These tips & ideas for how to make students feel like they belong will help you build a positive and encouraging community in your classroom.
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!
Festivals and rituals are integral to many cultures around the world, and they play a significant role in a child's upbringing.
From the moment students step through your door, you begin to build that sense of community together. It’s important to start working on core values immediately so that students know they are going to be apart of a class family that is safe, supportive, and welcoming. These are some of my favorite ways to build […]
This project was commissioned by The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (The KWCF) to explore belonging in Kitchener, Waterloo and Woolwich. By doing so, The KWCF hopes to strengthen community and increase the involvement of residents across locations and demographics.
Ideal for whole school use; this bundle includes three division specific activities around intent vs. impact. As adults, we know that our intentions can sometimes have different impacts. Support life skills, social emotional learning, and belonging by teaching your students this vital skill with student-friendly language and age appropriate scenarios. Great for community and morning meetings! Topics include healthy relationships, academic integrity, the importance of gratitude, good sportsmanship, and inclusion. Support critical thinking, SEL, self and community awareness, community, conflict resolution, and team building. Good for homeschooling as well! Click preview to see more :) Also check out our coping skills lesson, character ed bundle, and social emotional check-in questions! Ready to use (plug & play friendly), but also fully editable in Google Drive. If you like this, please consider rating it :)
From the moment students step through your door, you begin to build that sense of community together. It’s important to start working on core values immediately so that students know they are going to be apart of a class family that is safe, supportive, and welcoming. These are some of my favorite ways to build […]
From the moment students step through your door, you begin to build that sense of community together. It’s important to start working on core values immediately so that students know they are going to be apart of a class family that is safe, supportive, and welcoming. These are some of my favorite ways to build […]
“Belonging is the thing that matters most,” writes designer Susie Wise in her book, Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities. Here’s a look at her “moments of belonging” and how to weave them into the fabric of events.
Explore these fun and informative ideas to build a strong classroom community in primary grades! From student jobs to team building activities, foster a sense of belonging in kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade. These classroom community lessons to build friendship, respect, and kindness will help you create a learning environment where students thrive. Grab the FREE classroom community activities and respect scenario role play task cards to get you started!
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How can you promote equity and belonging in your inclusive school community? Try the tips in today’s post, excerpted and adapted from the new book True Inclusion With UDL by Patti Kelly Ralabate. Explore eight key elements of an inclusive, culturally responsive community—and for each one, discover specific aspects of equity and belonging to focus […]
How placemaking builds places and communities
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Establish expectations for an inclusive classroom community from the very beginning with my FREE Sense of Belonging SEL Morning Meeting unit. The SEL unit includes suggested books on belonging, belonging activities, belonging quotes, belonging bulletin board materials, morning meeting Google Slides
Learn how to foster Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in the workplace in 2024 for organizational success!
What do you do when there are five minutes left in class? One of my favorite quick activities is "Guess Who?" cards. Guess who cards help manage classroom behavior during awkward transition times, or other
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Grade Levels K - 5th Subjects Science, Back to School, Engineering Resource Type Activities, Fun Stuff, GATE Formats Included PDF Pages 45 pages
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Building belonging is an invitation to learn not just from our pain, but also from our joy. It is my gift back to a movement that has been feeding my heart for almost three decades.
Establish expectations for an inclusive classroom community from the very beginning with my FREE Sense of Belonging SEL Morning Meeting unit. The SEL unit includes suggested books on belonging, belonging activities, belonging quotes, belonging bulletin board materials, morning meeting Google Slides
Living with a chronic health condition can be challenging at the best of times, but over the years I’ve noticed a trend. When I close myself off from people or isolate (and disconnect from my own c…
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Ergatta is a game-based connected rowing machine designed for your living room. Get inspired to achieve your fitness goals, establish a routine, and row with a community.
Setting boundaries with kids is a great way to learn natural consequences and make good choices. Healthy boundaries can help kids navigate life successfully.
