Community is a Place Called Home by Andy Schoenborn

Many of my students are working on senior projects as they finish up their last trimester in ELA.  The projects are demonstrations of leadership meant to help kids find what they are passionate about as they learn to give back.  I take a hands-off approach to the project and students fully own what they choose to create.

Yesterday a student shared with me that she was struggling with how to create an annotated bibliography.  A classmate with another question joined us and we had the following conversation:

Aurora: “Mr. Schoenborn, my project of working with kids with special needs is going
well, but I’m not sure how to do the annotated bibliography.”

Me: “Okay, did you look at the examples on the class website?”

Aurora: “I did, but I’m still kind of confused.”

Me: “Where are you struggling?”

Aurora: “I’m just not sure how to start.  I can see there is a paragraph and three bullet
points that follow, but I don’t know where they came up with the information.”

Me: “Let’s look at it together.  Will you show me?”

We found the online example and continued our conversation.




Aurora, pointing to the paragraph: “What do I do there?”

Tim: “Oh, that’s the summary of what you’ve learned through your study.  It’s not hard,
really, but you need to do a little bit of research first.  It confused me too, but once I investigated a bit it was pretty easy.”

Aurora: “So you have to do that part last?”

Tim: “Yeah, that’s what messed me up at first.  Here, I’ll walk you through what I did.”

Aurora looked to me for affirmation: “Is it okay if Tim shows me how to do the
annotated bib?”

Me: “Sure, not a problem with me, if you don’t mind, Tim.”

Tim: “I don’t mind; it won’t take too long.”

Me: “Cool.  Isn’t it nice to have a learning community like this where we help each
other?”

Aurora, smiling: “Yeah, it’s not like other classes.  Everybody cares about each other
here.” 

They both found a spot to confer and Aurora got the help she needed.

It’s true.  We care.

Learning communities begin with a sense of personal ownership that start and end with “we.”  It is a collective of people all interested in moving in the same direction.  In my classroom community grows organically because I have learned to hold loosely onto the reins giving up control by learning with my students.  When we all have a chance to be the lead learner a sense of responsibility for the group forms.

Like the community in my classroom, I could not do it in isolation.  I could not grow by happily accepting the mandatory one-size-fits-all professional development offered by my district. 

I can, however, point to three pivotal communities in my teacher-life that shifted my paradigm and acted as launching pads for growth.  In each instance, there was a community of encouragement, support, and interdependent growth. 

The Michigan Council of Teachers of English and all of the brilliant teacher-learners who shared their work in breakout sessions gave me the confidence to submit speaking proposals.  They encouraged me to invite others into my classroom.

The Chippewa River Writing Project, a National Writing Project affiliate, marked a dramatic shift in my thinking of writing instruction as it introduced me to the workshop model.  They supported me to think beyond my classroom and Michigan. 

Recently, I have found a home with the Teach Write Tribe.  A group of brilliant educators who have transformed the way I think about a personal learners network.  Though we have never met, I know each of them.  They are the ELA department I have always wanted and the friends I always needed.   

#TeachWrite is a collaborative team who find ways to risk, write, and share.  We support each other daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Voxer.  Nothing is better than to watch your friends grow together across vast distances.  In the near future, when we do finally meet face-to-face it will be a wonderful celebration!  I cannot wait! 

When I think of community, I echo Aurora’s sentiment.  These groups are not like other places, “Everybody cares about each other here.”

A community is a place called home.  I have found my home.  It can be yours, too.  Just pull up a seat.  We can’t wait to read what you write. 


Andy Schoenborn is a high school English teacher in Michigan at Mt. Pleasant Public Schools.  He focuses his work on progressive literacy methods including student-centered critical thinking, digital collaboration, and professional development.  As a past-president of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English and National Writing Project teacher consultant for Central Michigan University’s Chippewa River Writing Project he frequently conducts workshops related to literacy and technology.  Read his thoughts on literacy in the elafieldbook.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter @aschoenborn.