out activities or materials that require cooperation between children to use, such as large blocks, train tracks, puppets, or floor puzzles.
• Encourage group art projects. It is a wonderful time to work on a mural.
• Pair up children to complete a task, such as setting the table for snack or picking up the blocks. This is especially effective in mixed age group settings where an older child can mentor a younger child.
• Make decisions as a group. You may brainstorm a theme to focus on or a field trip to take. When children have input into decisions being made they feel ownership of the situation. Point out common interests to children since it may not occur to them that they both enjoy a particular activity.

These are just a few ideas that can help to launch new friendships. Taking the time to develop the social climate of your setting can really pay off. Children who have strong social connections often are more relaxed and focused, which affects the tone for the day. Cooperation and collaboration are skills that last a lifetime!

Kyla McSweeney (Child Care Search - Acton, MA)