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Creating a Classroom Community | Scholastic

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A successful classroom community promotes positive social skills and academic achievement. Foster a sense of belonging in your classroom with these tips, activities, and

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September is the time of year when teachers are preparing their classrooms, planning inspiring lessons, and, perhaps most importantly, welcoming their new students. The first day of school typically involves plenty of Getting to Know You activities, helping students and teachers learn names and become more familiar with each other. But the 180-day journey has only just begun, and Day One should be the first of many days centered around classroom community building.

A community is a setting made up of individuals who come together for a common purpose. Members should feel welcome, that they have a connection to others, and that they are valued. Schools and classrooms are where children spend a significant amount of time each week, and teachers have an opportunity to help their students make the most of that time together by developing a classroom community each day.

The benefits students realize from being a member of their classroom community are plentiful, and include increased trust to take academic risks, decreased behavior issues, and a feeling of ownership of their environment and learning.

Increased trust to take academic risks

When students basic needs, such as their sense of safety, are met, they are more likely to reach outside their comfort zone to take academic risks necessary to grow and learn. Whether it is volunteering to lead their group in an assigned project, challenging themselves to more rigorous tasks, or simply raising their hand to respond to a teacher's question, students who feel safe in their classroom environment will be able to develop their skills and become more resilient.

Decreased behavior issues

Teachers who promote a culture of classroom community expose their students to lessons on positive values, respect and responsibility. Classroom rules, procedures, expectations and consequences are explicit, and do not include punishments. From that, students are able to take a message of collaboration and fostering positive relationships with their peers.

Feeling of ownership of their environment and learning

"When we take the time to get to know our students on a personal level, and are culturally responsive, we let them know that we genuinely care about them. This communicates our belief that our students have
something valuable to offer, which in turn allows them to believe it, too."

Kids don't learn from people they don't like.

Rita Pierson was a brilliant educator, and an inspiring speaker. She recognized how important relationships are in teaching. When we take the time to get to know our students on a personal level, and are culturally responsive, we let them know that we genuinely care about them. This communicates our belief that our students have something valuable to offer, which in turn allows them to believe it, too.

Regardless of academic ability or behavioral needs, children are aware when they feel included in a classroom community. Once they feel a sense of belonging, they will invest in their learning rather than be passive recipients of information.

Fostering as sense of community in the classroom can be challenging, but it is well worth the effort. First week activities such as role playing to help students get a sense of what respect looks like, sounds like, and feels like, and participating in a Who's in My Circle? activity are all fantastic ways to begin. But it shouldn't end there.

Nurturing your classroom community takes place on a daily basis. Implementing classroom jobs is a powerful way to let your students know that the environment belongs to them. Holding regular class meetings that are student-led is imperative to a strong classroom community. Most importantly, each of your interactions with your students is an opportunity to continue to grow their sense of trust and belonging.

Leaving a legacy of relationships

Another Rita Pierson quote sums up the value of building community in the classroom: â€œHow powerful would our world be if we had kids who were not afraid to take risks, who were not afraid to think and who had a champion? Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connections, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.â€

Want to read more from this author? Check out Amy's tips on making your first year of teaching a successful one, dealing with difficult parents, or learn what special education teachers wish "regular" education teachers knew.

Author Bio:

Amy McKinney, M.Ed., is a third grade teacher in Pennsylvania. She has been teaching for eleven years, eight of them in special education. Her experience working with students with special needs has helped form her philosophy on teaching and collaborating with her colleagues. Follow her on Instagram: @theuniqueclassroom.

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The Importance of Building Community in the Classroom

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Schools and classrooms are where children spend a significant amount of time each week, and teachers have an opportunity to help their students make the most of that time together by developing a classroom community each day.

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When it's time for students to start working and/or head to college, they'll need "soft skills," otherwise known as career-readiness or job-readiness skills, in addition to academic knowledge and vocational skills.

Soft skills are those characteristics that help you function as an individual (motivation, self-confidence, flexibility) as well as within a group (teamwork, negotiation, respect). To succeed in the workplace, these job-readiness skills are key! After all, if you can't show up on time, speak up for yourself, or get along with your peers, chances are you're not going to have a very smooth go of it.

Explicitly teaching students these job-readiness skills is the best way to give them valuable insight into their strengths and weaknesses. We've rounded up 30 engaging lessons and activities that are not only just right for teaching the job-readiness skills students need, they are also a lot of fun!

1. Listen and recap

There are so many things competing for kids' attention in today's overstimulating world, so learning the simple art of listening can be a difficult task. This one-on-one communication activity will help students practice taking the time to clear their minds, focus, and really listen to what their partner is saying in a way that they can clearly and accurately repeat.

Divide students into pairs. Partner one draws a topic card from a prepared deck and talks about that topic while partner two listens without speaking. The listener must really focus on simply receiving their partner's words-not letting their mind wander or think about how they are going to respond. Then, without a rebuttal, partner two recaps what partner one said. Then, they switch roles.

Skills they'll practice:

Listening, respect, interpersonal skills, communication

Buy it: Letz Talk Conversation Cards at Amazon

2. Make a game of it

Responsibility isn't something students develop overnight. It takes lots of practice to show self-control when things don't go our way, to be accountable for our decisions, to finish what we start, and to keep trying even when we want to give up. Try these five super-fun games (below) that teach responsibility.

Skills they'll practice:

Responsibility, flexibility, patience

Learn more: 5 Great Games for Teaching Your Students About Responsibility

3. Serve others

Service-learning projects not only get kids involved in their communities, they help them develop many valuable job-readiness skills that will help them on the job one day. Team students up to organize a book or food drive, recruit bilingual students to provide translation services, or encourage budding artists to collaborate on a community art event.

Skills they'll practice:

Teamwork, respect, time management, responsibility

Learn more: 25+ Meaningful Service Learning Projects for Kids and Teens

4. Cultivate critical thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to examine a subject and develop an informed opinion about it. It's about asking questions, then looking closely at the answers to form conclusions that are backed by provable facts, not just "gut feelings" and opinion. And it's definitely on the top of most employers' wish lists for new employees. Click the link below for 10 fun and engaging classroom activities that'll get your students' gears turning.

Skills they'll practice:

Critical thinking, problem-solving, flexibility, self-confidence

Learn more: 5 Critical Thinking Skills Every Kid Needs to Learn and How To Teach Them

5. Human Marble Run

Working together to meet a goal takes patience and focus. This IRL version of Marble Run will help your students learn job-readiness skills like working together, and they'll have fun doing it!

Give each member of the team a length of gutter or drainpipe. The team has to transfer a tennis ball or golf ball from one place to another by rolling the ball from one piece of gutter to the next. Make it interesting by making the team get the ball to traverse an obstacle course or to go up and down stairs.

Skills they'll practice:

Patience, negotiation, teamwork, communication

6. No-hands cup-stacking challenge

This hands-on group challenge is an exercise in learning job-readiness skills like patience and perseverance, not to mention it's a total blast!

Decide how many students you want in each group, and tie that number of strings to a single rubber band. Each person in the group holds on to one of the strings attached to the rubber band. As a group, they use this device to pick up the cups (by pulling the rubber band apart and then bringing it back together over the cups) and place them on top of one another in order to build a pyramid.

Skills they'll practice:

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills, teamwork, patience

Learn more: Cup Stack from Ms. Sepp's Counselor Corner

7. Paper bag skits

You never know what life is going to hand to you. This is true at work, school, and in life in general. Sometimes you're handed a set of circumstances and have very little time to figure out what to do. This fun activity will help teens practice thinking on their feet.

Fill a few paper bags with four or five assorted classroom or household items. Break the teens into groups, and assign each group a bag without showing them what's inside. Give them two minutes to examine the items in their bag and come up with a skit, using all of the items, for the rest of the class.

Skills they'll practice:

Time management, teamwork, flexibility, presentation skills

8. Nurture self-knowledge

Journaling is a powerful tool for creative expression and reflection, but did you know that it can also be an effective way to improve mental health? Recording your thoughts and feelings can be a cathartic form of stress relief, an opportunity to get to know yourself better, and a way to help you feel more grounded and authentic in your beliefs. Try these free writing prompt cards with your middle and high schoolers to help them get started.

Skills they'll practice:

Stress management, self-confidence, motivation

Learn more: Deep Writing Journal Prompts for Teens from Journal Buddies

9. Foster self-motivation

Self-motivation is one of the key indicators of success in the future. Conversely, lack of motivation leads to big problems not in only school but on the job later on. But how do we teach something that comes from inside? Check out the activities below for some great tips like breaking big dreams into smaller pieces, envisioning a bright future, encouraging students to share their stories, and more.

Skills they'll practice:

Work ethic, critical thinking, self-confidence

Learn more: How To Instill Intrinsic Motivation from 7Mindsets

10. Hold a poetry slam

Slam poetry is a unique performance art that will not only give your students the opportunity to express their thoughts, but build their confidence as well. Slam poems are specifically written to be performed in front of an audience, and topics are often diverse, political, and thought-provoking. Finding your voice and being able to move people with your words are job-readiness skills that can apply to any future endeavor.

Skills they'll practice:

Self-confidence, presentation skills, teamwork

Learn more: What Is Slam Poetry and How Can Teachers Use It With Students?

11. Team survival challenge

What would happen if your class went out on a pleasure cruise only to end up being lost at sea? Who would take charge? What materials would be essential for survival? If you ever saw an episode of the TV series Lost, you know that making these decisions as a group can get ugly fast. This activity is a great lesson in group decision-making, as students will undoubtedly have different ideas about what materials to add to a limited list in a limited amount of time.

Skills they'll practice:

Critical thinking, negotiation, communication, teamwork

Learn more: Lost at Sea from Grahame Knox

12. Start a school garden

A school garden is an amazing, hands-on way to help teach students about responsibility. From planning what to grow and organizing the supplies needed to creating a maintenance schedule and actually getting down and dirty in the garden, it's a project that requires hard work and perseverance.

Skills they'll practice:

Responsibility, teamwork, problem-solving, patience

Learn more: How One School Garden Transformed a Neighborhood

13. Time-management challenge

We all have days when our list of tasks is huge, and the amount of time we have to complete them just isn't. When time is tight, and your agenda is packed, you've got to prioritize tasks and work efficiently! This activity gives students the opportunity to practice just that by presenting them with a long list of tasks to complete in a limited time frame.

Make a list of tasks on chart paper, assigning a point value for each job. For example: Do 25 jumping jacks (5 points); make up a nickname for each member of the group (5 points); get every person in the class to sign a piece of paper (15 points); form a conga line and conga from one end of the room to the other (5 points, 10 bonus points if anyone joins you); etc. Make sure you list enough tasks to take up more than 10 minutes.

Divide your students into groups of five or six and give them 10 minutes to collect as many points as they can by deciding which tasks to perform. A debriefing session is essential with this game. Guide your students to think about how they made decisions, which group dynamics came into play, and how they determined the value of each task.

Skills they'll practice:

Negotiation, critical thinking, communication, time management

14. Vision boards

Unleash your students' creativity while at the same time helping them set goals for the future with a vision board. We don't frequently take the time to express who we are and what we hope for. Setting aside time to contemplate can motivate teens to think deeply about what they really want in life and also fuel their desire to do what's necessary in order to reach their dreams.

Skills they'll practice:

Self-confidence, motivation, critical thinking

Learn more: Why Teachers Should Create Vision Boards With Their Students from Study All Knight

Image credit: Fatima Vieira

15. Collaborative contract

This exercise for middle schoolers helps them establish values-based ground rules for a team. Each student takes an index card and lists three values that they believe will promote a sense of community. Team members discuss the values, consolidating them into more precise categories. They write the finalized list on a poster board, with each student signing it. Whenever there is a dispute, the team should refer to the "contract," which holds everyone accountable.

The purpose of this exercise is to create a safe space to explore ideas by focusing on common language and shared expectations. Additionally, this activity prepares middle-school students for the workplace by emphasizing similarities rather than differences.

Skills they'll practice:

Negotiation, communication, listening, respect

16. Zombie apocalypse

In this two-day lesson, students are required to identify soft skills, literary guides, and everyday objects that will help them survive a zombie apocalypse. They'll work both cooperatively and independently, and produce short pieces of persuasive writing to argue in favor of their survival.

Skills they'll practice:

Teamwork, interpersonal skills (collaboration), problem-solving

Learn more: Zombie Invasion Plan from Sarah Andrasik

Image source: Dallas Museum of Art

17. Stoke their competitive fire

According to teacher Christine Weis, there's nothing like a little healthy competition in the classroom. "It motivates students and drives them to put forth their best effort," she says. "It sparks interest, passion, and ignites a fire within." Not only can healthy competition build confidence, it can encourage students to learn something new and develop new skills. Try games, puzzles, sports, quiz competitions, team presentations, etc., to motivate your students to reach a higher level.

Skills they'll practice:

Motivation, work ethic, problem-solving, self-confidence

Learn more: 7 Motivational Activities for Students from The Homeschool Resource Room

18. The blindfold game

Teens leading one another around in blindfolds? Are we sure this is a good idea? The answer is yes when it's part of a structured, purposeful job-readiness skills activity like this one!

You'll need a large space for this activity (maybe the cafeteria after lunch or the gym during an off-period), enough blindfolds for half of the participants, and furniture and other items that you can use as obstacles (cardboard boxes, pillows, chairs, tables). Scatter furniture and objects around the room before the activity begins. Your course should be challenging but safe to navigate.

Pair students and have them line up at one end of the room. One person from each pair should put on the blindfold. The sighted person must guide their partner across the room and give them clear oral instructions (without touching them) to help them avoid the obstacles. When each team reaches the far side of the room, partners can switch roles and repeat the exercise. Have just a few pairs tackle the course at a time so that the others can observe. Take some time between rounds to process what went well, what didn't, and what could make the challenge easier.

Skills they'll practice:

Communication, listening, respect (taking the task and their partner's safety seriously), flexibility

19. Take a mini crash course

Our teens may almost look like adults, but we have to remember they still have a lot to learn. And sometimes the best way to teach them what they need to know is to just spell it out. This video is a no-nonsense tutorial about some of the job-readiness skills that employers find valuable. Hold a screening, then after the video, have students form breakout groups to talk about what portion of the video they found most helpful and what they need to work on.

Skills they'll practice:

Communication, listening, critical thinking

20. Human knot

Nothing promotes job-readiness skills such as cooperation like getting all tangled up with your classmates - literally!

Players stand in a circle and reach out to shake hands with other players, with each hand holding that of a different person, creating a "human knot." Then the players have to figure out how to untangle their bodies without letting go of each other's hands. This activity lends itself to a vibrant debriefing session as students observe their communication and cooperation skills.

Skills they'll practice:

Teamwork, communication, problem-solving

Learn more: The Human Knot Game from Icebreaker Ideas

21. Mind your mental health

Managing stress in school (and on the job) is a timely subject. With mental health issues on the rise across the country, it's critical to teach your students strategies that will help them stay grounded and build resilience. After all, it's hard to do your best in any endeavor when you're stressed to the max. Try the empowering activities below to teach students how to manage stress so students can succeed in college, on the job, and in the future.

Skills they'll practice:

Self-confidence, problem-solving, leadership

Learn more: 22 Empowering Mental Health Activities for Teens

22. Rope Circle Shimmy

Divide the teens into two groups. Each group should have a minimum of five members. To begin play, make a big circle out of rope for each team and put it on the floor. Each member of the team stands at the edges of the circle, so the rope is taut around their ankles, while holding their hands in the air.

Team members must take turns moving to work the rope up from ankles to wrists, keeping hands in the air at all times. The team member will have to wiggle and move to slide the rope up. Other team members can help by keeping the rope as taut as possible. The team that finishes the challenge first wins!

Skills they'll practice:

Communication, flexibility, interpersonal skills (cooperation)

Learn more: Looped to Rope from Mom Junction

23. Four-card negotiation

Sometimes to get ahead in life, you have to know how to wheel and deal. This is entirely what this lesson is all about. The objective is for teams to trade and barter for pieces of cards to match up with the pieces they already have and ultimately end up with four complete playing cards.

Start with a pile of playing cards (four cards per team of four or five students). Cut each card diagonally into four pieces and mix all of the pieces together. Now divide the mixed-up pieces evenly among the teams. Give teams a couple of minutes to sort out their card pieces and figure out which pieces they have and which pieces are missing. Set a timer for 10 minutes. The goal of the game is for the students to use their negotiation skills with the other teams in order to gain as many complete cards as possible for their team. At the end of 10 minutes, the team with the most cards wins.

Skills they'll practice:

Negotiation, communication, interpersonal skills

24. Pair up with younger kids

Nothing helps teens build responsibility like pairing up with a younger buddy. Being the more mature, more experienced partner in the relationship gives teens the opportunity to share what they know and learn to be a leader. Have your students plan fun activities and special events with their buddies.

Skills they'll practice:

Responsibility, leadership, problem-solving, listening, patience

Learn more: 20 Activities for Big Buddy/Little Buddy Time from Create, Dream, Explore

25. Blind spelling practice

Weaving soft-skills activities into everyday curriculum is a win for everyone. Enhance your students' interpersonal skills with this fun spelling activity. Tape letters to each student's back. Then call out a definition of a word. Students will need to work together to assemble in the right order to spell the word correctly.

Learn more: Manuel Antonio Noronha

Skills they'll practice:

Communication, listening, negotiation, problem-solving

26. Practice small talk

Teenagers aren't exactly known for their chitchat skills. In fact, for many it is one of the most awkward situations they can imagine being put in. But small talk is considered a foundational job-readiness skill that is important for almost every job, as well as learning to network. Many teens feel awkward speaking with people they're not used to speaking to and need practice, especially with adults. Try some free conversation starters that will help them practice the "three P's" of small talk: being polite, positive, and professional.

Skills they'll practice:

Communication, listening, self-confidence, patience, respect

Learn more: Conversation Starters on the Job from Realityworks

27. Blind drawing

Try this hilarious activity with your teens. It kind of like "telephone" but instead of listening, each person must pay close attention to what is being drawn on their back. Each student in the line gets a blank sheet of paper taped to their back and a marker. The student at the end begins by slowly drawing an image on the person's paper in front of him. When that person feels what's being drawn, they try to re-create what they're feeling on the person of front of them. When the image is complete, have the students take off their papers and compare the results. This activity is a colorful reminder that people often perceive things very differently, so communication is extremely important!

Skills they'll practice:

Communication, teamwork, patience

28. Mock interviews

The prospect of going on a job interview can be terrifying to a kid who's never had a job before. Practicing job-readiness skills like interviewing can help them reduce the fear factor and build their confidence. Pair students up and assign one the role of interviewer and one the role of interviewee. Use a set of job interview questions to practice with.

Give each pair 15 minutes, then have them talk about how the interview went. The interviewer may have some valuable insight for the interviewee. Then have the partners switch roles and repeat. After they've had practice with their peers, invite a few adults into the room to conduct mock interviews.

Skills they'll practice:

Interview skills, critical thinking, self-confidence

Learn more: Job Interview Questions for Teens from Understood.org

29. Group storytelling

Create small groups of three to eight students. The first person makes up and says out loud the first line of a story. The second person says, "Yes, and ...," continuing the story. Play continues around the group until everyone has contributed or until the story has come to a satisfactory end. Since students don't know what's coming, they have to learn how to listen carefully and react and communicate well on the fly. As an alternative, to have students listen even more carefully, have them continue the story with the phrase, "because ..."

Skills they'll practice:

Communication, listening, critical thinking, presentation skills

30. Team pen

Sometimes it takes the whole team to produce results. This fun game involves a marker with four to six strings tied to it and a blank piece of paper. The teacher calls out a word and the team has to work together to legibly print the word on the paper. Students will have to think carefully and cooperate with one another to maneuver the pen correctly to write the word.

Skills they'll practice:

Communication, teamwork, patience, critical thinking

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30 Awesome Classroom Activities That Teach Job-Readiness Skills

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Need ideas to help your students learn job-readiness skills help them succeed in life after school? These soft skills activities will help!

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Is your hospital education program teaching "soft skills" in addition to academic skills? If so, then you are in good company with schools across the country. If not, did you know that in a national survey of parents, principals, teachers, and superintendents, 8 out of 10 respondents thought those skills should be also be assessed alongside academic skills?

It might be just enough to inspire programs to include instruction and assessment of soft skills in regular lesson plans.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are the other nonacademic skills students acquire to help them succeed in life. They often include social emotional skills, critical thinking skills, and skills that facilitate positive interactions with others and the ability to overcome challenges.

In a NWEA survey completed by Gallup, 2,000 principals and superintendents, 1,000 parents and 1,000 teachers were surveyed to understand their perception of the importance of soft skills and assessment of said skills within the school system. The study sought to determine how those involved in our children's education felt students were being prepared for their future. It attempted to establish what skills children will need to be successful, and how schools should go about assessing whether or not those needs were being met.

Some of the soft skills noted in the survey included:

The ability to apply what they [students] have learned in school to real-world situations

Problem-solving skills

Critical-thinking skills

The ability to view issues or problems from different perspectives

Teamwork (the ability to work well with others)

Overall, respondents indicated that soft skills are very important to cover, but the study also found that there is not a common understanding about how to go about the assessment process to see if students are receiving the instruction they require in this area.
Importance of Soft Skills for Students
Over 80% of respondents in each of the 4 populations (principals, parents, teachers and superintendents) indicated that it was equally as important to assess both academic and non academic skills. And the workforce seems to agree. The study noted previous research that demonstrated 60% of employers felt a broad range of skills were important for recent college graduates to achieve long-term career success.

Having a nonacademic skillset is important for student-patients as well. The students who receive educational services in an alternative or hospital setting face a wide range of challenges that can impact their learning and ability to participate successfully in the social aspect of school and society as well. It is vital to the student's success that they learn how to navigate and overcome personal challenges, and expand their social emotional skills to understand and work around issues they may face as a result of, or in conjunction with, their diagnosis.

Fostering problem-solving skills, teamwork and critical thinking skills also provides an opportunity for students to be successful in a new area, therefore having the potential to boost their confidence and ability to connect with and lead groups of peers in activities.
How to incorporate soft skills into a hospital education curriculum
There are many ways that hospital teachers can promote nonacademic learning during lessons. One such way is to include students in problem solving issues that may arise related to their own academic work.

Completing homework assignments in an alternative environment can be challenging-at times students/facilities may not possess the right tools or equipment to complete a task the same way their peers might. Teachers can encourage students to problem-solve and come up with alternative pathways or solutions that will yield similar results.

Daily prompts and warm-up activities are also opportunities to foster critical thinking and social emotional skill building. Journal prompts, discussing current events and tackling riddles and other investigative challenges can boost these skills in an easy and enjoyable manner, while helping to get students right to work upon entering a classroom.

Hospital teachers have a unique opportunity to meet students at critical points in their lives-whether undergoing necessary treatment or in crisis-and by encouraging growth in both academic and nonacademic skills, they can help students maintain academic progress while supporting their development for future success in all aspects of life.

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The Importance of Teaching Soft Skills in Today's Classrooms - LearnWell

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Social and emotional skills are what help students makes sense of, and connect to both who they are, and the world around them. Skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making play a large role in a student's overall success-both academically and in regards to becoming an well-rounded responsible citizen.

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AMLE - Association for Middle Level Education

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Standards writers, curriculum designers, and classroom teachers have spent the past several years clamoring to find ways to revitalize curriculum and instruction and increase rigor in ways that prepare students for life after school.

We all agree that students need an education that prepares them for college and career. We know the statistics about students who go to college unprepared for the rigors of college coursework, relegated to taking courses for no credit, decreasing the likelihood that they will graduate.

But preparation for college and career success requires much more than exposure to a robust curriculum. While a solid knowledge base in classic literature or advanced levels of math certainly won't hurt a young person on the precipice of adulthood, the voices of workforce leaders describe a skills gap of a different nature, a gap in competencies rather than content.

Today's employers perceive a lack of soft skills among recent graduates. Soft skills, sometimes called key skills, core skills, key competencies, or employability skills, are those desirable qualities that apply across a variety of jobs and life situations-traits such as integrity, communication, courtesy, responsibility, professionalism, flexibility, and teamwork.

While these soft skills are cited as integral to workplace success-according to CareerBuilder, 77% of employers say that soft skills are just as important as hard skills- college professors identify the same characteristics as important to college success. Young people who transition successfully from high school to college show an ability to manage their time, meet deadlines, get along with classmates and roommates, and deal with setbacks.

People develop soft skills through socialization, learning the values, attitudes, and actions through interactions with others. Because socialization and relationship-building are a critical part of young adolescents' lives, middle school is a perfect place to incorporate soft skill development into the school day. By adding this important element to instructional plans and classroom expectations, educators help prepare students for success after graduation.

Where to Begin

Many free soft skills instructional programs offer high-interest, middle grades-appropriate activities that allow students to reflect on and think about their own development of soft skills. However, the most effective way to develop students' soft skills is to incorporate development into various aspects of the curriculum. Here are some strategies.

Integrity. Foster integrity by incorporating group work into classroom activities. Each member of the group should be responsible for a specific job or outcome. At the end of the group work assignment, ask students to reflect on how they contributed to the work and why they deserve a share of the final grade.

Communication. Develop students' communication skills in writing for authentic audiences, participating in group discussions, and presenting to the group. They should be able to demonstrate academically productive speech as they move through a class discussion ( http://wordgen.serpmedia.org/academic_vocabulary-and-apt.html).

Courtesy. Require students to be respectful and courteous to each other in class and when collaborating with others online. Accountable talk is one strategy that promotes respectful and courteous communication.

Responsibility. Don't rely on giving zeros for late or missing work as a means to promote responsibility. Students who fail to turn in work should be required to explain why the work was not completed and what they will do to remedy the situation in the future. Don't propose an extension-if they want to turn the work in late, they must request the extension.

Professionalism. Promote professionalism through class expectations, such as being on time and coming prepared, being respectful of others, completing assignments, and adapting writing to the needs of others.

Flexibility. Give students long-term, problem-based projects that must be completed within parameters and interim deadlines as they see fit. These activities will encourage them to be organized and focused, to problem-solve and self-monitor.

Teamwork. Encourage teamwork and collaboration through group work and by assigning diverse students to work together. Emphasize communication, trust, integrity, responsibility, and collaboration.

Outside the classroom, teachers can promote soft skills development by providing opportunities for students to visit job sites or participate in job shadowing activities. However, the easiest and most authentic way to instill soft skills is to model them. When students regularly see adults who demonstrate these skills-by teaming, being respectful toward students and other teachers, communicating clearly, and being on time and prepared, they not only understand the value of soft skills, they know how they apply to real-life situations.

A Brighter Future

President Obama has clearly stated the important link between education and the economy. If educators are to play their part in strengthening that link, they must focus on helping students develop the soft skills that contribute to both college and workplace success.

Jaime Greene is middle school instructional coach for Hamblen County Schools in Morristown, Tennessee. greenej@hcboe.net Published inAMLE Magazine, February 2016.

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Soft Skills: Preparing Kids for Life After School

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Standards writers, curriculum designers, and classroom teachers have spent the past several years clamoring to find ways to revitalize curriculum and instruction and increase rigor in ways that prepare students for life after school. We all agree that students need an education that prepares them for college and career.

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by Terry Heick
This post has been updated from a 2013 post.
We've talked before about the role of play in learning, and this is an idea that I'm becoming fascinated with. It's also a bit of a tough nut to crack.

What exactly is play? (A wonderful video gives an answer here.) Can you make it happen, or must you let it happen? What is the relationship between play and "flow"?

And what does this all mean for formal and informal learning environments? Well, that depends on whether you see the role of play and self-direction in learning as necessary, or a waste of efficiency.
How To Create Learning Through Play: A Spectrum 1. Given nothing
The student little receives zero resources or support. They can do-or choose not to do-whatever they'd like.
2. Given time
In this learning model, a student is merely restricted by some sort of time constraint. Do whatever, but do it within this timeframe.
3. Given playful spaces
Here, the student is "placed" in a "playful space"-whether physical or digital. Beyond that immediate context, they are given nothing else.
4. Given opportunity for collaboration
Students are merely given the opportunity to collaborate, perhaps in a playful space. Again, no other support or "framing" is offered.
5. Given dynamic tools
Students are now given dynamic tools to place within playful spaces with the opportunity for collaboration. No "content" is delivered.
6. Given a topic
At this level, students are given all of the above (well, except #1), but also offered a topic: gravity, variables, symbolism, war, hip-hop, etc. No further criteria or suggestion is offered.
7. Given engaging models
Now, students have added in their "learning space" engaging exemplars of human thought: paintings, apps, novels, architecture, music, examples of math-as-problem-solving-tool, etc.
8. Given a challenge or goal
Solve this problem. Make 10 shots in a row. Find a more efficient way to package an item. This sort of "goal" or challenge should be relatively minor or it could quickly become a full blown project.
9. Given a process or framework
At this point, the learning process becomes significantly more restricted. Students are given a process, sequence, framework, or some other external method that acts as both "support" and a detriment to their own natural self-direction.
10. Mandating collaboration with little choice
Added to the above externally-planned sequence, learners are now required to collaborate, with little choice with whom, for what purpose, and at what stage of the learning and/or production/design process.
11. Given specific criteria
In addition to deciding the space, topic, models, challenges, and collaboration, the teacher (or expert) now also adds specific criteria to the assignment, whether this is basic (a due-date), moderate (number of resources required), or more complex (specific criteria of a specific model to be produced by the learner).
12. Given a flexible rubric
The teacher helps guide the learner in understanding what might determine the "quality" of an assignment. This can be both supportive or restrictive, depending on how it's done.
13. Given an assignment
The teacher has taken the task of deciding content, form, and criteria to create and/or distribute an "assignment" which is hoped to lead to a specific understanding. The level of support/restriction is becoming significant.
14. Given a detailed project with detailed rubric
The students here may have the flexibility of a project, but everything else is dictated and externally-directed.
15. Given fully scripted assignments packaged as a "unit"
This is among the most restrictive approaches to learning. Depending on your perspective, this is either expertly-planned by a trained teacher to produce creative and critical thinking learners that can self-direct their own learning pathways. or it is stifling to those same areas, eroding learner self-direction, innovation, play, and, further, educator capacity.

MORE RESTRICTIVE
Volition
Both flow and play require a strong sense of volition and intellectual safety on the part of users. Self-directed learning, project-based learning, mobile learning, and other 21st century learning forms all rely heavily on the states of mind.

It also seems that play precedes flow to some extent-and since each are untapped resources of imagination, creativity, and innovation, it makes sense that we understand where they come from and how they work.

In pursuit, I put together the above draft of a play "spectrum" to give an idea of what it looks like compared to traditional learning. It moves from less to more restrictive top to bottom, where learners are given "nothing" in a completely unrestricted environment-literally nothing-and given specific assignments with detailed rubrics in a more restrictive environment.

In the middle is a kind of sweet spot, where learners are simply given dynamic tools, opportunity for collaboration, and the ability to work and produce free from critical judgment. Other components are also available, from engaging models and peer-to-peer collaboration, to browsing tools and available audiences.
Image attribution flickr user flickeringbrad; How To Create Learning Through Play: A Spectrum
The end result would be a learning environment where learners are empowered to experiment, interact, solve problems, fail, share, iterate, and self-direct. The spectrum above essentially creates a range of conditions that are more or less likely to create play through learning-and learning through play.

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by Terry Heick This post has been updated from a 2013 post. We've talked before about the role of play in learning, and this is an idea that I'm becoming fascinated with. It's also a bit of a tough nut to crack. What exactly is play? (A wonderful video gives an answer here.)

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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A teacher shares her best practices for establishing strong relationships with her class at the start of the school year.

One day, Alyssa, an eighth-grade student, came to our middle school wearing a purple bandanna as a headband, even though she knew that our school's dress code does not allow bandannas. While it seemed like a simple issue to reconcile, I soon found another teacher knocking on my door that morning, asking me to tell Alyssa to take the bandanna off. He said he didn't feel comfortable handling the situation but knew I could persuade Alyssa to follow the rules because she trusted me.

That day, I took Alyssa aside, and we had a private conversation about why bandannas were not allowed at school. I assured her that I understood why she wanted to wear a headband, and I even offered her the option of wearing a different one. After our conversation, Alyssa calmly went to the bathroom and returned to class without the bandanna on her head.

This seemingly small encounter reminded me of the power of positive relationships in schools and why teachers must be intentional about building them. In the classroom, positive relationships are the foundation for learning success. Yet as teachers, we sometimes neglect to take the time to learn about our students as people, which can create barriers to learning and make even small interactions (or conflicts) challenging to handle.

Alyssa wasn't a perfect student, and math didn't come easy for her, but she worked hard in my class. She asked questions. She even came in before and after class for additional help or just to talk about her social life. She trusted me because I worked hard to build a relationship with her by showing that I respected her and cared for her well-being.

Many teachers feel pressure to cover content and to tackle many other job-related duties. However, I have found that investing time early and often to learn about students-by making small changes in our classroom-creates an environment where they are motivated to be successful. Here are six strategies I use to build better relationships with my students.

1. Learn names quickly and correctly. Too often, students, especially those who are marginalized, feel invisible in our schools. Value student diversity and identity by learning names quickly and pronouncing them correctly. Only use nicknames if students prefer them; never create a nickname for a student, because this strips him or her of the identity that is embedded in a name. Every year on the first day of school, I have my students create name tents and pronounce their names correctly for me. I practice pronouncing their names often. I take up the name tents and pass them out each class period until I have learned all of the students' names. I greet each of my students at the door by name before class.

2. Students are never too old for show-and-tell. Help students feel they're more than just another student by allowing them to bring in something that represents them, their culture, or some activity that they enjoy doing at the beginning of the year. Plan five to 10 minutes each day for a few students to share what they brought until you have given everyone in the class the opportunity. In my classes, students have brought in baby pictures of themselves, goggles that they use for their competitive swim team, and souvenirs from a family vacation. Once, my student Hannah brought her ukulele and sang the class a song. She turned show-and-tell into a party, and my students loved every minute of it.

3. Post student pictures and student work. Elementary teachers are very good at sharing student work, but middle and high school teachers often neglect this important practice, feeling that it's unnecessary for older students. I've found older students still need to be reminded that you value their work. When my students participate in the show-and-tell, for example, I snap a picture of them. Those pictures are then printed and posted on a bulletin board in class that stays up all year long. The students love seeing how they have changed over the course of the year because they realize that their growth and development is not only physical, but intellectual and emotional as well. In addition, students are so proud when their exemplary work, such as individual math projects and group work on math tasks, is displayed and celebrated.
©Theresa Montgomery
4. Assign seats, and change them often. We all know that middle school students don't always get along, but when students have opportunities to work together, they learn about each other and discover ways to work together even though they're different. I have my students sit at tables in my middle school math classroom. I assign them to tables of three or four students each; then they change seats once per week using an online random seat changer that is embedded in our attendance management system. After each change, the students answer a quick question, such as, "Who would you love to have dinner with and why?" to get to know the people at their table before spending a week collaborating with them on mathematical tasks.

5. Find small ways to connect. In my first-period class, we often have circle time on Monday mornings or after a break. We stand in a circle and pass a ball around. The person with the ball shares a compliment about another person in the circle, what they did over the weekend or the break, or how they are feeling in the moment and why. Once a student participated in goat yoga for a friend's birthday over the weekend. We were all intrigued by her pictures of goats walking on their backs during yoga class! If I forget circle time on Mondays, my students always remind me. They also always insist that I share too. Though it can seem like every minute is needed to get through the academic content, I've learned that a five-minute investment once a week to learn about each other is invaluable to my students and builds a better culture in my classroom.

6. Simply listen. As teachers, we often feel like we need to keep a professional distance from our students, but I've found that taking time to make small talk can help break down barriers to learning. Because I've made myself approachable, some of my students will tell me stories about their lives during the five minutes between classes. I stop what I am doing, look them in the eyes, and listen. I love seeing their eyes light up as they tell me these stories, and these encounters always leave me a little more knowledgeable about who they are as people.

All students deserve to have adults in their schools who care about them enough to be intentional about building positive relationships that give them the space to make mistakes and learn. If we truly expect our students to learn with us, they need to know that we care about them. They also need opportunities to learn about each other, so that they can build a community in which they grow together as learners.

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6 Strategies for Building Better Student Relationships

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A teacher shares her best practices for establishing strong relationships with her class at the start of the school year.

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Student Voice and Choice in the Early Elementary Grades

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A look at how a second-grade teacher gave her students some control over the classroom jobs list to bolster their sense of autonomy.

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On sharing personal stories and using reading circles to create strong bonds in the classroom and to help every student find their voice.

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Play-based learning helps engage elementary students in their education and has cognitive, physical, social, and emotional benefits.

A few years ago, I began shifting to a play-based approach in my kindergarten classroom. Research extolled the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional benefits of play and called to mind Friedrich Froebel's vision of kindergarten as a place where play and learning go hand in hand.

As I made small changes in my classroom, I began to understand that play is a primary and integral mode through which children make sense of the world, and that it is essential to their development and well-being. In addition, it supports skills like collaboration, communication, and creativity. Offering play can feel challenging when mandated programs and standardized tests are requirements of many school districts, but play-based learning is an effective practice for deepening understanding and engaging children. The key is finding a balance between academic expectations and the developmental needs of young students.

Offer Time, Space, and Materials

As I studied children's play, I saw that their bodies and minds were most engaged and focused when they were offered time, space, and meaningful materials to make sense of what they were learning. Teacher-directed activities and transitions are no substitutes for opportunities for exploration, creativity, and socialization.

Using a "choice time" structure like the one outlined in Choice Time: How to Deepen Learning Through Inquiry and Play, PreK-2 affords children opportunities to learn playfully. Making time for play early in the day optimizes learning and helps to balance a classroom schedule. My students have a 30-minute choice time within our literacy block each morning in addition to a 45-minute choice time at the end of the day.

The classroom environment is designed to engage their minds, meet their sensory needs, and offer practice with academic content. Our classroom includes a block center, math center, science center, book nook, dramatic play corner, sensory table, felt board, and art center. Many of the materials in each center can be integrated into more than one center.

With thoughtfully designed centers, children flow from one activity to the next with a sense of purpose. The art center is a place where children can construct all sorts of creations. Pine cones, tree bark, and other natural treasures are piled into the science center with an old overhead projector for light study. Cuisenaire rods, pattern blocks, and counting grids encourage geometric design at the math center. The block center is where children's imaginative worlds come to life.

Creativity and invention stem from some of the simplest materials, and having access to these materials can make the difference in a child's ability to learn.

Other materials are introduced to expand thinking on a certain topic or theme. For example, later in the spring, the sensory table will be filled with soil and the students will begin a scientific study of worms that will eventually lead the students outdoors to the garden.

Use Play to Inform Teaching

I had an initial hesitation surrounding play-based learning because I worried that it would impact my ability to teach district-mandated programs or address required academic standards and assessments. But observing young students as they played gave me new insight on the ways they think and learn. I was able to use that knowledge and address their individual needs more effectively.

Children were more motivated to explore academic standards within their play because it was meaningful to them. After reading Miss Maple's Seeds last fall, the children became fascinated by the knowledge that Eliza Wheeler had created the pictures and story from her imagination. They grew curious about how the book was made. After discussing the book-making process in our circle, a child exclaimed, "We can make books, too!" A few minutes later, a group of children set off to the art center to create books of their own.

The collaborative work of story writing incorporates speaking, listening, and writing standards. Book making has since become a favorite activity, carrying over into other areas of learning.

This winter, a child made a number book and brought it to our math circle to share with the class. Number books quickly became the rage, with each one a little different from the next. One child began a book about groups of 10. A friend offered support by popping up from the table to reference the number grid on the wall. They soon reached 200.

Given time, space, and materials, these children were able to explore mathematical concepts at their ability level while also contributing to other children's understanding. Educational consultant Mike Anderson describes this kind of "self-differentiation" as the place in which learning is "most effective" and "enjoyable"-in other words, their zone of proximal development.

Understand Child Development

Understanding how play supports learning means understanding how children learn. Just as a tree's roots form a foundation on which the tree can thrive, our teaching must have roots in child development in order for children to thrive.

Once my students had experienced play-based learning, they were more focused, motivated, and purposeful. Most important, they were happier. Bringing play-based learning to my classroom created balance, deepened our learning, and defined our classroom community as a place where we could learn and grow together.

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Play-based learning helps engage elementary students in their education and has cognitive, physical, social, and emotional benefits.