Classrooms as Learning Communities
In classrooms that operate as learning communities, the social and learning purposes advance together through all participants being involved and engaged in building knowledge. This book demonstrates a new way of seeing and managing classrooms through:
- an integration of what's best in learning and what's best in the social life of classrooms
- a vision of the role of the teacher that is more creative and more related to the commitments of teachers
- a more connected view of schools in contrast to the mechanistic view that currently dominates
- an answer to the short-term performance pressures of politicians - better performance.
The practice and vision of classrooms that operate as learning communities is presented clearly and encourages teachers to take steps towards building a more effective classroom with the aspects of learning communities they choose.
Chris Watkins is a reader in education at the University of London, Institute of Education and course tutor to the MA in Effective Learning. He has been a teacher and worked with pupils whose effect on school was sometimes disruptive. For twenty years he has contributed to improvements in tutoring, mentoring, classroom behaviour, school behaviour and learning.