Authors: Jeffrey L. Lewis, Eunhee Kim, Angel Gullón-Rivera, Lauren Woods

September 2007, 26 pp.

Abstract: We still have much to learn about how effective teachers promote positive social and academic behaviors in urban African American children. Through an analysis of videotaped data from two successful after-school programs, we introduce solidarity in community as a framework for understanding the process by which children develop these positive behaviors. We identify five components of fostering solidarity in community, including:

• developing a sense of “we-ness” in the children,
• providing support and opportunity for all children to participate and develop skills,
• supporting positive classroom identities through teacher-student interactions,
• incorporating children’s ideas, interests, and experiences into the curriculum, and
• creating classrooms in which children can maintain their integrity and feel comfortable.

Keywords: urban, African American, cultural relevance, solidarity

Read the full working paper: Solidarity in Community: Encouraging Positive Social and Academic Behaviors in Urban African American Children (PDF)