Why It Is Important to Know Your Community as an Educator

Andrew Stutts

There are various reasons why it is important for an educator to know as much information as possible concerning the community and school in which they serve.  First, it helps you to better serve the needs of your community.  This is only possible if you know those needs.  Second, it helps you know how to communicate your needs and leverage the support you need from the community.  Finally, an educator’s knowledge of the community and school demonstrates a commitment to the success of that community.

Knowing the needs of the community aids in serving those needs.  It is also useful to know the challenges faced by the community and individual students.  An educator is better prepared to engage each student when he understands the struggles faced at home.  Knowing the community of your individual students facilitates better lessons and engagement strategies that are tailored to the needs of your students.

Knowing your community and school allows an educator to effectively communicate needs to that community for support.  Furthermore, knowing the past challenges and best/worst practices is invaluable.   If you know the past history of the community, district, and school you know what battles have been lost or won.  Time won’t be spent reinventing the wheel or requesting what just is not possible.

An educator’s knowledge of the community communicates a commitment to success.  When an educator demonstrates a knowledge of the community through word and deed commitment becomes apparent to that community.  Your intentions and good will become obvious resulting in more support from the community.   Furthermore, knowing the community is just the right thing to do.  

In summary, knowing your community as an educator is important in numerous ways.  Needs can only be served if they are understood.  You have to fully understand the needs of a community to serve its best interest as an educator.   Support can only be obtained if you know how to engage for that support.  Time will be spent more productive if historic best and worst practices are realized.  Lastly, understanding the community you serve is the right thing to do.  It demonstrates your investment as an educator in the success of that community’s goals.