Why is establishing community an important classroom management goal?

Community is defined "as a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals."  Based on this definition alone, community is the default of any student body that share a classroom, teacher, age, and school. That's a good start but not enough.  As a classroom management goal, community has to be established, nurtured and is therefore intentional and ongoing.  

The importance of community in the classroom can be traced to basic human needs- safety, love, recognition and growth opportunities. An environment that is deliberate in supporting these things undergirds one's success in areas such as academics.  I suppose most schools, and teachers like yourself, are already ensuring your student's basic needs are addressed in practical ways:

Safety: separate set aside space to call for gathering and learning, lockers to keep property, security guards, safety rules.

Sense of belonging/Recognition: Names are known and spoken, written, students have their own desks.

Growth opportunities: Assignments, grade levels, extracurricular.

I would like to propose another level to the community that can be found in the Theater.  The Theater wonderfully models community-in-action. A group of strangers come together to put on a show for another group of strangers and in that process, a bond is formed in both groups. It's amazing really.
It goes beyond community-by-proximity and enters into community-by-connecting.  In theater, connecting is the key to the strong and lasting bonds that exist within its walls. 

In the lessons that follow, you will be introduced to 5 games curated to promote community through connection in your classroom.
As an acting instructor, I use these games to help foster ensemble work. 

In the classroom, they will help to promote and reinforce standard classroom rules and expectations such as one voice at a time, flexibility, respect for differing perspectives, working together, and active listening. I imagine you will think of more ways to use the same games to reinforce community. I am counting on it.

Reference: