In addressing the social environment in my classroom, I have collaborated with colleagues to design a Service Learning Project that includes concise expectations and curriculum planning for the maximum academic benefit and social well-being of my students. This project will ensure maximum student engagement with daily diverse group and individual activities, careful group and individual product accommodation or modification considerations, and themes that will result in creating a positive teaching and learning relationship and classroom social environment. The Following description for a Service Learning Project demonstrates my ability to implement proper discipline, establish meaningful rapport with students and their families, respond appropriately to sensitive issues among individual students, encourage responsible group and individual work, and recognize when I need to make changes  toward each student’s needs and ability to achieve academically.

        Concerning proper discipline, the  Service Learning Project included as an artifact for this TPE includes a field trip to the Japanese Friendship Garden for which students will be explicitly instructed verbally and in writing to be safe, attentive and reserved, to participate when instructed, and  avoid being loud or disruptive, or separating from the group. Their signature and their parent’s signature on the permission slip to attend this field trip will affirm their agreement to this. Students who misbehave will have their fieldtrip station sheet signed by me. I will keep them close by, and they will lose the privilege of earning points and participating in the drawing and writing activity for a gallery walk activity to follow. I will set clear, positive expectations and warnings for consequences for behavior and strive to continually cultivate a mutually respectful relationship with each of my students prior to avoid behavior problems.

     Students will have many opportunities to learn positive actions and attitudes when sensitive topics are discussed in the classroom. I realize that my example is critical. I have chosen a cross-cultural appreciation theme for this service learning project for this reason as well as academic reinforcement. As well, group work and individual work will be closely observed and monitored, for the purpose of timely and continual group and individual engagement and motivation. In this artifact for example, there is a concise rubric for students to be able to post their topic and sign-up for one or two responsibilities to make a brief, dramatic presentation of a cultural aspect of the Japanese feudal era. For this activity, students will be able to experience the benefits of designating a group leader, group and individual exploration of their chosen topic, constructive discussion with others in and outside of their group, being decisive, tolerant, democratic, and meeting deadlines. For individual work, students will be allowed to choose  between drawing or writing, and by unit’s end will have compiled a journal for data reference, and for individualized goal-setting and self-monitoring and reflection based on journal artifacts. By encouraging self-monitoring, I am sending a clear message that I think they are capable of it, they can learn to get better at it, and it must become a habit.

         This service learning project will invite the opportunity for the teacher to model establishing a rapport with students and their families. The project culminates into a Gallery walk that displays to the public how students are able to connect student academic applications to  artistic creations using a theme of cross-cultural appreciation toward civic cultural awareness. Also, students arrange to collect donations for The Bonsai Gardening Pavilion civic organization and offer Bonsai gardening information at a student-designed and manned booth as part of the gallery walk. This will ensure academic, artistic and civic public recognition for all students and includes their families. Family members will come to see their student’s art and academic contributions on display, and perhaps volunteer to supervise on the fieldtrip or to help with the gallery walk set-up, supervision, etc. Family attendance and the opportunity to participate will facilitate building a positive rapport.

          As a teacher, I will observe individual students carefully to make sure I am recognizing when they might benefit from my input, facilitation for communication, expression and social interaction. This will contribute to a positive rapport. Also I have planned a fieldtrip included in this artifact that includes many activities that engage the large group toward this end such as:  participating in a tea ceremony with proper reverence according to Japanese custom that encourages the students to reflect on friendship, peace and harmony; reflecting in writing on their impressions of the Japanese Friendship Garden. Activities like these optimize my ability to facilitate positive social interaction among my students, meanwhile they offer many opportunities to run many sturdy threads through the fabric of learning standard curriculum to tie academic content together and facilitate the students’ ability to connect to it in a memorable way. With my careful observation and reflection on student response and academic outcomes, I will afford myself the insight I will need to embed necessary academic product accommodations into self-monitored goal-setting and a positive social environment for all students. Please also view the various other attached  artifacts that demonstrate my ability to cultivate a productive and nurturing social environment for my students.