Developing a Sense of Belonging Right From the Start

Fostering a sense of belonging in learners starts with nurturing an environment where they can thrive emotionally, socially, and academically, contributing positively to their own well-being and the learning community. 

One key aspect to consider is how the learning area, the context, is organized. In my years of teaching, I have found that involving the learners in the configuration of the classroom helps them develop the feeling of  being accepted, valued as a member of the group, and connected to the learning community. 

I’ve highlighted three main areas where learners have the chance to leave an imprint and celebrate observing how this imprint connects to the ones of their classmates, generating a supportive and thriving group of learners.

Classroom organization

Include the learners in the design of the classroom: Invite them to move around the room to check what effect the light inside has or the noise outside has in their perception of a comfortable place conducive to learning. Then ask them to suggest the appropriate spot for the tables to be placed in a circle or horseshoe layout.

Encourage the learners to create a reading corner with accessible fiction and nonfiction books, a science or nature area, and any other zone or place that the learners and you find relevant to learning and creating. 

It might be interesting for the learners to carry out a research project to find out how much the layout of the classroom can determine the flow of emotional, social, and academic development. 

For example, the learners could define two or three aspects concerning emotional, social, and academic performance to observe and document through photographs, their own reflections and opinions, and observations from the teacher. 

Regarding emotional development, learners could focus on how the classroom layout successfully creates a sense of safety and comfort, which is essential for emotional well-being. They might consider if the classroom has ample natural light, whether there is comfortable seating, and if the space is neat and aesthetically pleasing.

In relation to social development, learners could focus on whether the layout fosters collaborative interaction and assess if it enables learners to spontaneously team up to develop ideas, exchange perspectives, and collaborate. In addition, learners might observe how diverse social relationships and interactions happen in the different layouts.

Regarding academic development, learners might concentrate on attention and document how much the layout reduces or increases distractions and whether the layout helps to maintain focus. 

The observation and documentation stage of the research project might take three weeks, and the learners might choose a different layout for each week. At the same time, they could look for curated information on classroom layout and invite experts such as psychologists, architects, pedagogists, and other teachers and learners to share their knowledge on the topic. 

Bulletin Boards 

Should walls “talk” to our learners? If so, how much information should be posted on the walls of the classroom? Who should be responsible for keeping those bulletin boards updated? 

Welcome the learners to your class with empty bulletin boards that they will fill with their creations from the very beginning. Another option is to invite parents and caregivers to leave a message for their children on the bulletin board for the learners to collect when they get to the classroom on their first day. 

One key aspect to consider is the amount of information posted on bulletin boards and the classroom walls. If the information posted is excessive, learners will struggle to concentrate on a particular item because of the overwhelming amount of displayed material. So it’s crucial for teachers and learners to carefully select what to post each week, what to update, and what to remove from the display. 

Teachers need to be sure to engage students in creating the content to post on the board. The less you use ready-made materials, the more the learners will develop ownership of what they construct with their peers. They can work on creating different items for the display, such as writing labels, making diagrams, drawing pictures, and choosing photographs. 

It’s paramount that bulletin boards and displayed materials be at the students’ eye level. This will allow learners to interact with the materials more frequently and easily. 

Learning Materials

What materials will help learners develop emotionally and academically and help them create a learning community with their peers? Where are those materials to be found? Where should teachers keep them in the classroom to develop a sense of belonging and ownership? 

Anything teachers or learners find that has value for learning is a learning material. It’s best, however, to use unstructured materials, such as sheets of paper, colored pencils, geometry tools, wooden blocks, and a camera for photos or video, that allow learners to interact freely, come up with questions, solve problems, and develop their creativity.

In addition, key materials from the natural world—plants, soil, rocks, leaves, flowers, footprint samples of animals, seeds, and many more—can figure in their learning.

It’s important that the materials be kept within reach of the learners. This makes it possible for them to manipulate the items whenever they find it necessary. Teachers will be able to observe and document how learners develop agency and ownership of their learning context and, as a consequence, develop a sense of belonging.

The learning environment interacts with the students and affects their learning experiences. Arranging and taking care of the furniture, objects, and activity spaces is an educational act that fosters psychological well-being, a sense of familiarity and belonging, aesthetic appreciation, and the enjoyment of the space.

Regardless of the school’s economic situation, the choices teachers make regarding the use and sharing of pedagogical resources play a pivotal role in whether children develop a sense of ownership and belonging. When thoughtfully integrated, these resources can help children perceive the classroom as a space they can truly call their own.