Medea E. Lamberti-Sanchez
When students can relate to each other and are invested in a common interest, they share an emotional connection, which can be defined as "the commitment and belief that members have shared and will share history, common places, and time together, and similar experiences" (Aronson and Mills, 1959). This is the teacher's hope when their students enter the classroom in September. Very little is known about each other's interests or dislikes, so he or she would hope that his or her classroom will share history and become active members of the classroom community. Membership is defined as "the feeling that one has invested part of oneself to become a member and therefore has a right to belong" (Aronson and Mills, 1959). Everyone has the right to belong within their school community. Adolescents, especially, have difficulty connecting with their peers if they do not know them socially, or personally. The success rate of the students depends on the connections made with people within the school community and the relationships that are built with each other. When students feel like they belong, the issue of behavior becomes almost non-existent because everyone has a chance at achieving a common goal, or a shared reward. Belonging is defined as," the feeling, belief, and expectation that one fits in the group and has a place there, a feeling of acceptance by the group, and a willingness to sacrifice for the group" (McMillan (1976).
American Psychologist, Abraham Maslow, included in his 1943 paper, A Theory of Human Motivation, a hierarchy of needs that every human must have in order to ensure his or her success. In his pyramid of needs, is the need for belonging. He stated that human relationships drive behavior, and that in order to avoid the feeling of loneliness, one should be involved in any type of social group that allows one to feel accepted and loved (Cherry, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, 2014) The feeling of belonging plays an important role in satisfying a very basic need. Children can fulfill this need by belonging to sports organizations, dance classes, music classes, and the classroom where intimate relationships are formed. Friends are the links to building a classroom community that is respectful and supportive to one another. They need to feel good when their peers are around, not lonely or scared to make new friends; especially if the students are new to the school; their peers are the first intimate relationships that they have. The classroom community is one that should be built upon a shared goal of respect, so that these relationships and the need to belong come easily to the students. It is suggested that team based projects and social events promote that feeling of belonging among group individuals.
Since adolescence is a difficult stage in life, students need to feel accepted among their peers. Middle School children need an outlet to be able to share ideas, thoughts, and activities, so the emotional need is supported and team building activities need to be explored. Students can take solace in the idea that they are not alone, and that they do have the support from their peers to exhibit positive behavior. Students need to be able to listen to each other's perspectives and embrace the challenges that different perspectives may present within the classroom.
