Creating a classroom community

Heather Blacker has been incorporating the lessons of Project 11 in her Grade 4/5 class since the program piloted in 2013. Teaching at an at-risk school poses unique challenges for educators and Heather has found that Project 11’s lessons help her to better navigate her students’ needs by establishing a sense of trust and opening the lines of communication within her classroom. Students have been enabled to have open and honest conversations amongst themselves and with her about topics that can be difficult to talk about – including identifying and expressing the variety of emotions that they are feeling, which has brought them closer together as a class. The lessons on establishing healthy friendships have been especially impactful as Heather has observed students constructively managing situations when a friend demonstrates unhealthy traits, indicating that they have learned how to make positive independent choices for themselves while also showing more mindfulness in their relationships with others.

“The communication shared amongst my class during the Project 11 lessons is so valued by my students and myself. I feel closer to them, I understand their needs better and we have developed a greater trust that allows them to take risks that they may not have been comfortable to do before.” – Heather Blacker, Grade 4/5 teacher, Brooklands School