What Do We Mean by ‘Belonging’?

Belonging is a theme that runs through this issue of The Bridge. Teachers know that a sense of belonging is really important to children’s learning but do we really have a shared understanding of what is required of us as educators to create belonging classrooms and schools, where learners and learning can flourish?

Informed by articles in the previous two sections, the draft model which follows is offered as a point of reflection and discussion.  It is designed to enable teachers, individually or in groups, to form for ourselves a richer picture of what a school that emphasises belonging might involve.  

In this ‘Resources for Teachers’ section, you are invited not just to reflect on the model, but to edit it (hence draft) to make it useful in your context. We have suggested some group discussion questions and activities that might be used in staff workshops to surface strengths and areas for development in your school’s receptiveness to ‘belonging’.  

“As human beings, one of the most essential needs we have is the need to belong. When that sense of belonging is there, children throw themselves into the learning environment and when that sense of belonging is not there, children will alienate, they will marginalise, they will step back.” – Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, President and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute in Building a Belonging Classroom, Edutopia