Creating Positive Peer
Relationships in the Classroom
Two
of the classes I have observed this year were preparation classes. One of them
was the 6th graders who have come from different schools and the
other one was the 9th grade classroom which also consisted of
students who have come from other institutions. Thus, the environment in these
two classrooms was different from that of the 5th graders who have
known each other for a long time. In these two classes, peer relationships were
considerably different from that of the 5th grade classroom.
At
the beginning of the year, the students in these classes were usually hanging
out in very small groups or individually. Especially in the 9th
graders, maybe because they are teenagers, the students generally preferred to
be alone or with the only two or three people they knew. This situation
affected the classroom environment negatively as well. For example, no one
wanted to do group activities very willingly as they felt like strangers.
In
these two grades, this problem was solved with different methods. For the case
of the 9th graders, the school organized an orientation program
which they organize every year to make the students familiar with each other.
Throughout this orientation program, the students joined some trips and sports
events all together. These events were invaluable opportunities for teenagers
to know each other better and to socialize. They made new friends and knew each
other better after this orientation period. After this orientation program, the
environment of the classroom changed considerably and we could observe more
positive relationship patterns among the students. The English teacher also implemented
some activities which helped them know each other better such as “Find someone
who….” game.
For
the case of the 6th graders, the school did not have such a
comprehensive orientation program. Rather, it was the teacher who prepared some
activities and games to make the students more familiar with each other. For example,
she always prepared fun group activities for them. She made them paint a
picture, prepare a poster or define each other with the adjectives they have
learned in the class in groups. After some time, she also added some language
contests to her class which made the students feel more connected to their
groups and added another dimension to their friendship.
To
sum up, I can say that it is a challenging job to teach a class of students who
are not familiar with each other. Thus, we should try to create positive peer
relationships using all the sources we have. If the school can help us with an
orientation program as in the case of 9th graders, it can also be a
very good opportunity to create a friendly classroom environment.
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