- Some members of our community freely volunteer to discuss their experiences
whereas other community members only speak when called on.
Do we need aSicha?Should we discuss these issues today? Yes? No? Why or why not?
Please vote and then write the reason for your ballot. Be prepared to share your reasons
with the class.
Questions to Consider:- What is your opinion of the issues and process for community decision making raised
in this handout? Explain. - The handout and the ensuing discussion took place in a teacher education class. Do
you believe this process could be effective in a middle school or high school class-
room? Explain.
3.Do you believe that Linda Christensen’s ideas for building community from chaos could
work in your content area? Would you be willing to try her approach in your class-
room? Explain.
SECTION B: HOW “TEACHER TRICKS”
CAN HELP BUILD COMMUNITY
As I said earlier, small things can make a big difference. Here are a few basic rules from
“Alan’s big bag of teacher tricks.” I call them teacher tricks because I want to emphasize that
these are not innate qualities of master teachers. They are skills that anyone can learn.
Learning Student Names
One of the most important things you can do is to learn student names—quickly. People, and
students are people, like when you know their names. It is a sign of respect and a statement
that they belong. But learning new names is not always easy.
You learn names by using them. The first few days, take attendance and keep referring to
students by their names. Some students have a way of “sticking out” on the first day. Learn
their names immediately. They will be more inclined to cooperate as you establish proce-
dures, and when you refer to them by name, it will seem to the class as if you know all of
their names.
Assigned seats help. I think I have “relational memory.” I see a face in a familiar spot and I
remember a name.
The top line on every handout should have space for a student to place his or her name.
Over the first few weeks, as you grapple with 150 or so new names and faces, this will help
you remember who people are. As students work, walk up and down rows, chat with them,
get to know them, and learn those names.
Do not be afraid to forget some names. I tell students, “Next year when I see you in the
hall, I will smile, but probably not remember your name. I have to delete old files to create
space in my memory for new names.” I do not know if this is technically true, but students
like the computer analogy and do not seem to mind when I forget their names.
I have had students whose families were from all over the world, and the names that gave
me the most difficulty were Hindi names from India. They seemed to consist of a long string
of consonants and few, if any, vowels. Usually students had abbreviated Anglicized versions
COMMUNITY 155