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Educational professionals know that feeling safe and secure within the school environment can help students to focus their energies on learning. A study from 2018 backed this up with research. It found that if teachers can create a feeling of belonging in their classroom by simply greeting every student by name at the start of class, they can see great improvements in terms of engaged academic time and reduced disruptive behavior.

Of course, this is one example of an easy change that teachers can introduce into their everyday practice to foster a strong community vibe. With this in mind, here are some more fun community-building activities that are quick and simple to implement but can have a significant positive impact on student engagement and learning.

3 community building ideas for elementary school students

It's never too early to make your classroom feel like a connected, welcoming community. The following activities can prove very valuable in helping even the youngest children to develop a feeling of belonging.

1. Shoutouts

This is a quick and easy way to allow students to celebrate each other's achievements when they succeed in overcoming a challenge or completing a task to the best of their ability. You can incorporate shoutouts at any time during your lesson by simply sounding an alert or ringing a bell. By asking students to praise their fellow classmates, you promote interactions between students and celebrate their positivity.

To give your class an easy way to send and view positive messages to their peers try using Classcraft's Kudos tool. It's a great way of harnessing the power of gratitude to improve student behavior and motivation. Students can give each other shoutouts, which are then visible to the entire class (after you've reviewed and approved it.) By encouraging social recognition, Kudos can create a continuous loop of positivity that spreads good vibes throughout the classroom.

2. Friendly Fridays

Students can play a key role in helping to raise each other's self-esteem. The idea behind Friendly Fridays is that students write an anonymous, positive note to one of their classmates, practice talking positively about themselves, or use stories as a way of instilling positivity in a classmate.

3. Shared acts of kindness

Encouraging students to notice and share each other's kind acts is a great way to promote positivity and inspire compassion. If, for example, one student notices a peer helping a struggling classmate with a challenging task or taking the initiative to tidy up, they can then post a note of thanks on a shared Wall of Kindness for everyone to see.

3 community-building activities for middle school students

As children get older and progress into middle school, it's time to build on the positive classroom environment fostered during the elementary stage and to continue encouraging students to support each other. Here are some of the best activities for community building to suit this age group.

1. Paper tweets

Building on the connection that young people have with social media platforms, this activity helps to build a sense of community in your classroom by mimicking Twitter profiles. Each student should have a minimum of three "followers." One must be a close friend, another must be an acquaintance, and the third must be a classmate that they rarely interact with. Although the initial setup for this activity may be time-consuming, it's well worth implementing this idea since it allows students to respond to prompts about the new events in their life or their mood at the present time. This also gives followers a chance to react.

2. Class norms

Rather than relying on the teacher's list of classroom rules, have students develop their own set of class norms - adjectives that describe a positive learning community. When students set their own norms and expectations, they create a stronger feeling of belonging for everyone. It also gives students a chance to take responsibility for their own behavior within their learning environment.

This teacher-prompted interaction is a speedy, preparation-free way to get your students to appreciate each other. At the end of an activity, have your students congratulate each other for their efforts using an agreed-upon expression of gratitude, such as a handshake or high-five, or some other social interaction, such as verbally thanking the other members of their group.

4 community building ideas for high school students

The high school environment can be one of the most challenging when it comes to fostering a sense of community. It is at this stage in life that students can begin to feel most disconnected from their classmates. And as young people begin to develop their own distinct personalities, they run the risk of feeling increasingly isolated from their peers. This is why it is especially vital for high school educators to include community-building activities in their everyday practice. Here are some of the top suggestions for activities that are best suited to young people on the verge of adulthood.

1. Morning meetings

Although morning meetings are a regular feature in the elementary classroom, they tend to fall by the wayside as students grow older. By reintroducing this everyday activity once more in a high school setting, teachers can facilitate bonding between classmates. Holding a daily morning meeting helps students from every grade to transition into class through a teacher or student-led bonding exercise, which can include social, emotional, or physical activities, such as discussions of challenges that students may be facing or sensitive topics such as bullying.

2. Appreciation or apology

At the close of each day or lesson, the Appreciation or Apology activity encourages students to come together within a circle to share their appreciation of a classmate or an apology for something that they feel was inappropriate. Alternatively, they can share their own "aha!" moment from the lesson where they gained a greater understanding of the subject matter. When necessary, the teacher can model this activity by sharing their own appreciation, apology, or aha moment before asking a volunteer from within the group to discuss their own experience. This type of appreciation and recognition within the school community can really help to foster strong bonds within the class.

3. A rose and a thorn

At the beginning of every class, the students and teacher should take their turn at sharing a rose and a thorn. The rose represents something positive that they'd like to share, while the thorn may be something negative that they want to express. Although this may sound time-consuming, it can take as little as five minutes to carry out this activity since there's no need to go into depth about the emotions and feelings expressed. Students may express something as low-stakes as feeling tired or bored, or they may share something a lot more personal, such as concerns about a sick relative or a personal problem. When classmates understand more about each other's emotional and personal lives, they can begin to support each other through the challenging times that they face.

4. Snowball toss

Each student anonymously writes something that's causing them stress or worry on a piece of paper. They then crumple it up, stand in a circle, and throw the paper balls at each other as if they were in a snowball fight. Then students choose one of the snowballs and read what's written aloud. The concept behind this is that students can have fun, scream, laugh, move around, and make noise while also having the chance to express something that stresses them out in a low-stakes environment.

Building a community will have a positive impact on your school

These ten fun community-building activities give students the opportunity to foster better interactions with their classmates while also expressing themselves, their emotions, and their problems. By sharing positive messages, students can develop stronger working relationships within their learning community. And by sharing their own problems and worries, students can begin to develop a better understanding of their classmates on a more personal level. As a result, the school community as a whole can build on its strengths, minimize issues with misbehavior and a lack of learning engagement, and help to curb the problem of bullying.
Photo: Google Edu

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10 fun community-building activities - Classcraft Blog

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Educational professionals know that feeling safe and secure within the school environment can help students to focus their energies on learning. A study from 2018 backed this up with research.

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Behavior Specific Praise Practice (PBIS Teacher Training Companion Video)

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Teachers have long known that feeling safe and secure in school helps students focus their energy on learning. And the research bears that out: A 2018 study found that when teachers deliberately foster a sense of belonging by greeting each student at the door of the class, they see "significant improvements in academic engaged time and reductions in disruptive behavior."

Edutopia covered that study last year, and we've shared many other ideas from teachers for ensuring that every student in the classroom feels like they belong.

Some of the activities below take less than five minutes. They're divided up among the grades, but many can apply across all of the years from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Elementary School

Shout-Outs: This is a quick way for students to celebrate each other for doing a job well or for attempting something difficult. Shout-outs can be incorporated at any point in a class. First-grade teacher Valerie Gallagher of Providence, Rhode Island, rings a chime when she wants to get the class's attention to ask who has a shout-out.

"It's not just me as the teacher saying, 'You're doing well'-it's a way for them to interact with each other and celebrate positivity," says Gallagher.

Friendly Fridays: Elizabeth Peterson, a fourth-grade teacher in Amesbury, Massachusetts, uses Friendly Fridays as a simple way for students to lift each other and themselves up. Peterson has her students write a friendly, anonymous note to a classmate, practice using positive self-talk, or use storytelling to give a peer a pep talk.

Sharing Acts of Kindness: Fifth-grade teacher Marissa King, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, shares two activities that encourage kindness. In the first, the teacher gives students secret kindness instructions, such as writing an anonymous note to a peer who is struggling in one of their classes.

The second activity revolves around noticing others' acts of kindness: When a student sees a peer tidying up in the classroom, for example, they can post a thank you note on a shared digital "kindness wall." Both activities coach students to be kind to their peers in the hope that they'll begin to practice kindness unprompted.

Middle School

Paper Tweets: To build community in her seventh-grade classroom, Jill Fletcher of Kapolei Middle School in Kapolei, Hawaii, created a bulletin board modeled on Twitter. Students use a template to create a profile, and they enlist at least three followers-a friend, an acquaintance, and someone they don't interact with much.
Courtesy of Jill Fletcher
When the class does this activity-which takes about 45 minutes to set up the first time-Fletcher has them respond to prompts about their current mood or new things happening in their lives, and then their followers respond.

Class Norms: Bobby Shaddox, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at King Middle School in Portland, Maine, has his students develop a set of norms for themselves-adjectives that describe them as a community of learners. Having students come up with their own norms creates "a pathway toward belonging for every single student in that class," says Dr. Pamela Cantor, founder of Turnaround for Children.

"Instead of a top-down list of rules that a teacher gives a class, these are words that we generated together," says Shaddox. "It helps us own the behavior in the classroom."

Group Salutes: A moment shared between two or more students at the beginning or end of an activity, a Group Salute is a teacher-prompted interaction that is a quick, low-prep way to cultivate community. The shared gesture can be physical-like a high five-or social-a teacher could ask students to express gratitude to their group members.

There's some interesting data supporting this idea: Researchers found that NBA teams whose players touch the most early in the season-high fives, fist bumps, etc.-had the best records later for the season.

High School

Morning Meetings: Morning meetings have long been a staple of elementary classrooms, but they can help students in all grades transition into class. Riverside School, a pre-K to 12th-grade school in Ahmedabad, India, uses a version of morning meetings at every grade level as "a pure relationship-building time." Bonding exercises led by teachers or students include physical or social and emotional activities, or discussions of sensitive topics like bullying.

Appreciation, Apology, Aha: As a quick, daily closing activity, students gather in a circle and share an appreciation of one of their peers, an apology, or a light bulb moment. The teacher models the activity by sharing and then asks for volunteers to speak.

"Those types of appreciations and community recognitions can go a long way toward building bonds," explains Aukeem Ballard, an educator with Summit Public Schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.

"A low-stakes thorn might be 'I feel tired.' Yet many students choose to share more personal items, like 'My thorn is that my dog is sick and I'm really worried about her,'" writes Alex Shevrin Venet, a former school leader at a trauma-informed high school.

Snowball Toss: Students anonymously write down one of their stressors on a piece of paper, crumple it up, gather in a circle, and throw their paper balls in a mock snowball fight. When that's done, they pick up a snowball and read it aloud.

"The idea is that we're moving around. We're able to have fun, laugh, scream, be loud, and then have that discussion about stress," says Marcus Moore, an advisory leader at Urban Prep School in Chicago.

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These community-building ideas for the classroom can help teachers ensure that students in every grade feel like they belong.

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Behavior-Specific Praise: Elementary School Example & Non-Example

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A few weeks ago, I caught up on the season finale of SongAssociation on Terrell Grice's YouTube channel. This channel has changed my Spotify, for real. Terrell plays a game with his guests - he gives them a word and they have 10 seconds to sing a song with that word either in the lyrics or the title. The game is good, but the reason I keep coming back to this channel is Terrell and the instant camaraderie he has with everyone on that blue wall.

He has a passion for music and musicians. It doesn't matter if his guest is an Instagram star, a former reality show competitor, or a whole signed-to-a-label singer, he has a way of making everyone feel comfortable. He brings an effervescence to each interview and a genuine interest in every story told. Whether he knows a person before they got there or they showed up as a stranger, everyone...and I mean EV-ER-Y-ONE leaves lifted, refreshed, and seen.

If only all of us could experience this welcoming spirit.

Well...

In July, the Lincoln Center kicked off its Activate Series. The theme of this year's event is radical welcoming, which they define as "the intentional and extraordinary effort to make people feel welcome." Dr. Christopher Emdin gave a keynote. You remember Dr. Emdin, right? He is a scholar, a hip-hop educator, and the author of For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood - the book we used to guide our series last year on culturally responsive practices in PBIS. During the July event, Dr. Emdin partnered with folks from the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to reimagine what a classroom might look like in a post-pandemic world - a space he calls calls The Ratchetdemic Classroom.

It's beautiful!

It was in this space where Dr. Emdin moderated a conversation with five educators from across the country exploring what radical welcoming means to them. He asked them how they felt sitting in a room designed to make students feel welcome. They commented on how the green grass gave their eyes a place to rest and invited them to sit on the ground. They loved the diversity available in the seating options and their eyes kept coming back to a piece of art on the wall that said, "Imagine the person you could be if you let someone love all of you." One aspect of radical welcoming is creating a physical space that's inviting, comfortable, and allows students to engage their imaginations while they learn.

Beyond the physical elements of the space, I couldn't help but focus on the way Dr. Emdin led the conversation and made the hour comfortable enough for everyone to share some vulnerable perspectives. One example happens around the 13:26 mark in their conversation. Meghan Sullivan shares her perspectives teaching in Standing Rock reservation. She makes a distinction between "teaching in" vs "teaching on" the reservation. Dr. Emdin picks up on this, acknowledges the significance, amplifies it for the group, asks others to offer their thoughts, and ultimately takes the conversation to a place where later another aspect of Meghan's identity can be celebrated and shared. In a conversation where he is considered an expert, he continuously tells participants how he's learning from them and building on their experiences. [When you have some time, watch the conversation, soak up the lessons, and pay some attention to the way Dr. Emdin elicits ideas from everyone in the room.]

See, the physical elements of the Ratchetdemic Classroom created the space where everyone was comfortable and allowed to share confidently; the physical aspect of a space is a piece to the puzzle.

You are another.

Your students would probably say they want to be acknowledged for their efforts. They want to feel like they can share their opinions openly, to know they will be heard, valued, and cared for as a member of your class, and that the things that matter to them also matter to you.

You Have Active Presence

The way people feel when they're around you is what researchers call your affective presence. They define it as the "tendency to invoke either positive or negative feelings in others in a consistent and stable manner."[1] When you have a positive affective presence, people usually feel happy, enthusiastic, or inspired when they're around you.[2] A negative affective presence tends to make folks feel sad, bored, or stressed. Researchers also found affective presence is significantly related to how likely someone is to share their ideas openly.

The way guests feel on The Terrell Show, the way participants openly shared their perspectives during Dr. Emdin's moderated conversation, the way your students engage in your classroom, it hinges on whether your affective presence is positive or negative. Research is fuzzy on what contributes to an overall positive affective presence, but we can get some clues by looking at what people say makes them feel like they belong in a place.

LinkedIn surveyed more than 14,000 professionals from around the world to learn more about their experiences working for a company.[3] They asked respondents what would make them feel like they belong at the company where they work. This list they generated might feel familiar.

To my eye, their answers are not so dissimilar from what you might expect to hear from your students if you asked them a similar question on the School Climate Survey. Your students would probably say they want to be acknowledged for their efforts. They want to feel like they can share their opinions openly, to know they will be heard, valued, and cared for as a member of your class, and that the things that matter to them also matter to .

I emphasize the word "you" because research tells us that even more than their peers or their parents, teacher support has the most significant impact on a student's sense of belonging at school.[4] "Students who believe that they have positive relationships with their teachers and that their teachers are caring, empathic and fair and help resolve personal problems, are more likely to feel a greater sense of belonging than those students who perceive a negative relationship with their teachers." And! It's that sense of belonging that keeps students motivated academically, reduces absences, and makes it more likely they will stay in school.

Make Your Classroom Radically Welcome

As your students come back to the classroom - some of them in-person for the first time in a long time - investing in relationships and fostering a sense of belonging should be at the top of your list of to-dos. Here are some ways to start radically welcoming students in your classroom.

Popcorn Goals

This idea comes from a 5th grade teacher named Josh Monroe. At the beginning of the year, he hands each student two index cards. On one they write a goal they have for 5th grade; on the other they write a goal they have for their lives. The goals are anonymous, so no one gets to know who wrote it. Students crumple up the cards and throw them around the room. One by one, everyone picks up a card and reads it aloud. They decide as a class whether that sounds like a goal for 5th grade, a goal for life, or maybe it could be a goal for both. Mr. Monroe says the game generates important discussions as students find similarities they have with each other and think about how they can work together to create the kind of classroom where everyone can achieve their goals.

Snail Mail Shoutouts

Who doesn't love getting something special in the mail? Last year, Elkins Park School in Elkins Park, PA, started sending postcards in the mail to their students' homes. They did it as a way to encourage students during distance learning and to acknowledge the efforts their teachers saw in class. Of course, students thought it was great to get the personal note, but the school started hearing from families, too. The handwritten messages meant so much to them they put the postcards on their refrigerators. Positive, unprompted, personalized acknowledgements include families in the community you're trying to build.

Welcome Students At the Door...

Greeting students as they come into your classroom is a simple and effective way to start class. TUMS at the Door is an acronym to help you remember the pieces of the greeting that matter most.

T is for Touch. In the before times, this would mean a handshake, a hug, or a high five. These days, physical touch isn't always safe, so you'll need to improvise. Fist bumps, elbow bumps, toe taps, hip checks, or even a synchronized dance are all good ways to incorporate physical movement in your welcome that's safe and appropriate.

U is for Use Their Name. Calling students by their name demonstrates you know who they are. Be sure you use the name they prefer and you pronounce it correctly. If you're unsure how to pronounce their name, ask and keep practicing until you get it right.

M is for Make Eye Contact. Looking someone in the eye as you welcome them shows them you are focused on them and how they're doing. Even if for that brief moment, they have your undivided attention.

S is for Smile. Ever notice how hard it is to say an angry word with a smile on your face? A smile lifts your words and makes them sound more inviting.

...No Matter When They Arrive

I get annoyed when people are late to something we scheduled together, so I try to be a person who shows up on time. This last year and a half has also taught me a lot about how life is unpredictable. The same way I would hope someone would find grace and understanding when I can't make it on time, I'm now trying to extend the same to other people.

Your students will show up late to class for any number of reasons. Based on their previous experiences, they might walk in late expecting irritation from you. What would happen if you extended a welcome to students even when they show up late? Josh Monroe came through with an example, again.

Show Some Love

When it comes to your school-wide expectations, typical expectations might be: Safe, Respectful, Responsible. What if you added some love to the matrix?

What would that look like in your classroom? On the playground? How would your students feel knowing they could expect to find love in your space? Does it feel awkward or maybe impossible? Well...

Among the core values of respect, integrity, and perseverance, in her welcome message, Allika Thompson-Young, the principal at MAST High School in Queens, NY says, "The greatest legacy that you have left is that of LOVE. Make sure to demonstrate love in action throughout your tenure at MAST."

What if you added "love" to your behavioral matrix and asked your students to help you define what that might look like, what it might sound like, how it would feel in your classroom?

Our kids start school in a few weeks. I'm excited, they're excited, and I hope their teachers are excited. I think we're all a little anxious, too, about what it's all going to be like. One way to start things off on a positive note is to embrace the concept of radical welcoming. Set up a physical space where everyone feels comfortable and then focus on ways to improve your positive affective presence. How can you acknowledge your students' efforts a little more? How can you celebrate the things they love and create a community that shares openly? The tone you set, the relationships you build, and the way your students feel when they're around you matters. Start creating the kind of classroom where everyone wants to be.

1. Madrid, H. P., Totterdell, P., & Niven, K. (2016). Does leader-affective presence influence communication of creative ideas within work teams? Emotion,16(6), 798-802. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0000183

2. Eisenkraft,N. and Elfenbein, H., 2010. The Way You Make Me Feel. Psychological Science, 21(4), pp.505-510.

3. LinkedIn, 2017. Inside the Mind of Today's Candidate. [online] Available at: https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/cx/17/08/inside-the-mind-of-the-candidate.

4. Allen, K., Kern, M., Vella-Brodrick, D., Hattie, J. and Waters, L., 2016. What Schools Need to Know About Fostering School Belonging: a Meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30(1), pp.1-34.

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PBISApps | Teach By Design-Make It Radical: Ideas For Your Most Welcoming Classroom Ever

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As your students come back to the classroom, investing in relationships and fostering a sense of belonging should be at the top of your list of to-dos. Here are some ways to start radically welcoming students in your classroom.

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Edutopia blogger Lisa Dabbs shares her own transformative experience with the Morning Meeting model and suggests five steps for integrating this practice into the classroom.

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Marzano Highly Engaged Classroom Materials

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Marzano Highly Engaged Classroom Materials

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MORE Downloadable Behavior Intervention Charts

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FREE K-8 Kindness in the Classroom® Curriculum

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Mystery Motivator in Special Education - Watson Institute

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Learn new motivation strategies for special education students. See how the mystery motivator reinforces good behavior.

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Teacher establishes routines, procedures, transitions, & expectations for student behavior - Ex 1

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Enter names, spin wheel to pick a random winner. Customize look and feel, save and share wheels.

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Reinforcement System Tutorial for Children with Autism

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Seventy high schoolers I've never met are either staring at me or pretending I don't exist. I've come 750 miles from my home in Kalamazoo to spend a day teaching this diverse group of at-risk freshmen and sophomores. I have just 6 hours to build rapport with them, to shift their thinking, and to help them in any way I can. No matter how great my presentation is, no matter how well-thought out each lesson is, I know one thing: They will not listen to me until they like, trust, and respect me.

Teaching a random group of students for just one day or one hour is one of the hardest aspects of public speaking. In my classroom, I know I can patiently build rapport, learn from mistakes, and adjust the next day. As a speaker though, I won't get second chances, nor can I rely on familiarity-especially with at-risk students who don't trust easily.

Thankfully, what I've learned about quickly building relationships as a speaker has helped me better connect with students in my classroom-especially reluctant and disengaged students. Here are a few power moves and how to bring them into your classroom.

1. Make first impressions count.

For students who don't like school, our first impression is already fighting a negativity bias. Our opening moments with students therefore matter a great deal. I've learned the following first-impression trifecta for connecting with new students:

Shake hands with everyone. Even though students give odd looks, making the effort to shake hands with each person shows a willingness to connect on a personal level. It also gives me an initial read on their receptiveness and personality.

Give respect. Showing students-explicitly and implicitly-that we respect them is key. Many students today don't give respect without getting it first. (We can complain all we want about that shift in culture, but that won't get us anywhere). It is my job to be the bigger adult and model giving respect.

Lead with positive emotion. As a speaker, I know that the first few minutes of any talk should be building rapport, using humor, and learning about the listeners. I also know that my resume means nothing to kids-they care more about my authenticity than my accolades. My goal as a speaker is to get as many smiles as I can in the first 30 seconds.

Bringing it into the classroom:

Every day, every lesson, begin by building connections before getting into content. For example:

Ask students to share "good things" (a la Capturing Kids Hearts).

Have students pair-share about the highlights of their day.

Ask students to write down "2 Truths and 1 Lie" about themselves on a notecard. Then read some at random and have peers predict who wrote it.

Welcome each student into the classroom with a fist bump and a smile. Want to mix it up? Try one of these fist-bump upgrades.

Provide sincere gratitude that they made the choice to show up to class today.

Do something playful, like asking for random facts or corny jokes.

Ask them to write a brief, half-page summary about what's going on in their life.

Do a quick round of "speed dating" in which they talk to a peer about a random question you pose.

2. Know who's a "cat" and who's a "dog."

I learned a concept from The Quantum Learning Networ k about using "cats and dogs" as an analogy to consider interactions with different personalities. It is not meant to stereotype students; it is simply a starting point for being more intentional with our efforts to build rapport.

Traits of "Dog" personalities: Forgiving of errors, value attention, responsive to praise, social, playful, expressive facial expressions

Traits of "Cat" personalities: Skeptical, observant, warm up to others on own terms, loyal when trust is established, neutral facial expressions when around groups, not as responsive to praise or overt positivity

Bringing it into the classroom:

Take a moment to consider whether a certain student seems more like a cat or a dog. Then, experiment with these approaches:

Strategies for Dog Personalities

Provide opportunities for dogs to model, demonstrate, or share whole-group whenever possible.

Think quality of positive interactions over quantity, such as a longer, positive conversation one-on-one.

Ask them questions to give them a chance to share about their world, their interests, their expertise.

If behavior needs to be managed, opt for one-on-one pre-briefing or after class conversations.

Strategies for Cat Personalities

Give quick, low-key compliments but don't linger for a response.

Ask him/her for thoughts in one-on-one situations.

Use written or after-class praise instead of public praise.

Think quantity of positive interactions over quality, but space out interactions over time.

Be particularly attentive and curious when a cat does approach you or open up.

3. Make time for non-academic discourse.

Every moment either strengthens relationships or diminishes relationships. As a speaker, if I only have 8 hours at a school, I need to utilize every second, no matter how much I want to check-out during my downtime. I eat lunch with students. Between sessions I ask them about their school, community, and hobbies. I ask them to teach me things, like how to do a trending dance or about the video games they play. Every interaction I have is through the lens of, "How am I strengthening a relationship?"

Bringing it into the classroom:

As we teach the whole period, it can be challenging to find time for non-academic discourse. However, even a 30 second interaction can build relationships. Give yourself a simple goal: Learn one new thing about a student each day. Start be being more intentional with your questions. Rather than "How is your day?" or "How's it going?" ask:

What is something I don't know about you?

What's been the highlight of your week?

I noticed you ________, tell me more about that.

If you want to go next level, set up these deeper-level questions.

4. Assume nothing, learn everything.

Just as students are sizing me up as a speaker, I am sizing them up as people. I use basic categories, like "cat or dog personality" as a starting point for interaction; however, I've learned to never make sweeping assumptions about students. And I've seen interesting things in my travels, such as students spitting on floors, a kid asking me to fight, and major meltdowns just to name a few. As much as I want to assume certain things about these kids I know one thing: Every reaction is symptom, not a cause.

Doctors know to investigate symptoms to understand causes. Teachers must do the same. No matter how many versions of a "type" of student I've seen, each life is different. Out of all the rapport-building strategies I've learned, one encompasses them all: Curiosity.

Bringing it into the classroom:

Try what I call "obser-questions." The obser-question involves describing an observation, but following up with a question to learn more. They work best in one-on-one conversations. And, remember that vocal tone can make or break the interaction: Make sure your vocalics display true curiosity rather than judgment or condemnation. Examples:

I noticed you slam your books on the desk when you walked in. What was on your mind?

You seem to pay attention really well, but when I ask you to work independently, you talk more than work. Help me understand why that is.

I'm noticing you've written words all over you arm, including the F-word, big and bold. Talk to me about that a little bit.

Not only am I curious about my students, I'm interested in learning more about your "power moves" for rapport building. Post in the comments below.

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4 Quick Ways to Build Rapport With Students - WeAreTeachers

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What I've learned about quickly building relationships as a speaker has helped me better connect with students in my classroom-especially disengaged kids.

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"A choice board is a graphic organizer that allows students to choose how they will learn a concept. The choice board below has nine squares. (There is no minimum or maximum, however nine seems to be a good number.) Inside each square is an activity. Students can choose one or several activities to complete. Choice boards can be organized so students need to finish one square before moving to the next, they can be random, or can be organized in a specific way. The level of difficulty of the activities can vary or stay consistent."

Tic-Tac-Toe Boards and Menus are two different types of choice boards.

"A menu offers students a way to make decisions about what they will do in order to meet class requirements. A menu could be for a single lesson, a week-long lesson, or even a month-long period of study. Once the teacher has decided on what the essential understandings and/or skills are, she/he can begin to create a menu."

"Tic-Tac-Toe choice boards give students the opportunity to participate in multiple tasks that allow them to practice skills they've learned in class or to demonstrate and extend their understanding of concepts. From the board, students either choose or are assigned three adjacent or diagonal tasks to complete.

Choice boards address student readiness, interest, or learning preferences. They are easily adapted to a subject area."

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Choice Boards, Menus, & Tic-Tac-Toe by Sarah Dillard

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For teachers, building rapport with students is a component that takes teaching to the next level. Teachers understand that this takes time. Building rapport is a process. It often takes weeks and even months to establish a healthy student-teacher relationship. Teachers will tell you that once you have earned the trust and respect of your students, everything else becomes much easier. When students look forward to coming to your class, you look forward to coming to work each day.

Strategies to Build Rapport With Students

There are many different strategies through which rapport can be built and maintained. The best teachers are adept at incorporating strategies throughout the year so that a healthy relationship is established, then maintained with each student that they teach.

1. Send students a postcard before school begins letting them know how much you are looking forward to having them in class.

2. Incorporate personal stories and experiences within your lessons. It humanizes you as a teacher and makes your lessons more interesting.

3. When a student is sick or misses school, personally call or text the student or their parents to check on them.

4. Utilize humor in your classroom. Do not be afraid to laugh at yourself or the mistakes that you make.

5. Depending on the age and sex of the student, dismiss students with a hug, handshake, or fist bump every day.

6. Be enthusiastic about your job and the curriculum you teach. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. Students will not buy in if a teacher is not enthusiastic.

7. Support your students in their extra-curricular endeavors. Attend athletic events, debate meets, band competitions, plays, etc.

8. Go the extra mile for those students who need help. Volunteer your time to tutor them or hook them up with someone who can give them the extra assistance they need.

9. Conduct a student interest survey and then find ways to incorporate their interests into your lessons throughout the year.

10. Provide your students with a structured learning environment. Establish procedures and expectations on day one and enforce them consistently throughout the year.

11. Talk to your students about their individual strengths and weaknesses. Teach them to set goals. Provide them with the strategies and tools necessary to reach those goals and improve on their weaknesses.

12. Ensure that each student believes that they are important to you and that they matter to you.

13. From time to time, write students a personal note encouraging them to work hard and embrace their strengths.

14. Have high expectations for all of your students and teach them to have higher expectations for themselves.

15. Be fair and consistent when it comes to student discipline. Students will remember how you handled previous situations.

16. Eat breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria surrounded by your students. Some of the greatest opportunities for building rapport present themselves outside the classroom.

17. Celebrate student successes and let them know you care when they falter or are facing difficult personal situations.

18. Create engaging, fast-paced lessons that grab every student's attention and keep them coming back for more.

19. Smile. Smile often. Laugh. Laugh often.

20. Do not dismiss a student or their suggestions or ideas for any reason. Hear them out. Listen to them intently. There may be some validity to what they have to say.

21. Talk to your students regularly about the progress they are making in class. Let them know where they stand academically and provide them with a path for improvement if needed.

22. Admit and own up to your mistakes. You will make mistakes and students will be looking to see how you handle things when you do.

23. Take advantage of teachable moments even when on occasion this ventures far away from the actual topic of the day. The opportunities will often have more of an impact on your students than the lesson.

24. Never demean or berate a student in front of their peers. Address them individually in the hall or immediately after class.

25. Engage in casual conversation with students in between classes, before school, after school, etc. Simply ask them how things are going or inquire about certain hobbies, interests, or events.

26. Give your students a voice in your class. Allow them to make decisions on expectations, procedures, classroom activities, and assignments when it is appropriate.

27. Build relationships with the parents of your students. When you have a good rapport with the parents, you typically have a good rapport with their children.

28. Make home visits from time to time. It will provide you with a unique snapshot into their lives, possibly giving you a different perspective, and it will help them see that you are willing to go the extra mile.

29. Make every day unpredictable and exciting. Creating this type of environment will keep students wanting to come to class. Having a room full of students who want to be there is half the battle.

30. When you see students in public, be personable with them. Ask them how they are doing and engage in casual conversation.

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30 Strategies for Building Better Rapport With Students

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For teachers, building rapport with students is a component that takes teaching to the next level. Teachers understand that this takes time. Building rapport is a process. It often takes weeks and even months to establish a healthy student-teacher relationship.

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The last year and a half brought a lot of lessons, maybe the most important of which is the way we build relationships with each other. Now is the perfect time to talk about going beyond welcoming students and start creating radically welcoming classrooms.

In this episode of Expert Instruction, our guest is Saki Malose, a research assistant from the University of Oregon's College of Education. Saki is an experienced educator and scholar. In her current project, the Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach (ISLA), Saki works as part of a team of researchers helping schools implement an instructional approach to exclusionary discipline practices like suspension and expulsion. She shares how she creates classrooms that welcome students and offers up the strategies she teaches so others can do the same.

For more information about radically welcoming spaces, check out Dr. Christopher Emdin's conversation from the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts' Activate Series.

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PBISApps | Expert Instruction Podcast-Ep. 11: Creating a Welcoming Classroom

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The last year and a half brought a lot of lessons, maybe the most important of which is the way we build relationships with each other. Now is the perfect time to talk about going beyond welcoming students and start creating radically welcoming classrooms. In this episode of Expert Instruction, our guest is Saki Malose, a research assistant from the University of Oregon's College of Education.

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Free Interactive Learning Menus & Choice Boards

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Free Interactive Learning Menus & Choice Boards

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Differentiate with Learning Menus and Choice Boards

"...at its core, differentiated instruction means addressing ways in which students vary as learners." - Carol Ann Tomlinson

[Tweet "Interactive Learning Menus with @GoogleforEdu #edtech#gsuiteedu"]

What Are Learning Menus?

IT'S ALL ABOUT CHOICE! Learning menus (aka choice boards) are a form of differentiated learning that gives students a menu or choice of learning activities. Learning menus and choice boards can be created in a variety of styles and mediums. They've been around for a long time and originated in a static, paper format. But with digital tools, we can bring the menus to life with interactivity and creation. Menus can be a simple list, a tic-tac-toe or bingo-style game, or get as creative and intricate as you like. Check out my Pinterest board for ideas.

Learning Menus Can Be Used with Any Age Group

I have found that menus and choice boards tend to be more popular among elementary teachers, but I used them in my middle school classroom, and now I use them in professional learning workshops with adults. Any grade level can use learning menus!

Learning Menus Can Be Used in Any Subject Area

Since learning menus are so flexible, they can easily be created and adapted for just about any subject area. So no excuses! Any teacher who is willing to try can make use of this student-centered strategy.

[Tweet "Any teacher who is willing to try can make use of this student-centered strategy. #edtech"]

Are Learning Menus Hyperdocs the Same Thing?

No, but they could be part of a Hyperdoc assignment. I love Hyperdocs! But these two are not one in the same. Keep in mind the definition of learning menus stated above. It is simply a menu of choices from which students can choose. Student choice is the big idea behind learning menus and choice boards.

A Hyperdoc is a complete packaged assignment that also meets some additional criteria. A Hyperdoc doesn't have to include choice, but it could. To learn more about Hyperdocs, visit their site or read the AMAZING book by Lisa Highfill, Sarah Landis, and Kelly Hilton.

Creating a Tic-Tac-Toe Learning Menu in Google Docs

One easy way to dip your toes into the learning menu water is a Tic-Tac-Toe menu. A Tic-Tac-Toe can be used for anything from short activities to more long-term projects, both assessment FOR learning (formative) and assessment OF learning (summative).

Below is an example of a Novel Unit Tic-Tac-Toe menu that I created as a summative project. It was created in Google Docs, nothing fancy, just a table and some color. Depending on how you want to use, you can add links, rubrics, images, video and more. (Click here to use my blank tic-tac-toe template.)
CLICK HERE to use the Novel Study Tic-Tac-Toe template. On mobile? CLICK HERE to make a copy.
Learning Menu Design

Remember when you are creating a learning menu to align it with your learning goals! First, I use the middle square as my non-negotiable, the one activity that I want every student to complete. This could be reading an article, watching a video, or in this case; every student will write a summary and add it to a collaborative Google Slide deck where they will also add links to their other projects. Everything in one place!

Some teachers also make the middle square a free space where students can propose their own ideas to demonstrate their learning. LOVE THIS IDEA!

I had some students who would try to find the easiest or fastest way to complete the tasks. But if you pay attention to the learning design, you can design it so that it gives choice and flexible learning paths, not just an easy completion grade.

I use the color to guide the learning design. Because I use the middle square as a non-negotiable, I control how they make the tic-tac-toe just a little bit more. Every student will do the middle square and one from the blue and one from the yellow. In this summative example, students are mostly creating, but in the example below, you will see how it can also work for activities that guide the learning.

Below is a professional learning example that I designed for teaching Google Chrome. As a trainer, I typically have very mixed groups in my training sessions (multiple grade levels, subject areas, and tech savviness). I usually address general skills, and apps and extensions that are applicable across all grade levels and subject areas as a whole group.

Then I move into an activity like the Chrome PD Tic-Tac-Toe learning menu to allow teachers to dig deeper into their own subject areas and grade levels AND move at a pace that is comfortable for their level and learning style.
CLICK HERE to use my Chrome PD Tic-Tac-Toe template. On mobile? CLICK HERE to make a copy of the template.
Other Types of Learning Menus

As I said, a tic-tac-toe is just one type of menu. It happens to be a favorite of mine because they are easy to design and are not too overwhelming. But I have used many other types of menus, and I have been curating ideas on this Learning Menu Pinterest Board.

Digital Menu for Student Creation with Google Slides by Tommy Spall

Below is a Google Slide example of a learning menu that takes on the look of a restaurant menu from my friend, Tommy Spall. Follow him @TommySpall. (You can thank me later!) Click here to make a copy of Tommy's template that includes linked slides to lots of Googley projects and room for you to make it your own. (If you are on mobile and having trouble with the template link, try this make a copy link.)

Professional Development BINGO Board by Amber Teamann and Melinda Miller

Another option is to make it a full out BINGO board, like in this example from my friend Amber Teamann and her collaborator Melinda Miller. (Follow them at @8Amber8 and @MMiller7571, and yes, you will thank me for this one, too!)

Amber and Melinda are both elementary school principals. They issued this BINGO PD Challenge to her teachers over the summer, and I thought it might inspire you with some other options for choice and challenges in your classroom or professional learning. You can learn more details about PD Bingo in Amber's blog post.

Using G Suite to Create Learning Menus

The possibilities are truly endless! Consider all the ways you could use G Suite to create learning menus and the extended activities and links. Try thinking of the ways you could create menus using these G Suite tools:

Google Docs

Google Slides

Google Drawings

Google Sheets

Google My Maps

Google Sites

How to Use Google Templates and Assign in Google Classroom

If you enjoyed this post, you will love the more in-depth look at the power of choice boards and more examples in this post and podcast episode.

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Interactive Learning Menus (Choice Boards) Using Google Docs

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I love learning menus, and it is one of my favorite ways to incorporate student choice and to differentiate learning. And with digital tools like G Suite for Education, it's super easy to make menus interactive, digital, and more dynamic! Digital Differentiation offers teachers and students many ways to reach all learners.