# data[].attributes.headline
Posters, Tips and Ideas to Promote a Positive Classroom Climate and Culture

# data[].attributes.subject
Posters, Tips and Ideas to Promote a Positive Classroom Climate and Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's no secret that teachers are facing challenging times in the classroom. Reports of bullying, intimidation, and disrespect have been on the rise in recent months. Teachers, now more than ever, are charged with the task of creating a more kind and inclusive environment for ALL of their students. One way to face those challenges is to provide direct instruction on kindness, compassion, and mutual respect. In addition to presenting relevant activities, teachers can also promote compassion by modeling expected behavior and incorporating inclusive instructional material and decor in their classrooms.

Before I forge ahead and share my list of printable activities, I'd love to share a FREE ebook copy of Sprinkle Your Sparkles with you! It's a picture book that I wrote about kindness and compassion in 2012. Here is the link on Amazon in case you want to take a look before you download the free copy. The free ecopy is available in my free resource library. After you subscribe, you'll receive an email with the password to the resource library (and, yes, you get all the other resources there for FREE as well).

Activities for Teaching Kindness in the Classroom

In lieu of the need for teaching materials that foster kindness and compassion, teacher authors from around the globe have come together to offer FREE classroom materials for teachers. Beginning January 20th, 2017, you can head over to Teachers Pay Teachers and type #kindnessnation and/or #weholdthesetruths in the search bar. The results will feature dozens of materials for a wide range of grade levels.

In addition to teaching materials designed to promote kindness and compassion, FREE products with the following themes can also be found:

Understanding our Branches of US Government and the US Constitution

Democracy

The history of the Civil Rights Movement, including suffrage

Environmental issues (including climate change)

Examining media bias (critical thinking)

Anti-bullying

Equality and inclusion for all people

Understanding and respecting cultural differences

Classroom Community Affirmation Posters

I am featuring Classroom Community Affirmation Posters for this important project. My subscribers can also access two additional style choices (a rainbow hands border as well as black-and-white copies) in my free resource library. These posters are designed to support kindness in the classroom, as well as inclusion, mutual respect, and compassion. You will find 16 affirmation posters as well as a student reflection page.

Here are a few of my favorite freebies on Teachers Pay Teachers related to kindness:

1. Empathy Interactive Notebook Kit by Edventures at Home: If your students could benefit from learning about empathy and relating to other children, this product is perfect for you. It includes an adorable interactive notebook kit with meaningful activities. The empathy pledge at the end is my favorite! Check it out:

2. Multilingual Peace Posters with Research and Writing Ideas by ESL Nexus: This product includes 15 peace posters in different languages. I was immediately drawn to the colors and the style, but most of all, I felt moved just thinking about each student's inalienable right to feel safe and included. Check it out:

3. The Kindness Club by Inspired Owl's Corner: The thing I love most about this product is wide array of reinforcement available for students. Making kindness cool by creating an inclusive club is sure to have a positive impact on students. Do you know any kids that don't love being a member of a cool club?

4. 30 Days of Kindness Challenge by Literary Sherri: The calendar that you can print and use immediately is absolutely chalk full of fantastic kindness suggestions. If students want to make their own, she provides a blank template for students to fill in as well. On a side note, I am printing this one for use with my own children at home! Check it out:

5. Classroom Community Character Traits Jigsaw Activity by Teaching in the Fast Lane: I love this jigsaw product because it focuses on character traits that are important in the classroom community (empathy, compassion, respect, courage, and inclusion). The interactive nature of the activity engages students and also holds them accountable for their learning. Check it out:

6. Teaching Kindness: No Prep Lesson Plans and Printables by The Third Wheel: If you are worried about time (what teacher isn't, right?), this product provides connections to literacy. The kindness goals and tickets are my favorite part of this activity! Check it out:

Please share links to your favorite freebies (from #kindnessnation and #weholdthesetruths on TPT) as well! I'd LOVE to check them out!

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." -Dalai Lama
You may be interested in these posts:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Promoting a Culture of Kindness in the Classroom with Free Activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's no secret that teachers are facing challenging times in the classroom. Reports of bullying, intimidation, and disrespect have been on the rise in recent months. Teachers, now more than ever, are charged with the task of creating a more kind and inclusive environment for ALL of their students.

# data[].attributes.headline
Strategies to Create a Positive Classroom Climate and Culture

# data[].attributes.subject
Strategies to Create a Positive Classroom Climate and Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teachers have an important task at the beginning of each school year - to help the students in their classroom become a cohesive unit that can truly work together as the year progresses. It's important to me that my students feel like our classroom is a family, where they are loved and accepted, safe and respected. Developing a positive classroom community takes time, but it is time well-invested. Follow these tips to build a positive community in your own classroom this year!

BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.

Research has even shown that a teacher's relationships with her students has a greater impact on student learning than the teacher's content knowledge! In other words, it doesn't matter how much you know if your students don't know how much you care about them. Relationship-building should be intentionally built into your classroom through lessons and activities. It can be tempting to think we don't have the time to "waste" on relationship-building, but that's just not true! It's so important.

FOCUS ON BECOMING A FAMILY.

All students (and people in general) have a deep, psychological need to belong. They need to know they are accepted and valued by the teacher and other students in the class. One of my favorite ways to help my classroom feel more like a family is to have Family Meetings at the beginning and end of the day. I bring students together in a circle in the mornings and afternoons to have group discussions, solve problems we may be experiencing, and share positive affirmations. Some people have these meetings only once a week, but my students are most responsive when I host them every day. We begin and end the day together on the carpet. I lead the meetings at the beginning of the year, but then teach students how to take over ownership. In time, the students learn the protocol for how a family meeting is held and are leading them out. This time is really cherished by the students!

TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO INTERACT AND BUILD AFFILIATIONS WITHIN SMALL GROUPS.

In order for students to truly work together in cooperative learning groups, they need to have time to get to know their team members more closely. This is why teambuilding activities are so important! Teambuilding Activities encourage students get to know one another better and develop positive peer affiliations. Teambuilding is truly the foundationfor cooperative learning tasks to be successful because it helps students learn how to interact within small groups. The first few weeks back in school are crucial for students to engage in teambuilding activities. Some ideas for teambuilding activities include:

TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO INTERACT AND BUILD AFFILIATIONS AS A WHOLE CLASS.

Teambuilding is a great way to teach students how to interact with one another in small groups, but Classbuilding intentionally teaches them how to interact with one another as a whole group. It is important to help your students build a class identity while still valuing the differences that make each student a unique member of the class. So often, they will form strong group bonds, so we need to get them out of their seats and interacting with people they don't always talk to! These activities are a fun way to mix up the class and get students building connections with new people.

Line ups - Line ups have students line up in order of shoe size, birthdays, number of siblings, from tallest to shortest, etc. Fold the Line Up for a fun discussion. Just have students at one end "fold the line" by walking back to the other end so each student is standing in front of another, then have them chat about a specific topic.

Four Corners - Assign each corner a statement, such as Strongly Agree, Somewhat Agree, Somewhat Disagree, Strongly Disagree. Then read out statements and have students self-select which corner best describes their opinion on the topic. They can chat with members in the same corner about what they have in common or share out why they identify with that statement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers have an important task at the beginning of each school year - to help the students in their classroom become a cohesive unit that can truly work together as the year progresses. It's important to me that my students feel like our classroom is a family, where they are loved and accepted, safe and respected.

# data[].attributes.headline
Strategies to Create a Positive Classroom Climate and Culture

# data[].attributes.subject
Strategies to Create a Positive Classroom Climate and Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Being a teacher these days is not even remotely easy. The nonsense we have to deal with from developmentally inappropriate standards to endless meetings and data to no lunch or bathroom breaks are nothing short of lunacy. Throw in an unruly class with some serious behavior problems and you have a recipe for early retirement.

The trick is to make what happens inside that classroom with those kids as joyful as possible so that the rest of the crazy in our profession will be easier to manage, We must try to shelter our students and ourselves from the stress and pressure.

We all know that achieving that classroom nirvana of peace and productivity requires an authentic connection with our students. When our students feel loved and understood, they feel safe. Safe enough to take academic and social risks. Safe enough to try and fail. In a close knit, loving environment, failure is part of the process, not an embarrassment.

But how do we form those genuine, loving relationships? There are many layers to that question, but I have complied a list of some of the ways I try to connect with kids in my class.

1. T-Mail

Nope, not email - Tmail! This is a small space set up for kids to write a note to the teacher. When the flag is up, I know I need to check for a note. I usually reply and leave it in their folder or hand it to them personally at the end of the day. The kids' faces light right up when they get that note back from the teacher! They feel so special.

2. Power of Post-its

At the beginning of the year, I grab a a pack of colorful post it notes and write each student's name on one. Over the next week, I jot a note and give it to the child. It might be a note of praise for working hard or a note of encouragement after a rough day. By labeling them at the beginning of the week, I ensure that every kid gets one. When all the notes are gone, I label another set of notes and start all over.

3. Conversation Notebooks

I bought small, 2 x 4 inch spiral notebooks at the Dollar Tree 3 for $1.00 and labeled one for each student. They keep it in their desk. Students write a note to me, leave it on my desk, and sometime that day or after school, I write a reply. We can write back and forth to each other as little or as often as the child likes. I have had kids ask me about my family, tell me about a conflict with another kid, share a joke, tell me how things are at home, or even just draw a silly picture.
I love it when I see a notebook appear on my desk!

4. Morning Greeting

I like to greet the kids as they trickle in the room from the bus and cafeteria. It's easy to get busy prepping for the day, but taking a few minutes to say good morning, ask how baseball practice went or share a tale about your commute, allows kids to gently, and socially, settle in. I'm a huge fan of well taught procedures to keep things running smoothly, and part of that procedure is having a moment at arrival to speak with friends and have quick chat with the teacher and each other. They need time to greet and chat informally before the morning work and announcements and morning meetings begin. It's the same thing I do when I come in to the office in the morning - greet colleagues, chat with someone about their daughter's recital, get the latest news on the broken copier - then head on to class.

5. Share A Meal

Have breakfast or lunch together. Sometimes I eat in the cafeteria with the kids, sometimes I take a few kids back to the room for lunch. On occasion, I bring my breakfast and have it in the room with the kids in the morning. We talk about stuff, tell jokes, complain about dumb siblings, argue about which video game is the best one ever in the world, and other really important topics. But seriously, it is probably the most valuable 20 minutes of our day. I don't do it every day because I really just need a break on many days, but a couple of times a week works for me. I actually enjoy it and we connect in a personal way that is often impossible during the jam packed day of lessons and tight schedules.

How do you form honest, authentic relationships with your students?

Welcome! I am Nikki Sabiston, a 20 year veteran teacher at Title I schools in Virginia. I share classroom management strategies and create teaching resources to enhance literacy, math, and behavior management in the elementary classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Simple Ways to Connect with Students and Build Relationships

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Being a teacher these days is not even remotely easy. The nonsense we have to deal with from developmentally inappropriate standards to endless meetings and data to no lunch or bathroom breaks are nothing short of lunacy. Throw in an unruly class with some serious behavior problems and you have a recipe for early retirement.

# data[].attributes.headline
Rational: Teach Teachers How to Create Magic

# data[].attributes.subject
Rational: Teach Teachers How to Create Magic

# data[].attributes.body
Christopher Emdin speaks in this video about creating a positive, fun atmosphere in the classroom and explains why it is vital for success.  He talks about making dead classrooms come alive and communicating with students in a way that they can understand the best.  If the passion is present in the classroom by the teacher, the students will have an easier time engaging themselves in the content.  He goes to compare teachers’ “level or passion” if you will, to rappers and pastors and how those professions really rely on their audiences’ engagement.  This relates to my personal learning goal of creating a positive classroom climate and culture because having an engaged classroom full of eager learners creates positive vibes for success.

# data[].attributes.body
This article basically is saying that students’ classroom engagement depends on the supportive quality in the classroom climate where they learn.  If the classroom is highly engaged, there is more of a chance that the students are learning at most what they should be.  If more students are being engaged in the content being taught, there is a better chance they are going to be successful and being successful creates a positive atmosphere.

# data[].attributes.headline
Effective Teaching Practices that Promote a Positive Classroom Environment

# data[].attributes.subject
Effective Teaching Practices that Promote a Positive Classroom Environment

# data[].attributes.body
Effective teachers stand out more than non-effective teachers but what makes an effective teacher?  This article talks about the different aspects that create an effective classroom like “weaving together academic, behavioral and social threads to create a unique classroom tapestry”.  In addition to these aspects, they focus on delivering explicit and engaging academic instruction, implementing empirically supported classroom management strategies and building relationship with students and their families.  That last point sticks out to me the most because building relationships with students and their families because this is what sets up that start of engagement and willingness to learn.  This connects with my learning goal of creating a positive classroom climate and culture for that reason.

# data[].attributes.headline
Additional Resource Rational: Positive Notes

# data[].attributes.subject
Additional Resource Rational: Positive Notes

# data[].attributes.body
My personal learning goal is ensuring that my students are in a climate that is positive for them.  Being exposed to positivity will help them realize their potential, and that they can do anything they put their mind to.  Sending these positive notes will keep the encouragement up for the kids to keep doing their best and that it is being recognized.  Instead of pointing out the negative things that kids do, pointing out the positive things will keep their focus on continuing that good behavior.

# data[].attributes.headline
Rational: What Adults Can Learn from Kids

# data[].attributes.subject
Rational: What Adults Can Learn from Kids

# data[].attributes.body
This video is about a child, Adora Svitak, who speaks to a large crowd of adults.  She talks about how adults often undermine children but then shifted the focus to why we should give children more credit instead of talking down to them.  She talks about how adults should learn to listen to children and involve them more in decision making.  Svitak listed many examples of exemplary children who have made a difference in the world for example Ann Frank.  Everyone was a child at one point in their lives, so everyone knows what it feels like to not be taken seriously and to be pushed aside when it comes to decision making.  I think this is a terrific example of creating a positive culture and climate in my future classroom, ensuring that all students know that they are important.  This video supports my personal learning goal because if my students know that they are important, and have that support from important adults (their parents, teachers, etc.), they will believe in themselves and are more likely to succeed later in life.  I know there are many different teaching styles among teachers.  When I have my own classroom, I am going to strive to make sure to involve my students with classroom decisions such as a class motto.

# data[].attributes.headline
Article 2: Effective Teaching Practices that Promote a Positive Classroom Environment

# data[].attributes.subject
Article 2: Effective Teaching Practices that Promote a Positive Classroom Environment

# data[].attributes.headline
Article 1: Teachers as Facilitators: The Elementary School Journal

# data[].attributes.subject
Article 1: Teachers as Facilitators: The Elementary School Journal

# data[].attributes.headline
Ted Talk Video: What Adults Can Learn from Kids 

# data[].attributes.subject
Ted Talk Video: What Adults Can Learn from Kids 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Child prodigy Adora Svitak says the world needs "childish" thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids' big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups' willingness to learn from children as much as to teach.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ted Talk Video: Teach Teachers How to Create Magic

# data[].attributes.subject
Ted Talk Video: Teach Teachers How to Create Magic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Christopher Emdin: Teach teachers how to create magic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What do rap shows, barbershop banter and Sunday services have in common? As Christopher Emdin says, they all hold the secret magic to enthrall and teach at the same time - and it's a skill we often don't teach to educators. A longtime teacher himself, now a science advocate and cofounder of Science Genius B.A.T.T.L.E.S.

# data[].attributes.body
I want to learn more about creating a positive classroom culture and climate as well as making sure all students in upper elementary feel that they are important.