Introducing our Back to School Sorts, designed to help early elementary students master essential classroom skills while making learning fun! This comprehensive resource is perfect for teachers looking to introduce and reinforce key behaviors, like how to use crayons and scissors safely, when it's a...

7 ways to build classroom community and teach social-emotional skills each day during an SEL morning meeting.

Learn about the importance of SEL and 11 essential ways that teachers can incorporate social-emotional learning activities into the classroom today.

I love this activity, and it's one of my best sellers! This cut and sort activity is great for all ages, and can be done individually or as a group. I typically completed this activity with my second graders after a read aloud at the beginning of the year (such as "Do Unto Otters" by Laurie Keller). It's such a great activity to build classroom community, and even build cut and paste skills! It's a great activity to encourage being a good citizen during Social Studies, also! While I mentioned second grade, I've had other grade levels purchase and use this item also. It's never too early (or too late!!) to review and discuss being a good citizen! :) Simply download and print!

When teaching for kindergarten, social emotional learning is a huge focus. These books help our little kinders understand their BIG feelings.

Building a classroom community is important! Learn 3 easy ways to strengthen your classroom community & student relationships each morning!

It’s back to school season! With back to school comes lots of new routines and establishing expectations. I have a few French read aloud books I like to use.

Building a classroom community where students feel included, valued, and supported is every teacher's dream. As educators, we want our students to feel like important members of our classroom community. Of course, this happens naturally in the way we interact with students and the way we celebrate learning in our classrooms. However, I've found that it is also effective to include intentional activities that help students build bonds, develop social emotional learning skills, and foster a positive learning culture. Here are a few of my favorite ways to build a positive classroom environment... Writing notes to students is a wonderful way to let them know how important they are. Many students have a deep desire to be noticed and recognized. Taking a moment to share a kind note with kids is a perfect (and easy) way to let them know that they matter. The notes you write don't need to be extravagant. Sometimes a little message next to students' homework assignments or a post-it note at their desks is perfect. You might also want to be more intentional and designate a day in your planning to write notes to students. I've found that it's best to keep a set of notecards at the ready for sharing with students. To make sharing words of encouragement really easy, just grab this FREE set of positive note cards. Build a positive classroom community by giving students a chance to be kind to each other. One of my favorite ways to do this is to play "Pass the Compliment." Begin by discussing what constitutes a sincere compliment, and how to give specific praise. Explain to your students that a comment like “good job” is less powerful than a comment that begins with “I really liked the way you...” Once they’ve got the gist, have them put their new skill into practice by writing specific, sincere compliments about their classmates by passing around customized compliment collecting papers for each student. When the students receive their customized, original compliments, stand back and watch them beam – my students talked about this for months after we did it! Find this FREE activity along with many more in this 25+ page resource filled with kindness activities. Promote positivity in the classroom with inspirational quotes and writing prompts. One way to do just that is with positive pennant flags. First, students will choose a motivational quote that inspires them. Then, they’ll respond to a writing prompt based on the quote. The writing prompt gives students a chance to pause and reflect. Finally, students combine their writing with a pennant topper with a motivational quote to make a fun and inspiring pennant flag. These pennant flags make incredible displays. They’re easy to create and impactful to share. Your students will love this community-building, classroom-beautifying, writing-practicing, positivity-creating activity! Check them out here. Create a "sea" of kindness in your classroom one drop at a time. Build a positive classroom community by hosting a Random Acts of Kindness challenge in your classroom to encourage students to spread kindness at school, home and in the community. In this activity, students perform four random acts of kindness and record their good deeds on “drops of kindness.” The drops of kindness can be collected and displayed in the classroom as a reminder of the power and impact of small acts of kindness. Get this activity (and 5 more FREE kindness activities) directly in your inbox. Just click here. Give students a chance to investigate positive emotions like hope with the Chain of Hope activity. To begin, you have a discussion about hope with students. Students could share a time when they were hopeful and why hope is an important emotion. Then, give students a chance to create links for a classroom chain of hope. On strips of colorful paper, have students write a hope for themselves, their classroom, their community, and the world. Then, as students share their hopes, link the pieces of paper. Finally, hang the chain in the classroom. Find this activity and more here. Speaking of emotions, take time to help students build their social emotional learning skills. When students have a chance to explore emotions, they build more self-awareness. As their self-awareness increases, so does their ability to show empathy, build positive relationships, and make thoughtful decisions. Social emotional learning activities are a crucial way to promote a positive classroom community. One way to help students explore emotions is by having them work collaboratively to create an emotions skit. Assign small groups an emotion. Then, have students plan and write a script that showcases someone experiencing that emotion. Give students a chance to practice their skits before performing them for classmates. Find detailed planning pages and 5 additional social emotional learning lessons here. -------------------------------------------------------------- I think we both agree, there's nothing better than a classroom filled with positive energy. I hope you've found a few ideas to make your students feel connected to you, their classmates, and the school community. Grab each idea at these links... --- Free Positive Notecards --- Free Compliment Posters --- Positive Pennant Flags --- Free Acts of Kindness Challenge --- Chain of Hope (and 5 more activities) --- Emotions Skit (and more Social Emotional Learning Ideas) Thanks for stopping by! Mary Beth

Set a friendly tone in your classroom with these 30 "Get to Know You" games perfect for back to school or when welcoming a new student.

Not able to go off campus or want to practice community skills before going off campus? Here are some ideas to implement in the classroom!

Check out these great ideas for helping your students feel like part of a classroom community during distance learning & social distancing.

A Kindergarten blog about effective teaching and making learning fun.

Welcome to the Behavior Learning Community (BLC)—where we collaborate to revolutionize classroom behavior management. This monthly professional development webcast series is designed to empower educators with practical, impactful strategies that foster a positive learning environment. January 15, 2025 - Connecting with Care: Tips for Talking with Parents Building strong partnerships with parents is essential to supporting student success and creating a cohesive educational environment. This session will focus on strategies to enhance your communication skills, foster positive relationships, and ensure productive parent-teacher interactions. Learn how to communicate with empathy, clarity, and confidence to build trust and support student growth. Join us to refine your communication approach and strengthen your partnerships with parents for a more collaborative and successful school experience. Session Times: 8:00 AM 10:00 AM 12:00 PM 2:00 PM 4:00 PM Each 30-minute session is offered multiple times throughout the day to fit your schedule. Be sure to purchase by 3:00 PM the day before your chosen session to receive your connection details in time. Recording Availability: Do you have a conflict or have you missed your session? No worries! Recordings will be posted one week after the session and will be available until August 31, 2025.  Bonus: Sign up for the Behavior Brief to receive a curated list of group discussion prompts ahead of the next BLC session! Unlock new insights and secure your spot in the Behavior Learning Community today!

15 empathy books and videos for the classroom to teach kids about empathy, compassion, inclusion, and community. Use these social awareness books and videos during social-emotional learning lessons.

Teaching kids about our world, geography, maps, and more. Kindergarten Social Studies Lessons made easy #kindergarten #socialstudies

Try these engaging activities to build classroom community during the first week of school, including STEM, books, icebreakers, and games that help with social skills and developing friendships.

Try these engaging activities to build classroom community during the first week of school, including STEM, books, icebreakers, and games that help with social skills and developing friendships.

Teach friendship activities and improve social skills in the classroom with these ideas, such as sharing, taking turns, listening, teamwork, & cooperation.

Set a friendly tone in your classroom with these 30 "Get to Know You" games perfect for back to school or when welcoming a new student.

Simple, yet effective social responsibility strategies you can try today to teach kids to be more responsible, make good choices and set attainable goals.

Try these engaging activities to build classroom community during the first week of school, including STEM, books, icebreakers, and games that help with social skills and developing friendships.

Teach kids empathy and compassion through mindful, fun lessons, discussions, and activities that build social awareness and community.

My students love to talk. #chattiestclassever But I don’t want them to just be talkers. I want them to be thinkers too. And, I want them to be able to support what they’re thinking with reasons. That’s when I started using discussion starters. Keep reading to find out how you can try discussion starters FREE. ... Read more

Restorative practices have become increasingly popular in the last few years, but not everywhere. Through our local, national, and international travels to help schools implement restorative practices, we have observed that many primary schools incorporate PBIS to some level of fidelity. What we have also observed is that few primary schools seem to incorporate restorative […]

Hey everyone! It's Anna from Hanging with Mrs. Hulsey! The school year is officially in full swing-- and my students are definitely feeling more comfortable with me and each other! One thing I've decided we need to focus on more is our classroom community! Here are some quick ideas to help you promote a positive climate in your classroom! Use Team Builders Team building activities are easy to implement! They don't take a lot of time, students find them to be engaging, and they are often FREE! Here is a quick list of some of my favorite student team building activities: Human Knot (Students stand in circle, reach for hands of people across the way, and then they must untangle themselves without letting go. This can also be done as a spiderweb using a ball of yarn) Tallest Tower (Divide students into groups and give them supplies like straws, tape, blocks, etc. The team that can make the tallest tower wins!) Minefield (Set up a "minefield" that students must navigate a blindfolded partner through) Hula Hoop Pass (Can be played whole class or in teams. Students hold hands and must pass through a hula hoop as quickly as possible) Switch Sides If... (Use a chalk line, rope, or tape line. Have students stand on one side of the line. Read off items like "switch sides if you like to bake", etc.) The internet provides an infinite source of team building activities! I've included a few links below: http://www.ventureteambuilding.co.uk/team-building-activities/ http://www.momjunction.com/articles/team-building-activities-will-keep-kids-busy-summer_0074763/#gref http://mommieshobbies.blogspot.com/2014/01/switch-sides-if.html?m=1 Hold Morning Meetings Time is precious in my classroom because we departmentalize. It feels like we are always on the go. However, I feel that even something as small as a weekly morning meeting would help my students develop a more positive feeling toward one another. You can read more about morning meetings for older elementary students here! I also love this product from TPT! Write Daily White Board Messages I think this is a such a simple way to start the day off with a positive vibe! The night before (or morning of) write a simple prompt on the white board/chalkboard and have students respond on the board. This will foster another sense of ownership and community. You can find white board messages by searching google or Pinterest! Here are some quick ideas to get you started: 1 Thing Wednesday-- name one thing we've done this year that you'd like to do again! I Think I Can Thursday-- what is one goal you want to achieve this year? Flashback Friday-- what is one new thing you have learned this week? Write a compliment for a classmate by their name (no repeats!) Name 3 traits of a great friend What is your favorite book you've read this year? Thankful Thursday-- what is 1 thing you are thankful for? Make it Monday-- what is 1 thing you've always wanted to create?' Top 2 Tuesday-- write your top 2 favorite things about the school year so far Compliment Circles This activity would pair well with morning meetings! You and the students sit in a circle with everyone's legs out straight. Begin the compliment circle by giving a compliment to someone. Once someone has been complimented they cross their legs. Compliments continue until everyone has received 1. I think this is a great way to encourage students to see each other in different ways! Create a Kindness Board I created this one for the visual it would provide to my students. Plus, I wanted them to point out kindness when they see it in others! This one is easy to implement: 1. Print out the letters and hang on a wall or bulletin board. 2. Print the "caught being kind" strips on various colors of paper (I used Astrobright paper). 3. Cut the strips apart and keep on hand for when students catch others being kind. 4. When students experience a kindness or act of friendship, they come and ask you for a "caught being kind" strip. They write down their experience. 5. Start a paper chain and add a new link every time someone catches others being kind! You can find this HERE in my TPT store! Here is another type of board with a similar theme (kindness): You can find these fall themed board HERE in my store! I hope you found these ideas to be useful to implement in your classroom! If you have any questions-- feel free to leave them in the comment section!

I made these food matching cards to make sure that everyone was included in a fun way. Classroom partnerships have never been easier!

Come take a tour of my vocation & life skills lab where students are able to work on their IEP goals and independent living skills!

Community outings can help teach students in a natural environment. Grab your free printables for high school students today and start practicing...

25 Turn-Taking Activities & Games for Kids + How to Teach Kids to Take Turns ( with these 5 Turn-Taking Strategies)

These circle prompts are meant to be used within the restorative circle format. Restorative circles can build classroom community, solve conflicts, decrease negative behaviors, and practice social emotional skills. These prompts are specifically for community and rapport building and are low risk prompts. These are to be used to help students and teachers/counselors to get to know each other and practice the circle process. This resource includes: 104 community building circle prompts that can be printed and laminated for multiple uses.

Build classroom community with your grade 4 5 6 7 students using this social emotional anti bullying activity that will empower students to identify what hurts their feelings and have students see that words hurt the most. This activity will create a kinder, thoughtful classroom environment.

These free community helper sort and classify mats are so much fun for kids learning about people who help us! These mats come in two styles, blank mats

ALL ABOUT EARTH Get ready for a month filled with so many fun activities to teach your kiddos all about our planet Earth . I teach this unit in April so it coincides with Earth Day. I’ve loaded up this blog post post with read aloud book ideas, free videos you can share with your students,

Set a friendly tone in your classroom with these 30 "Get to Know You" games perfect for back to school or when welcoming a new student.

Role play exercises are a great way to teach social skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills, and emotional skills to students with special needs. In this post, we will share 35 teacher role playing ideas that you can use in your special ed classroom. These role-playing activities are suitable for various age groups, from young children… Read More »35 Fun Teacher Role Playing Ideas (Perfect for Special Ed)

Steps and advice on how to get a classroom student business for special education students selling seasonal home decor.

ALL ABOUT EARTH Get ready for a month filled with so many fun activities to teach your kiddos all about our planet Earth . I teach this unit in April so it coincides with Earth Day. I’ve loaded up this blog post post with read aloud book ideas, free videos you can share with your students,

Speech Therapy Store is dedicated to making your speech therapy life easier one resource at a time. To do this, we often partner with companies that share that mission. If …

96 conversation starters will give you a fun way to get students talking and building relationships. Perfect for getting to know you activities, social skills practice, transitions, and icebreakers. Can easily be used in whole class, small groups, or with individual students. What’s Included 96 Cards - 5 Different Types of Conversation Starters Would You Rather? - Students pick between two choices. (Not) My Favorite - Students answer with their favorite or least favorite. If You Could - Students answer hypothetical questions. I’d Like To Know - Students answer interview-style questions. What’s the Question? - Students tell their answer and other students have to guess the question. Blank template cards to create your own Printable Question list Color and BW for Printing Who Should Buy This? Perfect for classroom teachers, special education teachers, school counselors, and speech and language pathologists. Anyone looking for a fun way to get kids talking.

Help your students become more empathetic and compassionate with these social emotional learning lessons and activity ideas that are perfect for back to school or for building classroom community any time of the year. Pull out a copy of Each Kindness by Jaqueline Woodson and your students will be re