Responsive Classrooms and Community Building Can Happen, Start Small

I have always been a strong supporter of Positive Behavior Supports.  I have been elated with the recent focus on social emotional learning in many districts.  In a corner of my mind there is a foundation that resonates from this:  "The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth" -African proverb.  You may have heard this pop up with our recent violent struggles and it also lends truth to how effectively we use other resources.  To provide resources as a separate entity is much harder than building embedded resources.  I have had an opportunity to discuss recent efforts by a district in facilitating morning meetings throughout the school.  The efforts are intentional and appear to start small ensuring that the classes are actually meeting, then working towards community building goals.  What a cornerstone for restorative justice, responsive classrooms and a positive support!  Embracing all as members of the community, teaching communication and collaborative problem solving with all!  My heart melts at this.  We get so focused on academics and boy do I love academic data and innovative teaching ideas, but in the end, each of our little people will have some place in the community and those skills are important for whatever job they hold.  This emphasis on teaching everyone  how to work with all in the community is so important for our changing world.  In my current position I have students that will rely on the caring and kindness of their community to live a comfortable life and I have worried about the dwindling work opportunities for some of these students who are competent with tasks very easily done by machines or by a fraction of the time of a person without obstacles.  This community building that sets a stage for caring, kindness, group goals could create a more hopeful future for these individuals and of course everyone.  I hope I see more of this important morning meeting routine that supports so much in more schools.