A Learning Environment for Success: A Sense of Belonging, Sense of Purpose & Sense of Place
Children need a positive learning environment to succeed. Even the most well adjusted and resilient students will not thrive without a positive learning environment. Students who come to school experiencing various challenges in their lives will most certainly struggle in school without the conditions for success. Schools must provide a sense of belonging, sense of purpose and sense of place to support the academic development, acquisition of transferable skills, and social/emotional wellbeing of students.
The most essential attribute of a school is providing a sense of belonging for all. What is more important than feeling safe, recognized and valued as an individual. All too often children are starting with a lack of self esteem due to unhealthy dynamics in their home and the lack of positive relationships. Schools need to be a place that builds self-worth in every aspect of the school day. …from riding the bus, to the classroom, cafeteria, and activities after school, children should be free from bullying, harassment and exclusive behaviors. We also need to acknowledge students' unique backgrounds, experiences and personalities. Students need to see themselves in the curriculum, the books they access in the library and experiential learning they participate in outside of the classroom. It is more important today than ever for schools to promote diversity, equity and inclusive practices.
Students cannot reach their learning potential if they feel inadequate and not embraced for their unique learning style and disposition. That does not mean that students should not be challenged or not experience any adversity in a particular learning activity at school. However, students need to know that they are valued no matter what and that they have trusted adults standing by them when things are not easy. Belonging is the glue to creating relational trust across a school community that is essential to learning.
As educators, it is important that we ask: what do our students need to know, understand, and be able to do? …it is also important that we ask them these same questions if we wish to inspire a sense of purpose. We must engage students in learning that is relevant and purposeful where they are leaders of their own learning. It is essential that we provide a “whole-child approach” that includes a range of transferable skills, dispositions and character traits to be good family members, community members and contributing citizens. It is important to personalize learning and provide flexible and accessible pathways that promote a student’s personal aspirations. Without a self-agency, we are simply looking for task completion and compliance. We must move from teaching students to understand how to write, to writing to be understood. Best when these experiences come from inter-disciplinary, project-based learning where students determine real-world issues and problems they wish to explore. Students deserve opportunities to engage in learning that they have a genuine passion and connection to their lives. Additionally, all students should have access to opportunities to express themselves through the visual and performing arts. We should not underestimate the connection to purpose in learning that can often provide the basic purpose for coming to school for some and hopefully the motivation to follow their passion.
Place-based learning ignites a desire to know more about our world and can often be the meeting place for fostering a sense of belonging and sense of purpose. When we provide place-based learning we cultivate a connection to one's school-community and region. Students develop connections with members of their community and common purpose through service learning projects. We also cultivate an appreciation for one's history and culture through research of local archives or conducting oral interviews of elders.
Students develop a strong sense of stewardship when they learn in their community and the natural world. Place-based and adventure based learning often provides both window & mirrors for students learning through both new experience and those familiar to them. Providing accessible pathways for students to engage in experiential learning beyond the school building often are often transformation experiences that open doors to employment and post-secondary education.
Students who experience an extended learning environment, interconnected with a sense of belonging, sense of purpose and sense of place are more likely to find the same beyond our prek-12 school system. Ultimately, isn’t that the kind of learning outcome we want for our children?
