Foundations: Connection,

Contribution, Creativity, and

Collaboration
Connection builds a sense of belonging, allowing
for contr ibution. Feeling like we have a voice and
choice encour ages cr eativity. Tr ue collabor ation
is only possible when we feel competent, when
capacity has been built, and when we feel
connected and invested. Each piece of this
foundation is integr al to the success of our
students and school community.

Johnston, S., 2013. Former Bases Offer Communities www.afcec.af.mil

Recommendations:
Cr eate oppor tunities to highlight talents
Encour age autonomy in the classr oom incr easing
collabor ation and a sense of ability
Consider making social contr acts for your class or even
signing one as a school
Develop a cultur e of r espect that star ts with the teacher
Give students oppor tunities to be r esponsible i.e..
leader ship r oles, decision making in the school,
classr oom design, classr oom cleanup
Happy Consequences:
Cr eate oppor tunities for students showcase their talents
The foundations to cr eating a sense of belonging with one another and with the lar ger school body, this
extend well beyond the classr oom. Teacher s cr eates oppor tunities to connect
r epor t higher levels of over all wellness when they
feel they have a voice and sense of belonging, this Model a positive attitude, integr ity and authenticity
can r esult in incr eased pr ofessional Cr eate lessons that involve exper ts fr om community
r esponsibility. gr oups, highlight social issues, and/or allow students to
enact positive change
A sense of belonging cr eates the oppor tunity for
mor e effective collabor ation and cr eative The cultur e of the school can detr act or contr ibute to a
solutions for students who may need str ategies sense of belonging, consider what is being conveyed in
that ar e unique to their situation. Collabor ation the hallways, announcements, newsletter s etc.
can only occur when people feel safe and
encour aged to contr ibute, this happens when
people feel like they ar e an integr al par t of a
gr oup, or a place.
Communities as a whole impr ove as the
“ Th e e s s e n t i a l d i l e m m a o f
foundations to a sense of belonging encour age m y lif e is b e t w e e n m y
social awar eness and a sense of r esponsibility.
Volunteer ism incr eases with a natur al incr ease in d e e p d e sire t o b e lo n g a n d
motivation.
m y su sp icio n o f
b e l o n g i n g .” Jh u m p a La h i r i
Ma, X. (2003). Sense of Belonging to School: Can Schools Make a Difference? Journal of Educational Research, 96(6), 340–349. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220670309596617
Booker, K. (2018). The High Tide Raises All Ships: Middle Grades Teachers’ Perspectives on School Belonging in Early Adolescence. Research in Middle Level Education Online, 41(8), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/19404476.2018.1505402
Ussher, B. (2010). Involving a village: student teachers’ sense of belonging in their school-based placement. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 38(2), 103–116. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598661003677614
Omoto, A. M., & Packard, C. D. (2016). The power of connections: Psychological sense of community as a predictor of volunteerism. Journal of Social Psychology, 156(3), 272–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2015.1105777
Capone, V., Donizzetti, A. R., & Petrillo, G. (2018). Classroom relationships, sense of community, perceptions of justice, and collective efficacy for students’ social well‐being. Journal of Community Psychology, 46(3), 374–382. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21943