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For Your Hands: 5 Ways to Build Classroom Community

Taken from Building a Positive Classroom Community, on 
"...by intentionally taking time to build a positive community in your classroom, you can ease the challenges of classroom management, improve student attitude toward learning, and create an environment where students feel welcomed and supported." 

1. Set up a Classroom Challenge. Establish a positive classroom community by having students complete short activities that encourage kindness, collaboration, teamwork, expression, and the sharing of ideas and opinions. These challenges don’t need to take up a lot of time.  Have them last 5-10 minutes.  They can be used daily as a bell-ringer, weekly as a fun Friday  activity, or even randomly when you finish class a few minutes early! How it works: The teacher sets up a "Classroom Challenge" bulletin board display that includes 20 hidden activity prompts. Once a challenge is revealed, the teacher finds the corresponding activity, passes it out to the class, and they are ready to go! Here are a few of the prompts I include in my challenge to give you an idea of the types of activities can help build community: Write a thank you card for someone you appreciate; Talk for one minute to a partner about the topic you receive from your teacher; Write a top 10 list on the topic of your choice; Imagine you are stuck on a deserted island - Pick one book, one movie, and one other item to bring; Play a game of 20 questions with a partner.

2. Start using Class Throwbacks. You know that nostalgic feeling you get when you are reminiscing with your friends about times past?  Bring that into your room with "Classroom Throwbacks".  Students use small cards to write down funny, interesting, and memorable moments that happen within the classroom and put it in the “Classroom Thowbacks” jar/box. You can have students fill out the cards randomly, or you can pass them out from time to time, put students in small groups, and have them fill the cards out with a couple memories.  Once the throwback jar starts to accumulate some cards, you can begin sharing them in class.  You might consider sharing one a week for a “Throwback Thursday” activity.

3. Celebrate Student Accomplishments.  Build morale in your classroom by finding ways to celebrate your students for the things you see them doing that deserve some praise and appreciation.  There are lots of ways you can do this.  You can post student work in your classroom, call or email parents to brag up those students who don’t often get a pat on the back, or even have a student of the month / week display for those who deserve special recognition! Keep funny cards tucked away in your desk for those occasions where a student surprises or impresses you.

4. Hire Student Paparazzi. Ask for volunteers for “student paparazzi”. Their job is to take pictures of students in the classroom and send them to you via email to print and post. Of course, students should only take pictures when you deem it appropriate.  They could take some before and after the bell rings or during a class activity (when appropriate and with permission) or at the end of the period if class finishes up a couple minutes early. When you post the pictures in your classroom, consider framing them! Framed photos create a home-like, family atmosphere where students feel welcomed and accepted. If you have a classroom website or social media account, you could also post the pictures there as long as you have parent media release permission forms. 

5. End the Week with a Friday 5-4-3-2-1. Providing students with an opportunity to reflect on the positive moments of the week and look forward to the next week is another way to help foster classroom community. One way you can do this is by starting a weekly tradition called "Friday 5-4-3-2-1". Students fill out the sheet by jotting down 5 things that made them smile, 4 words to describe the week, 3 things they have planned for the weekend, 2 things they learned, and 1 goal they have.  Give students a few minutes to fill it out and have them share with a partner, a small group, or have a whole class discussion.

Find examples, downloadables, pictures, and more .

For Your Head: The Art of Gathering

As I wrote last week, Shona shared with me the podcast (Unlocking Us) linked in this week's post. Priya Parker wrote The Art of Gathering, and speaks with one of my favorite authors, Brené Brown, about how paying attention to how and why we're gathering can be transformative. This week's notes come from the podcast, which is also linked below this segment for you. While the focus of the conversation is on gatherings for events or get-togethers, I believe these principles are transferable to the classroom environment.

• gathering = 3 or more people who've come together for a specific purpose
• aim to prioritize people & connections over following old rules or formats - "this is how we do this" or adherence to a form for the form's sake becomes an enemy of invention
• establish a clear intention, a bold, sharp purpose - why are we coming together, what real & specific need are we addressing 
• as the host, guide "guests" so that they can be successful in this "place" - create a sense of togetherness, avoid underhosting, apply 'generous authority' by using your power as host to protect the purpose of the gathering in order to serve the group
• "Gatherings crackle & flourish when real thought goes into them, when - often invisible - structure is baked into them, and when the host has a curiosity, willingness and generosity of spirit to try."

For Your Heart: On the Art of Gathering (Podcast)