Welcome back to A Spoonful of Teaching! Today I'm talking about Classroom Community! Building a strong classroom community is so important. My students are like my closest friends-- I mean, I see them 5 days a week for about 8 hours a day. Building a great connection is important because it allows students to feel safe. When students feel safe, they tend to open up more and they feel comfortable. And when they feel comfortable, that's when the most effective learning can happen. Taylor, my co-teacher, and I have a strong belief in creating a well built connection with students. Here are my 5 favorite ways to build classroom community:
1) Whiteboard Message
This is one of my absolute
favorite ways to connect with students! I set the expectations for whiteboard messages on the second day of school. My students are like little robots in the morning because they have a routine they've followed since the second day of school. After they store their book bags in the hallway lockers, they come in and make their lunch choice. Their next step is to answer the whiteboard message. I can't take credit for this because I've seen ideas all over Pinterest. They're just quick, fun questions to answer so I can get to know my kiddos! For example, today's message was "Thumbs Up Thursday- what is something you're proud of?" Not only do I love it, but the students love it as well! It's so exciting to see their creative thoughts and ideas!
 |
| One of my favorite whiteboard messages! |
2) Classroom Challenge
This is an
incredibly fun way to get to know your students. I cannot give enough credit to Presto Plans. If you're an educator, check them out on teacherspayteachers.com, Instagram, and her website www.prestoplans.com. She has created an incredible resource called Classroom Challenges. Every so often, Taylor and I combine fourth grade homerooms to complete the surprise challenge. We love how we do it at random times because we feel it makes the challenge more special if it's out of the blue! The resource is so well organized and we adore all of the activities. For example, our school celebrated kindness week back in November. In honor of that, we did a classroom challenge that required us to brainstorm a list of acts of kindness. Then, students were further challenged to complete a few at home. It is so fun and they get so hyped when I begin to open an envelope to accept a new challenge.
 |
| Sometimes we hangout in the hallway to complete a challenge! |
3) W.O.W. Goal
So my school introduced me to this and I absolutely adore it (shoutout to Katie the Tech Lady and Mr. Selliers!!!). A W.O.W. goal means "within one week." I love this as a classroom community tool because we decide on a goal together and it's their job to achieve it as a class. We've had goals such as "no more than 4 tardies in a week," "collectively earn 150 Class Dojo points (online point system)," and "show exceptional hallway behavior." I also enjoy W.O.W. goals because students encourage each other to achieve the goal. Kids take ownership in their goal and we keep track of their progress on a poster outside our classroom. Each time we've reached our goal, they receive a small reward. (brag tags are a huge deal in my classroom) If we do not reach a goal, we have a conversation about what we could do better next time. It strengthens our sense of community and goal-setting!
 |
| Here's an example of a WOW goal that a junior high class at my school worked on. |
4) Weekly Letter
I've adapted this idea from one of my favorite teacher blogs: Teaching with a Mountain View. I introduced this at the beginning of the year and they are still just as excited about it as they were in August. Every Friday, I write a letter to students- it's that simple! I type up a letter to each student. In the letter, I give students at least two questions to answer in their letter back to me. Questions range from academic topics we covered through out the week to what their favorite candy is. Students love to share their lives just as much as I do! Not only does this build a great connection between teacher and student, but also allows them to practice their writing skills. At the beginning of the year, we go over how to write a quality friendly letter to prepare for their first weekly letter. Each week I send home a weekly letter template they can use. I love getting to read about what their hobbies are outside of school!
 |
| This is the letter I send home with students to give to their family at the beginning of the year explaining what a "weekly letter" is, along with an acceptable example. |
5) Small Talk
It is so important to talk with your students about non-academic topics. Seriously find free time in the day to strike up a conversation with one or two students about their life. This makes them feel like you aren't just their teacher, but also their friend. It also makes students feel
comfortable. And as I've said, when students feel comfortable, behaviors can decrease and more learning happens. Not only should you find time to casually chat with students, but also share about your life! My nuggets
love to hear about Joey, Luna, and my parents, as well as seeing pictures! Another thing I do quite frequently is being silly with them. They love to giggle and then say 10 minutes later, "remember when we...." It's adorable. Most importantly, be yourself. Students can absolutely see through the B.S. No matter what age, they can just sense if you are being phony. By being yourself, you are setting the standard that all students should just be who they are.
One of my favorite parts of teaching is building an incredible bond with my students. It's interesting to get to know them and even more interesting to hear about their lives (and for me to share mine). If you enjoyed these classroom community tips, please share! Thanks for stopping by A Spoonful of Teaching!
Comments
Post a Comment