Role of the Teacher in the Community of Learners

The teacher takes on many roles within the classroom. Developing a

community of learners who believe in the same values and are committed to
learn from one another is a teachers primary role. Development of this
community is a key to creating a learning centered classroom where
students are guided down personal paths of success. Within the community
of learners, the teacher also fills the roles of designer, leader, astute
observer, more knowledgeable other, and assessor.
In setting up the classroom, the teacher sets the mood for learning.
Grouping of desks together or seating children at tables allows for the flow of
conversation within groups. Having areas available where students can settle
in and get comfortable to work, especially when reading, helps students feel
more at ease. As a good designer, the teacher takes input, when appropriate,
from students for the design and flow of the classroom. Caulkins state that
the classroom would be inviting at the beginning of the year, but it would not
be finished and would include touches from the children from the first day
until the last. There is a sense of pride and ownership when students
contribute ideas to how their classroom works and looks.
When the teacher assumes the role of leader, the teacher is
responsible for recognizing diversity and strengths, creating a safe place
where students believe they belong, setting clear expectations, activating
prior knowledge, and guiding students down the path to success. Greeting
students each day at the door helps build relationships and can give key

insight into how a student is feeling about being at school. This is a great
way to check in with each student without being overbearing. As the year
progresses, you will become adept at sensing if a more in depth check in is
needed.
Another way to recognize students and their strengths is to survey
students about how they like to learn. In the older grades, roughly grades 512, I have used the VARK inventory (Fleming and Mills, 1992) to learn which
of the four modalities, visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic, is preferred by
each student. It is similar to a multiple intelligences survey, but has fewer
modalities, is shorter, and has a version that is tailored to the younger
learner. I would incorporate these ideas into a survey that could be
completed by students as young as first grade to learn about how they will
be a part of our community of learners. Tompkins suggests that students
should be offered many types of learning within the classroom that could
include graphic organizers, workshop models, and thematic units.
As a leader, the teacher is also expected to set clear expectations.
Creating classroom standards as a group provides the buy in needed for the
class to adopt the set of rules. Recognizing how students learn best and what
they can bring to the classroom is a way to build community and create a
safe place for learning.
As the teacher is teaching, it is important for her to remember to
activate the students prior learning. This activation of students knowledge
brings the students into the lesson. It opens the doors to what students know

and what they are intrigued by, allowing a teacher to develop lessons that
are student centered and that will meet curriculum requirements. This is an
avenue to remind students that inspiration and ideas come at all times, not
just during a brainstorming session or during writing time, according to Ray.
A great way I have used to activate prior knowledge is to assign students
numbers, say one to four, and then have a timed discussion. After the first
cycle where one of each number gathered and shared something that they
know. I would ask all the people of a certain digit to gather, once again
sharing something they know. I continue to build on that by then having the
odd numbers gather together and share, and finally come together as a
whole class. As the whole class gathers, I ask that each student takes a turn
sharing one thing they know. This process clearly cannot be used every time
due to time constraints, but I do try to use it because I feel it is important for
students to be comfortable sharing and know that they have a voice in our
classroom. As a teacher, individual or class KWL charts or an entrance slip
are also ways to learn what your students know. Once you know what
students know, you can guide them down a path to success by providing
instruction in their Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky).

The sweet spot for students within their Zone of Proximal

Development keeps the students moving forward in both skill level and
content difficulty. (Image from http://clerevog.host.sk/53.html)
As a guide on the side or lead learner, the teacher assumes the role
of the more knowledgeable other. Vygotskys work regarding the Zone of
Proximal Development states that the more knowlegdgeable other can be a
teacher, an older adult, or even another student, as long as the person has a
better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, with respect
to a particular task, process, or concept. . Good teachers ask more open
ended questions to deepen students thinking, according to Allington. The
more knowledgeable other provides the support in the I do, we do, you do I
watch, and then you do model of learning. It is this gradual release of
responsibility that allows students to grow, and keep growing, at their just
right level. The tasks that began as too difficult for the student soon become
ones they can complete with help from the teacher whose persona is the

more knowledgeable other. These tasks in turn become ones that the
student can complete independently and the cycle continues on with new
tasks; each one moving up a level and the bottom level filling with a new
skill. Allington states that good teachers allow for show of growth and
understanding based on individual student learning and not as a comparison
to the class; that is that students are continuously moving forward on their
path to success.
As those skills are being worked on in class, the teachers persona can
change to that of astute observer. With this new role in the community, the
teacher takes on the tasks of noting what and how students are working. If
they are struggling with a concept or topic, the lead learner persona takes
action and adjusts instruction to meet the needs of the students in her
community of learners. She may pair students together to meet the needs of
both learners or she may choose to teach a small group minilesson to
emphasize a skill. She may even adjust her pacing and reteach the concept
in a new way the next day. The teacher as observer would also note student
interests and behaviors that may guide her next set of lessons or an
individual conference with a student. Within this role in the community, the
teacher is looking for learning opportunities for the students. She is keeping
them in their sweet spot in the Zone of Proximal Development and
continues to move their learning along the path to success.
The teacher also takes on the role of assessor. She assesses many
aspects of students learning both informally and formally so that she may

reflect on how to move the whole class along the path to success. Tompkins
states that the teacher links instruction to assessment and frequently checks
in on work to adjust for the correct leveling. Along the way she reminds them
that in a community we can learn something from anyone.