Building a classroom community is one of the most important things for teachers to think about at the start of a school year. Successful classroom communities begin by forming positive relationships with students. For that to happen, you have to really get to know your students and let them get to know you. This takes time and effort. Here are some of my favorite ideas to get you started.
THREE THINGS I WANT MY TEACHER TO KNOW ABOUT ME
I start by modeling the activity. I present three things I want my students to know about me. I tell them some things about myself that they wouldn’t already know. They are usually surprised and interested in what I chose to tell them. Next, each student writes three things that they want me to know about them.I love this activity because it is open-ended and it allows students to choose what they want to share without having to talk in front of a group. Some students will write about their hobbies, pets, and friends. Others will share strengths and weaknesses.
Once the emojis are created, students write about it. They explain each feature and how it represents their personality. This activity gives me a glimpse of how my students view themselves. And, it makes an amazing bulletin board for Open House Night.
SUMMERGRAM – SHARING MEMORIES WITH A SOCIAL MEDIA TWIST
Each student lists nine fun things they did during the summer break. Then the students will create a “Summergram” grid with nine pictures to represent the activities and plan a “Summergram” post. This activity can also be turned into a cute bulletin board.
Building relationships with students takes time, but it is well worth the effort. These positive relationships will help your classroom community to grow.
Leave a Reply