It’s wonderful to have a sense of belonging. When you ask students about their group allegiances, they’ll typically say things like:

I’m a follower of a certain religion
I’m a member of this family
I’m an American
I’m an Ohioan
I’m a member of a political party
I’m a Cleveland Cavs fan
I’m a member of the softball team
I’m a certain gender
I’m a fan of a certain type of music
I have a certain sexual identity
I’m a fan of the television show Parks and Rec
I’m a member of Generation Z
Wouldn’t it be cool if students also proclaimed, “I’m a proud member of Mr. Sturtevant’s class!”

Dr. Todd Finley of East Carolina has thoroughly researched class identity. In this episode, we’ll discuss why such identity is important and what can be done to foster belonging.