This text reports on the results of a case study in the collective construction of common life in the classroom, conducted at a public education institute in the city of Concepción, Chile. The general objective of the study is to develop through a reflexive and participative process guiding principles and values for the common life in the classroom, deemed to be conditions for students' learning. The importance of this investigation is rooted in the idea that teachers' reflection about common life at school is a felt need in education institutes, and that its absence gives rise to multiple tensions: dialectics between culture and contents, symbolic violence, school violence and difficulties of management in the classroom. In view of these facts we propose a collective reflection strategy founded on the collection and analysis of data through three devices, allowing their later discussion with teachers of the education community. Among the main conclusions of this study are: participants attributed high seriousness to the problems involving human relations in the classroom; the need for the collective construction between teachers of the norms for common life in the classroom; and the importance attributed to the management team for the improvement of common life in the classroom.
Common life in the classroom; Critical incidents; Teacher reflection
