Building a Sense of Belonging in the classroom

Why build a sense of belonging? We are complex being with individual goals, unique spirits and objective… But at the same time we all feel an instinctive need to belong to a group, be part of an environment and have social relationships.

What does it mean to belong? Two key aspects of a sense of belonging are: Feeling a sense of personal identification and social identify. Desire to build social bonds that reaffirm their sense of belonging What is the psychology behind this desire to belong?

Our voices often go unheard on this campus, our experiences are devalued, our presence is questioned-- this project is our way of speaking back, of claiming this campus, of standing up to say: We are here. This place is ours. We, TOO, are Harvard.  I, TOO, AM HARVARD ITOOAMHARVARD.TUMBLR.COM

I, too, am Harvard movement A photo campaign highlighting the faces and voices of black students at Harvard College. The #itooamharvard photo campaign is inspired by I, Too, Am Harvard, a play based on interviews with members of the black community exploring and affirming our diverse experiences as black students at Harvard College

What prevents students from feeling that they do not belong? Lack of representation in the movies and books they read. The normalization of the majority culture. Devaluing of marginalized communities. The exclusion of minorities in student organizations.

How does “not belonging” impact learning? If individuals can not identify with others like them, who speak their language, share their gender, race, and/or ethnic culture, then they may think they do not belong or have what it takes to be successful. When an individual feels like an outgroup member, mental energy is spent monitoring the environment for threatening information (e.g. stereotypes, discrimination, etc.). The possibility of confirming a stereotype by performing badly causes a great deal of anxiety. In turn, this anxiety places a drain on a student’s energy and cognitive resources. As a result, the capacity of working memory is diminished, and performance is impaired.

Community building Community building requires meaningful interactions with students with the goal of increasing positive interactions within the classroom. What are some strategies you might develop to build a sense of belonging or community in your department? Events or activities that supporting transfer students First day Icebreakers Departmental support centers Early recruitment of majors

Building belonging and community through pedagogy Community building activities help students feel they are contributing not only to their education but the whole classes. What type of classroom activities could you develop to encourage belonging or community? Undergraduate research Service Learning projects