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Social and Emotional Learning - Aperture Education

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Did you know that social and emotional learning (SEL) skills can easily be taught to students K-8 right alongside core academic instruction in classrooms or afterschool programs? From reading, writing, and arithmetic, SEL can be woven into nearly any subject. In fact, SEL often makes teaching core instruction easier because when students have strong social and emotional competence, they are more engaged, motivated, and ready to learn.

We promise that it is easy to teach SEL in your core instruction! Here are 10 activities and lesson ideas - organized by subject area and grade level - to get you started.
Do you teach secondary grades? Be sure to check out our blog, 10 SEL Activities for High School Students.
STEM

Saving Sam: A Team-Building Activity Oh no! Sam the Worm's boat has capsized, and his life jacket is trapped underneath it. Can your students use teamwork and collaboration to get him back in his boat without touching him? This fun activity promotes creative problem-solving and teamwork to reinforce engineering skills.

Identifying Emotions Activity: Chameleon Moods Helping students learn how to identify physical signs of escalating emotions can be an effective way to teach self-regulation. In this activity, students build this important skill while they learn about chameleons and why they change colors.

Language Arts

Books Give Us Wings Books can help students understand the world from different points of view by exploring unfamiliar cultures and societies. Books can also help students rise above bullying and peer pressure and overcome loss or adversity. Foster a love of reading by teaching students that books are not just entertaining - they can also "give us wings."

Conflict Resolution Vocabulary: "-ate" Words Communicate, negotiate, mediate. Teach students the many words that end in "-ate," and explore how to use these words to resolve conflicts.

Conversation Skills: Staying on Topic Listening skills are important for effective communication and also for demonstrating respect for others. Practice communication with this fun game.

Social Studies and History

Empathy and the Persona Poem A persona poem is written from another person's perspective and can be a powerful way to teach empathy. This activity works well in either Language Arts or History class, and this particular lesson works well for 7 th or 8 th grade students (though you can modify for younger students by selecting an age-appropriate topic).

SEL Lessons and Activities to Enhance Social Studies Social Studies is an excellent platform to teach social and emotional skills such as self-management, relationship building, social awareness, and responsible decision-making. Enhance your Social Studies and History lessons with these activities and teaching practices.

Physical Education and The Arts

Art Activities for SEL Artistic expression goes hand-in-hand with SEL. Check out this site for lots of ideas for reinforcing SEL through drawing, collages, and other craft activities.

Charades for Kids: Feelings and Empathy Acting out emotions and engaging students in role-playing can promote kindness and empathy. Let students' creativity flow while encouraging them to explore feelings and empathy through dramatic expression.

Music and Mood Listening to music increases the amount of dopamine (a mood-enhancing chemical) in the brain, which means it can have a positive effect on our mental health. This is especially important to help students work through high levels of stress, anxiety, and isolation. Use this free lesson to teach students how music can improve their emotions and perceptions.

Incorporating SEL activities in classrooms and afterschool programs can make lessons more engaging and help students find deeper meaning in core subject areas. At the same time, students learn the critical social and emotional skills needed to succeed in school and in life. To get started with SEL assessment and strategies from Aperture Education, contact us through the form below.

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10 SEL Activities for Grades K-8 - Social and Emotional Learning - Aperture Education

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Did you know that social and emotional learning (SEL) skills can easily be taught to students K-8 right alongside core academic instruction in classrooms or afterschool programs? From reading, writing, and arithmetic, SEL can be woven into nearly any subject.

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Middle schoolers are at a unique stage; they're no longer little kids, but not yet adults. They still have so much growing to do socially and emotionally. This is one of the many reasons that teaching social and emotional skills for middle school learners is so important. These years are a critical window to help learners gain skills for empathy, friendships, self-awareness, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Why Make Time for SEL for Middle Schoolers?
All kids and young adults need to learn social and emotional skills. That much is pretty clear. Simply put, these are the foundation to social, emotional, academic, and personal success. These are the skills that help students work well with others, manage their emotions, work through challenges, and meet goals. Just because these young adults are older doesn't mean they will walk into the classroom with these skills in tact; many don't. A number of young adults struggle with these skills on a daily basis.

In fact, middle school can sometimes be the time when challenges become more apparent. You might see young adults struggling to make friends, issues with mean behavior, learners who can't keep up with the curriculum, or students generally making poor choices they later regret. These are just a few examples in the day-to-day life of what a middle school teacher (or parent) sees.
Understanding Growing Brains
Further, the brain of a middle schooler is simply different. Brain research has shown that in the adolescent brain, the emotions portions of the brain are developing faster than the decision-making areas. This ultimately means middle school kids are more likely to act before thinking. Teaching social-emotional skills to middle schoolers can help empower them to make better choices during this difficult time.

The good news in all of this is brain plasticity; this is the idea that brains are still growing and developing. With strategies, knowledge, and practice, our middle schoolers can strengthen their social-emotional skills now and for the future.
Strategies for Social-Emotional Support for Middle School
Below are 25+ strategies and techniques educators can use to teach and provide emotional support specifically for middle school learners. Remember that you don't have to do everything! SEL isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. Choose a few strategies that fit you and your school best and give them a try.

1. Start with Daily Greetings
Research shows that kids and young adults perform better when their teacher greets them at the door. In one study, academic engagement increased by 20 percentage points while disruptive behavior decreased by 9 percentage points. This is why daily greetings are just a simple and positive proactive approach that every educator can take.

When greeting students, it's helpful to:

Say the student's name.

Use a friendly nonverbal greeting (example: wave or elbow bump).

Give an informal check-in.

Provide some words of encouragement.

Put it all together and it might look like this: The teacher waves at Jacob. She says, "Hey, Jacob! How are you doing today?" After Jacob answers, she might say, "I know you are going to love our lesson today. It's about snakes!" Of course, every situation should be individualized to the student to build relationships and help kids feel welcomed.

You can use a free printable daily greetings poster to allow students to choose a greeting themselves as they walk in.
2. Morning Meeting
Morning meeting is an ideal time to integrate social-emotional skills. It is a semi-structured time during the beginning of the day when students greet each other, discuss some topics, and complete activities together. Holding morning meeting on a regular basis gives teens the opportunity to develop strong relationships (student to student and student to teacher), while also providing a time to build on SEL skills like empathy, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.

A morning meeting focused on social emotional learning can consist of the following components:

1. Daily greetings. Give learners a chance to greet one another.

2. Introduce a skill for topic. The teacher will introduce a new SEL topic of the day. Possible topics might include empathy, showing kindness, listening, staying organized, studying for tests, peer influence, or anything else.

3. Start a discussion. Lead a discussion on the topic of the day. Let students share ideas and discuss it.

4. Do an activity. Practice the skill with a partner, group or individual activity. These don't have to be long; they are just a strategy to help kids generalize the skill while learning together. For example, if you are learning about coping strategies that day, you might have kids color while listening to music.

5. Reflect and check-in. Give a final chance for students to reflect on how that skill applies to their life. During this this, it also helps to give a final check-in or time for kids to share anything else on their minds before getting to a daily lesson.

At the middle school level, morning meetings can be part of a daily homeroom to simplify things. Learn more about starting up a morning meeting of your own.

If you're already ready to go, grab these daily morning meeting activities to target social and emotional skills for the full year. They specifically designed for middle school learners!
3. Emotions Check-Ins
Everyone can use an emotions check-in each day, no matter the age. Make it a daily habit to talk about emotions with the mnemonic PASTA. This stands for:

Give this strategy a try with a free emotions check-in here.
4. Teach SEL Skills Explicity
While there are countless ways to integrate SEL skills, it's also important to teach these skills explicitly. Just like we teach reading, writing, and math, social-emotional skills also deserve a place to be taught in the classroom. Teaching skills explicitly means carving out time in the day (or week) to teach, discuss, and practice SEL skills in a sequenced and meaningful way.

Get this SEL Curriculum for Middle School to help you get started.
5. Hold Class Meetings
Class meetings are a semi-structured way to address any needs or problems happening in the classroom at the time. It's a helpful time to discuss expectations, challenges, and strategies moving forward.
6. Integrate SEL Skills in the Curriculum
Many SEL skills fit themselves nicely into the curriculum you are already teaching. Help students recognize and learn these skills by being targeted and explicit as you teach through them. For example, during literature, make it a point to highlight how other characters might feel (perspective-taking). Before a test, make a list of some concrete strategies for kids to work through challenges and difficulties (perseverance). These are just a few examples. The truth is that SEL skills are truly life skills, so we use them in everything we do.

7. Advisory Period
Advisory blocks are an ideal time to teach social-emotional skills explicitly. These are a period of time dedicated to meeting with kids to help them make connections and learn skills along the way. Some schools have adopted advisory periods on a daily basis for shorter periods, while others might schedule this time on a weekly basis for longer. It can be helpful if the entire school focuses on advisory period at the same time. Find a time period that works for you and your school and stick with it! This is a great time to teach SEL skills explicitly, make time for relationship-building, and help middle schoolers problem-solve through their own real-life challenges.
8. Journal Writing
Use SEL journal writing as a daily "do now" activity for students as they enter the room. This maximizes learning time, while integrating social-emotional skills and writing at the same time. Specifically for SEL Journaling, assign prompts to target a social-emotional skill each day. A few examples of prompts include:

Come up with your own daily topics, or use this Social Emotional Learning Journal for middle schoolers.
9. Provide Group & Partner Activities
Group and partner activities help kids build skills for teamwork, flexibility, self-control, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. Incorporate more group and partner activities in the classroom when possible to target some of these skills.
10. Create a Supported Study Hall
For students who need a little extra support, develop a guided study hall to help them work through their social, emotional, and academic challenges of the day. It's important to note that this isn't a special education resource room, but a support for all students who need a little more intervention and support. A guided study hall can be used like a check-in for the day, checking in with emotions and academic needs before giving independent work time.

11. SEL Question of the Day
Use a simple question of the day to target social-emotional skills. You can choose whether students respond in journals, writing right on the board, or responding on a sticky note that they can post on the board. Note that a SEL question of the day is a bit different from a journaling approach; it is intended to be simple, quick, and to the point. This technique only takes a few minutes, but can be engaging and meaningful for students. Some examples of questions to try are:

Self-awareness is having a clear and accurate view of yourself. What words describe who you are?

Dream big! If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Self-management skills help you to be independent. What are some things you like to do on your own?

What are some social expectations you are following today?

What are some ways you show respect?

Take some time to reflect. What makes you a good friend?

How do you show you are responsible in school?

If this approach seems to fit what you need, give this set for SEL Question of the Day a try. It is digital, printable, projectable, and includes student journals too.
12. Play Team Games
Team games, sports, and activities build a number of social-emotional skills. Just a few include teamwork, perseverance, flexibility, planning, conflict resolution, and self-control. One way to integrate team games into the classroom is to hold team review games before a test or quiz.
13. Ask Relationship-Building Questions
Relationship-building is something we sometimes think of as a beginning-of-the-year activity, but in fact, it's a strategy for the entire year. During the last few minutes of class, focus on strengthening those relationships with asking a question or two for students to answer. Use this free printable Relationship-Building Questions List to get started.
14. Weekly Goal Review
Meet with students individually for a few minutes each week. Develop a SMART goal that is important to them and make a plan to help them achieve it. This can be a goal directly related to academic content, such as improving a grade to 80% or higher by the end of the semester. A goal can be completely separate from the curriculum as well, though! Some examples for this might include joining a club, making friends, or going to bed on time.

One strategy is to have one binder per student (this is something homeroom or study hall teachers can do). Then, once a week, meet with each student to review the goal, discuss progress, and add next steps. This can build self-awareness and self-management skills kids need to help work towards their aspirations.
15. Integrate Mindfulness
Mindfulness is learning to be present in the moment, without worrying about what happened in the past or might happen in the future. This is a critical self-regulation skill middle schools can learn to help them stay calm when frustrated or upset, relax before a high-stakes test, or get focused in the morning.

A few ways to practice and integrate mindfulness include:

Mindful breathing. Try out some breathing techniques in the morning, after lunch, or before a big test.

Mindful journaling. Allow students to write in a journal when they first walk in the room to calm their minds. This can also be helpful for early finishers.

Mindful coloring. During downtime or when students finish their work, allow them to color quietly on their own.

16. SEL Chats
A SEL Chat is a time when groups talk about social-emotional skills explicitly. With middle schoolers, you can bring up these conversation starters at the start or end of class. It's helpful to put questions on a ring and bring up a few whenever time allows. This can help maximize learning time, even when you finish a little early with a lesson. Some questions might include:

What are some of your biggest strengths?

What is a goal you are working on?

What three words best describe you?

What qualities do you look for in a friend?

How can you tell how someone else feels?

What is a positive choice you made today?

What are three "ground rules" for working with others?

Come up with your own questions that your students need. Another option is to use these pre-made social emotional learning task cards with questions for every competency area of SEL you need.
17. Clubs, Sports, & Activities
Extracurricular activities are wonderful outlets for middle school kids. These activities can help kids build self-awareness by finding out what they love, relationship skills by working with others, and self-management skills by showing responsibility. Make it a goal to find an activity every student can join (whether it is during school or after).
18. Teach Executive Functioning Skills
Executive functioning skills are the critical self-management skills we use to accomplish daily tasks. They include planning, organization, time management, task initiation, attention, flexibility, working memory, metacognition, self-control, and perseverance. There are many ways to integrate and teach these skills explicitly to students. Here are a few:

Teach and practice executive functioning skills explicitly. You can do this during advisory period or guided study halls.

Play games. Some of the best games for classes include Blurt (self-control, metacognition) and 5 Second Rule (time management). Learn more about other games to try.

Start discussions. Use executive functioning questions to lead group discussions.

19. Use Literature
Literature naturally touches upon many social-emotional skills, such as perspective-taking, empathy, and much more. Make it a point to highlight and discuss these skills as students read their grade-level literature novels.

In addition to that, many short stories can be used as a read aloud to target a variety of SEL topics. While these stories are designed for the youngest of learners, even middle school kids love a good read aloud. Use this free printable list of SEL read-aloud suggestions to start building your library.
20. Quote of the Day
Quotes can be easy to assign, fun, and meaningful for middle school students to discuss. Post a quote of the day up and give some time to discuss or journal write about it. With quotes, it's easy to connect them to a social-emotional theme. Here are a few examples:

You can even have students look up their favorite quotes and submit them to you for approval to be the quote of the day.

21. Group Competitions
Get kids to work together with group competitions. Competitions can be fun and exciting for kids. They also build camaraderie when working on a team together. Make a weekly group math challenge or a building challenge that encourages teams to work together and try to win. This might look different for every classroom, but it's something that every teacher can integrate in the curriculum from time to time.
22. Use a Daily Check-In Journal
A check-in journal is a written space for kids and teens to share and express themselves in a positive way before moving on with the rest of their day. Some activities in a daily check-in journal might include:

Give this SEL Check-In Journal a try to get started.
23. Set Up A Chill Zone
Calm down areas don't have to just be for younger learners; older kids sometimes benefit from having a safe space to calm down too. Create a small and cozy area in the classroom where learners can regulate themselves with calming tools such as coloring books, mindful breathing cards, and fidgets.
24. Integrate SEL & Art
Art can be a powerful tool in learning and practicing social-emotional skills. It is often a creative outlet that many kids enjoy, so it makes sense to integrate SEL skills right alongside art activities. Just a few art activities for social-emotional learning include:
25. Provide Mentor Opportunities
Mentoring goes two ways: students can become a mentor to younger students or they can be mentored and support by someone older. Both strategies are extremely valuable and should be considered as a social-emotional support.
26. Weekly SEL Themes
Choose a weekly SEL theme for each week of the year. Some examples of themes might include:

Empathy: Caring about others

Organization: Staying neat and tidy

Coping Strategies: Skills to help us feel calm

Emotions: Understanding how we feel

Each teacher can take that theme and highlight it throughout the week in the best way for them and their classroom. This is especially helpful in a middle school setting so that skills can be taught across the board all at the same time.

Use this SEL Skills at a Glance list to help pinpoint some of the social-emotional skills you might want to cover each week.
27. Use a Check-In / Check-Out
A check-in and check-out system is an intervention for individual students. The idea is that students in need get extra social, emotional, and academic support from a trusted educator at the start and end of every day. It is a touch-base period that can help kids and teens get organized or just feel a positive start to the morning.

Check-in and check-out is more successful with small groups (or even individualized) so it might help to involve other educators and support staff in the building for this: paraeducators, school counselors, social workers, or anyone else with a little extra wiggle room in their morning and afternoon schedule.
28. Switch Up Lunch Schedules
Once in a while, schedule a lunch swap! This gives students a chance to talk, meet, and engage socially with other kids they might not otherwise chat with. It's important to plan and prepare students for this swap so they understand what is happening.
29. Try an Escape Room Activity
Escape room activities build teamwork, perseverance, and relationships. While you can build your own escape room activity on just about any topic or subject, you can also use escape rooms designed for the classroom specifically on social emotional learning topics. Learn more about setting up your own escape room activity.
30. Use Videos
Short video clips can be a helpful tool to engage students while also learning valuable social-emotional skills. Use any movie or video clip with characters to talk about perspective-taking or empathy. You can also find other topic-specific videos on YouTube and BrainPop.
31. Assign Extra Credit
All educators know that fitting more into the school day can be a challenge. Consider adding some extra credit by having students complete social-emotional activities at home or on their own outside of school. Use these free social-emotional choice boards to give it a try.
32. Invite the Experts In
School counselors, social workers, and school psychologists are some of the most knowledgeable professionals when it comes to social and emotional needs. Collaborate with the educators in your building to develop the best school-wide plans for SEL. Also, if you feel uncomfortable with a specific topic, consider inviting a support professional into the classroom to talk about difficult topics, such as bullying, substance abuse, or mental health.
33. Create a Class Code of Conduct
Develop a class contract or code of conduct with your students. It's important to make this with your students (not on your own and presented to them). Some ways you can guide the code of conduct include asking questions:

How can we show responsibility in the classroom?

What can we do to make sure we all have a voice?

How can we resolve conflicts or problems?

What are each of our expectations each day?

Develop the code of conduct and keep it posted. Refer to it from time-to-time to review the expectations.
34. Play Board Games
Board games can be a great way to work on social-emotional skills, while also giving a quick break in the day. While simple, games build on a variety of skills. For example, Scrabble can target skills for flexibility and problem-solving. Learn more about games for social-emotional skills.
35. Embed Organization Time
Kids and teens need organization time build into their days. Dedicate the last 3-5 minutes of each class to allowing students to tidy their binders, write in their homework logs, check their schedules, and just re-organize for the rest of the day.
36. Post a SEL Bulletin Board
Use a classroom or school-wide bulletin board space to post visuals for social-emotional learning skills. This can serve as a visual reminder and help educators make connections back to SEL skills throughout the day. You can even have kids help color and design the bulletin board with you for extra buy-in.
37. Involve Families
Spend time helping families get acquainted with social-emotional learning skills. Some options for this might include a parent SEL night once a month to introduce skills kids are working on or sending out a weekly newsletter. You can also send them more information on Social-Emotional Learning Supports for Parents & Families.

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30+ Social-Emotional Strategies for Middle School Kids

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30 social-emotional learning strategies for middle school kids to boost confidence and strengthen SEL skills students need for success.

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Mindful breathing is a technique that can help improve focus and restore calm into the classroom. Best of all, it's a strategy that helps develop self-regulation skills, something that kids and teens need throughout their lives.
What is Mindful Breathing?
The idea behind mindful breathing is that if we can control our breathing, we can also calm our body and mind. With that said, it's not just a nice theory; there is actually scientific evidence behind it. When upset or overwhelmed, our bodies invoke a stress response known as "fight or flight." It's an important response that helps us avoid serious danger. The trouble is that we can also have this same response during arguments, worries, or when something doesn't go our way.

Practicing deep breathing helps to slow the heartbeat and lower blood pressure, allowing us to feel calmer, focused, and more in control.
Practicing Deep Breathing
It's important to note that practicing deep breathing really is a practice. For many kids and young adults (and even adults), it feels silly and unnatural to breathe in a deep and controlled way. By making it a habit to practice deep breathing, though, it can become a healthy routine in our lives.

To practice deep breathing with kids and young adults, first explain mindfulness and why it is important. Discuss the benefits with them so that they can understand why they are adding this practice into their lives.

Then, choose any deep breathing strategy and give it a try together! Remember that this might feel silly to kids and young adults. That's okay! The goal is to give it a try and keep up the practice.
Mindful Breathing Exercises to Try
By making mindful breathing fun, easy, and memorable, students are more likely to be able to use it when they really need it in the future. Below I've listed some breathing strategies kids and young adults can practice. If you love them, check out the Mindful Breathing Cards that you can print and use today.

Bubble breathing. Most kids know what it feels like to blow bubbles. If they don't, you can certainly even use actual bubbles for this breathing activity. Have kids close their eyes and imagine they are blowing bubbles as they breathe in and out.

Shape breathing. Have kids draw any shape or design on a piece of paper (or on the board). Then, have them slowly breathe in and out as they trace their finger along the shape. With this breathing technique, kids are focused just on the shape, allowing them to really calm their minds in the moment.

Apple pie breathing. Have kids imagine there is a warm slice of apple pie in front of them. Have them slowly breathe in to smell the pie and then breathe out. Note that this breathing exercise really can be done with any type of food. I also like to do this with pizza or a warm cup of cocoa.

Marching band breathing. One of my favorite strategies involves kids imagining that their breath is a marching band. Students should count to the beat of four as they breathe in and out. You can incorporate movement with tapping or clapping as well.

When Should Kids Practice Deep Breathing?
There are many times when kids and young adults might want to practice deep breathing on a more regular basis. Here are a few:

In the morning to start of the day on a positive note

Before a big test or quiz

After a transition

Right before a morning meeting

At the beginning of a class

After lunch or recess

As an intervention for students struggling with tough emotions

Whether you practice mindful breathing with a whole class, small group, or with individual learners, this practice can help give kids and young adults the tools they need to be successful. Use some of these mindful breathing exercises or grab the full set to get started today.

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Mindful Breathing Activities for Kids & Teens

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Mindful breathing is a technique that can help improve focus and restore calm into the classroom. Best of all, it's a strategy that helps develop self-regulation skills, something that kids and teens need throughout their lives. What is Mindful Breathing? The idea behind mindful breathing is

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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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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

An offline version of Twitter helps with both social and emotional learning and formative assessment.

"I suck. No one really knows me. I'm basically an outcast," Angel, one of my seventh graders, declared as she walked into my classroom during recess.

I was surprised because Angel was outgoing and seemed socially well balanced. We discussed her feelings, and I realized that while she felt her peers didn't know her, it was also true that she didn't really know them. She perceived that they didn't like her, but she couldn't give one example to explain why she felt that way.

I used to spend little time on social and emotional learning (SEL) in my sixth- through eighth-grade classes because at my school SEL is only taught during advisory. I decided to change that, and in an effort to have all of my students relate to one another in an intentional way, I decided to create a communication board modeled on Twitter. Once I had created it, I realized it could also be used for formative assessment.

Setting Up a Twitter Board

Creating a Twitter board is simple. Make a template with space for a profile picture, the student's real name, a Twitter-style handle, a short bio, and a list of followers. That takes about a quarter of a page, leaving room for tweets. Have students fill out profiles-some of mine drew a profile picture, but most used a photo-and slip the profiles into clear sheet protectors. When we do this exercise, I display the profiles on a whiteboard for a few days, using magnets to hold them in place. When we're done, I store the profiles in a folder-they don't take up much space and are ready for next time.
Courtesy of Jill Fletcher
Cut some paper into small slips that students can use for tweets, which they can tape onto the appropriate profile.

To ensure that each student has an audience, they all have to enlist at least three followers-a friend, an acquaintance, and someone with whom they rarely interact. Followers promise to respond to initial tweets. I also encourage students to respond to peers they aren't following.

To generate tweets and responses, I developed a multistage activity:

1. I share an open-ended prompt or question.

2. All students tweet responses.

3. Students respond to the peers they're following.

4. They can also respond to anyone else in class.

5. Students make connections with hearts.

6. I read a selection of tweets aloud to the class.

Step 5, making connections, consists of having students add heart stickers or hand-drawn hearts to tweets they personally connect with. I find that middle school students still enjoy stickers. A nice touch is to have students write their initials inside the heart to build relational capacity.

If you have multiple periods, allowing students to heart tweets from other classes is a good way to build positive social engagement between peers.

It took me about 45 minutes to introduce this idea, and the students spent about 30 minutes tweeting to each other the first time-they got a bit faster after that. When the exercise is over, students can keep the tweets they received.

Using the Board for SEL and Community Building

When we do this activity as a way to build community, I suggest to students that they tweet about topics such as current mood, life updates, funny observations, or random (yet appropriate) thoughts.

If possible, students should self-moderate their tweets to practice SEL competencies. Allowing this freedom nurtures students' SEL competencies of self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision-making, self-management, and relationship skills.

It may be difficult for you as the teacher to refrain from comments about the length and randomness of the tweets. For example, initial tweets like "School sucks" or "I like sleep" may trigger you to suggest more positivity or more elaborate reasoning, and response tweets like "#goals" or "same" may cause you to question the quality of the interaction.

It's important to not say anything about these tweets. If you let students have a writing space that is theirs, they'll have an opportunity to authentically connect with one another. This is important if you also want to use the Twitter board for formative assessment.

Once they're done tweeting, I look over the board and read out some highlights. This is the final step in publishing student work-their ideas, humor, and feelings are acknowledged by the entire group. This is a meaningful statement to students, telling them it's OK to feel the way they do.

Using the Board for Formative Assessment

Using the Twitter board for formative assessment follows the steps described above, but the prompts are different. For example:

Summarize the main idea of the lesson.

What is confusing about the lesson?

How did this lesson connect to previous learning?

Be sure to encourage students to tweet any questions they have when they try to address your prompts. Tweeted questions are beneficial for several reasons. When students see their peers' questions, they realize they're not alone in their questioning. So questions are an essential element in students making connections with peers. Posting written questions can also reduce the embarrassment some students may feel about asking a question in front of the class-they use their Twitter handles when they tweet, so they may feel a little distance from their tweets.

And when you see that several students have the same questions or misconceptions, you can adjust your instruction. Starting off the next day by acknowledging the most common questions or misconceptions that students tweet is a powerful strategy to show them that you hear them. If a student has correctly answered a peer's question, you can give a shout-out about this as well.

All of these acknowledgements signal to students that they are co-creators in class instruction-their voice truly matters.

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) An offline version of Twitter helps with both social and emotional learning and formative assessment. "I suck. No one really knows me. I'm basically an outcast," Angel, one of my seventh graders, declared as she walked into my classroom during recess.

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Mindfulness is a critical self-regulation strategy that can help kids and young adults feel calm and focused. Pairing mindfulness with journal writing just makes sense. Journal writing is personal and allows learners to connect with themselves. Additionally, it's something kids can stop and do every day.

Mindfulness is an ideal practice in the morning to help kids and teens start their day off in a positive place. Practicing mindfulness can also be helpful before a big test, after a break, or when kids need strategies for self-regulation. Read up more on the 10 best times to practice mindfulness in the classroom.

There are several simple strategies to help learners practice mindfulness with journal writing. While you can read on and try any of the activities right away on your own, I also understand that it's easy to be busy and struggle with fitting them all in. If you are needing all these and more no-prep ideas, I have put together an entire yearlong mindfulness journal that you can use right away.

Here are three simple strategies you can use right away with your learners to help them practice mindfulness:
MINDFUL FOCUS
What it is: Mindful focus is an activity where learners mindfully focus on one object for a period of time.

How to try it: Have kids choose one object in the room. Encourage them to hyperfocus on the object. Look at it and think about it for a few minutes. What does it look like? What colors does it have? Is it bumpy or smooth? How does it move? What is it used for? What makes it special? After the mindful focus activity, have students write about their object and sketch a picture.

Why it works: By focusing all of your attention on something, you are focusing only on the present moment. This can be a healthy strategy to help kids ground themselves in times of stress.

GUIDED VISUALIZATION
What it is: A guided visualization is an activity that involves picturing a calming scene, such as a beach or quiet meadow.

How to try it: Use a picture or describe a calming scene. It can be anything from a peaceful walk in the park to a calming waterfall in a forest. Have learners picture themselves in the scene. Then, allow them to write about what they see, feel, hear, smell, and taste.

Why it works: By picturing a peaceful scene, kids and young adults can clear their minds and regain a sense of calm. Visualization can be a healthy tool to use when feeling angry, sad, worried, or overwhelmed.
EMOTION CHECK-IN
What it is: An emotions check-in is a free write about how someone is feeling and thinking in the moment.

How to try it: Encourage kids to just close their eyes and think about how they feel. Consider every sensation in your body and thought that pops into your mind. Rather than judging those feelings, let them be. Notice them and recognize them. Then, have learners write about how they are feeling and thinking. As a simple alternative, you can have learners give colors to their emotions as they draw.

Why it works: Checking in with ourselves is an important strategy for improved self-awareness and mindfulness. By thinking about how we are feeling and thinking, we can make better choices about what we need in the moment.
SHAPE BREATHING
What it is: Students will draw a shape on their journal page and trace it as they breathe in and out.

How to try it: Have students draw a shape on their journal page. It can be any shape, such as a shape or a triangle. Students can even draw lines that wave up and down. Then, have students trace the lines of the shape with their finger or pencil as they breathe in and out. Afterward, students can write about the activity and describe how it made them feel. Use these free printable mindfulness breathe boards to get started.

Why it works: By focusing all of their attention on something as they breathe in and out, learners are practicing mindfulness while practicing deep breathing. This can be a helpful strategy to teach because it can be done almost anywhere.
MINDFUL COLORING
What it is: Students will color a coloring page on their own.

How to try it: Explain to students that they will be practicing mindfulness by coloring. Discuss that they will be coloring, breathing, and just letting thoughts pass through their minds. Note that you can play soothing music while students color to support a calming atmosphere. Need a head start? Use these free printable mindfulness coloring pages!

Why it works: Coloring is an active way to calm the mind. Additionally, this strategy can help learners practice just doing something in a mindful way without focusing on what is "right" or "wrong." This is particularly beneficial for learners with perfectionistic behaviors. It is a perfect way to practice just coloring and being in the moment.

Just a reminder that you don't need to be an expert to start a mindful practice in the classroom! Just use any of these ideas to give mindfulness a try! You might also want to read up on 5 free mindfulness activities or just grab the yearlong mindfulness journal to get started right away!

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Mindfulness Journal Ideas You Can Try Today

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Mindfulness journal activities for kids and teens to help feel calm, focused, and happy. Mindful activities teach self-control, emotional management, growth mindset, self-love, and so much more. Use this as a daily morning practice or in your calm down area. Perfect for home or school. This post has

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Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom - Waterford.org

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Use these 51 mindfulness activities to help children recognize and manage their thoughts, emotions, and actions—all important SEL skills.

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51 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom

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Start your class with a 'Joke of the Day'

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Start your class with a 'Joke of the Day'

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"What's today's joke?" Jess asks-or demands-with a smile on her face. These are the first words I hear walking into my second day of school this year.

Even on day two, my students know that class doesn't start without the #JokeoftheDay. Before the Do Now (a quick activity to start class, hook students, and prepare them for learning), even before attendance, comes a moment of humor, silliness, and wonder.

"How do you make a hot dog stand?" I ask as students smirk and consider possible answers. After the punch line is delivered, it's always a mix of some groans, a few laughs, and some smiles. The answer, of course: You take away its chair!

In the Beginning . . .

The #JokeoftheDay started on a whim, when my fellow teacher friends decided to tell a joke each morning before work. Finding and sharing the jokes quickly became my responsibility, and it evolved from a daily joke on the social app Voxer to how I started each class period. I would walk into class, greet my students, and tell the joke in the corniest, most over-the-top way I could imagine. Each word was exaggerated, and the dramatic pause before the punch line was usually accompanied by students rolling their eyes and smirking.

At first, there was no plan and no real academic intent-it was a simple and authentic way to bring humor to the classroom, build relationships, and see students smile. But it was soon clear that something else was happening: It didn't take long before students started to bring in their own jokes. They researched, wrote, and collaborated on them, and they were also eager to tell the jokes to their peers. We established a simple system to gather jokes, using a Google Form to collect them from the class and crowdsource new ones. Eventually I began to tweet the daily joke out at the end of each school day, adding the hashtag #SchoenTell, to reach our greater school community via social media.

Impacts on Culture and Engagement

#JokeoftheDay not only helped bring my students together and build stronger, more positive relationships, it also encouraged the class to be more prepared for learning, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Students experience real validation and excitement when they hear their jokes told in front of their peers, and then see them tweeted as the "official" class #JokeoftheDay. Their excitement was bolstered even further when, over the course of the school year, they received 89 jokes from students and educators around the world who had discovered the #JokeoftheDay hashtag.

Preparing Students for Learning

So much of the school day is packed with feelings of stress and pressure. Jokes make us laugh, which intrinsically helps reduce stress. A joke has no inherent stakes or pressure. It becomes a game as we all wait for the delivery of the punch line together, running through possibilities as we try to anticipate what's coming next. We must accept that we may not be able to figure out the punch line in time, and react with a smile (or a groan) when it finally comes.

After that small, playful group exercise, our minds are now more active and ready for learning. Creating jokes isn't easy. Neither is guessing punch lines. Both take critical thinking, creativity, and effort. With the typical Do Now, students expect grades, stakes, and sometimes stress. With a joke, that pressure is alleviated and their minds open; they are more prepared for the real learning and engagement to begin.

Staying Power

At the end of last school year, I took a break from the #JokeoftheDay. Not everyone did, however, and jokes continued to come in through the Google Form-one student even tweeted her own jokes throughout the summer with our hashtags. Our jokes extended our classroom community throughout the summer months and created a scaffold to build on for next year's class to start the new year.

The Research on Humor

Education needs more fun, humor, and humility. Humor brings people together, builds community, and increases joy. A meta-analysis in 2011 of 40 years of research on humor in education found that humor positively impacts attention and interest. In addition, the report finds that there is a positive relationship between humor and student evaluations, perceptions about instructor's credibility, and positive learning environments. The authors recommend that educators use humor when it's comfortable with their teaching styles, but warn against too much humor, sarcasm, and negative humor.

The research reinforces what I know from my own experience to be true: Jokes and humor help engage students, reduce the stress of school, and help build positive climates and community. They help open students' minds so that they are more prepared to learn and grow.

Every teacher has heard the clichéd advice not to smile until Thanksgiving, but that's never been true in my classroom. The #JokeoftheDay is one small way to build classroom culture and climate. Students and teachers need to find more opportunities to smile all year round and to build meaningful relationships with one another.

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#JokeoftheDay Prepares Students for Learning | Edutopia

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"What's today's joke?" Jess asks-or demands-with a smile on her face. These are the first words I hear walking into my second day of school this year. Even on day two, my students know that class doesn't start without the #JokeoftheDay.

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Integrating Mindfulness in Your Classroom Curriculum

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Make mindfulness a part of classroom learning by integrating it into curriculum-themed activities through exercises in breathing, sensory experience, guided imagery, and movement.

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Emotional regulation can be a particularly challenging skill for tweens and teens. At this point in their development, they can demonstrate social and emotional changes that may impact their ability to emotionally regulate in the school setting and that can affect grades, executive functioning, and overall health. When physical, academic, social, and peer pressures and fluctuations pile on, many tweens and teens struggle, to the point where they can feel like their lives are out of control.

Stabilizing coping strategies and self-regulating tools help students take ownership of challenging and overwhelming emotions. I use them frequently in my practice, with much success.

Preparation

Before you introduce new strategies to students who need to work on social and emotional regulation, keep in mind that they work best within a sturdy, consistent framework:

Provide students with choice. Emphasize that they can choose whatever tools help them the most. Reinforce that they have the control, which in itself is regulating.

Model these strategies consistently across your day yourself, especially when you are feeling emotionally dysregulated; this will demonstrate to your students that not only is it OK to have challenging feelings but also there are tangible ways to help manage them.

Link the use of these supports to being a successful adult. For example, you can tell your students, "Grownups often feel challenging emotions in daily life, such as frustration, sadness, worry, and anger-just like kids. They also have to manage jobs, family, and finances at the same time. When you learn how to manage difficult feelings and your own responsibilities now, that will help you become a successful grownup."

Keep the strategies below visibly accessible to your entire classroom so they can tap the strategies at a glance (and build a community of understanding around the importance of emotional regulation).

Bubble Breath With Forced Exhalation

This is a good strategy when students are feeling emotionally dysregulated because it delivers oxygen to the brain, which can help students think better and make smarter choices. (It's also calming when kids are preparing to go to bed.) Bubble breaths are a variation on deep breathing, and they can calm fight or flight behaviors (stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system) by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

Directions for students:

Breathe in through your nose slowly for 4 seconds, hold, breathe out through your mouth slowly and with control for 6 seconds. (Emphasize holding the inhale breath longer than the exhale breath.)

Repeat and gauge how you feel with each breath.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This is an exercise where students isolate and then tense and relax different muscles in their body. Progressive muscle relaxation tells the body where it is in space, which is good for teens and tweens when they are feeling emotionally dysregulated. It's a great stress buster and has even been shown to help treat anger and aggression in adolescent males.

Directions for students:

Label your feelings and put them into your shoulders. Tense them. Hold the position for 5 seconds and release.

Do the same for the wrists, fingers, knees, ankles, and toes. The feelings should become more manageable or even disappear.

My List of 10

Research shows that writing down positive affirmations about one's core personal values and positive attributes improves self-esteem, executive function, and inhibitory control. When students list their strengths, it can help them get through a hard day and give them a confidence boost.

Directions for students:

Think of 10 things that define who you are and make you special. Take your time. Write down your list.

Put the list somewhere you will see it routinely, such as next to your bed or pinned up in your workspace.

Cool-Down Area

A cool-down area offers students refuge when emotions like anger, sadness, and anxiety make their appearance, and these areas are often included in the design of trauma-informed classrooms. It is a dedicated space to practice emotional-regulation skills in the classroom, rather than in isolation, and it strengthens the educator-student relationship by communicating to the students that no matter what, they belong in the classroom community. The cool-down area can be equipped with dim lighting, an MP3 player with relaxing music and headphones, stress balls, markers and paper, affirmations lists, and even scent, like lavender and vanilla.

Sometimes it helps to invite the student to request their own cool-down area; supply it with items they choose, including pictures of family and friends; and name it themselves-for example, "The Chill Zone" or "My Calm Spot."

Guide your students with these questions:

What tools or items would you like to put into the cool-down area that make you feel happy, calm, and safe? What community rules should we create to use this space safely and correctly?

This can always be a safe spot for you to go to when you first feel emotions you might not be able to control. Don't wait until they feel too big.

Wearable Fidget

A loose key ring bracelet, scrunchie, or rubber band can be a nice alternative to a stress ball. They're not as distracting, they're portable, and they're discreet. The physical movement of pulling or squeezing the material of the fidget can provide an outlet for pent-up feelings, while also getting out excess energy.

Directions for students:

Label your feelings and connect them to the wearable fidget: visualize where those feelings are in your body and put those feelings into the fidget, so you can control them.

Pull the fidget back and forth when you're feeling emotional. Imagine your feelings disappearing with every pull.

Positive Self-Talk/Affirmations

Self-talk requires a lot of mental power and energy, as well as practice, but positive affirmations have been shown to improve executive function skills, including working memory.

Directions for positive self-talk are straightforward: Tell your students that when they have a negative thought about themselves, they can replace it with an affirmation, like "I am an awesome person, regardless of what anyone says or does." Remind them that if they're consistent, positive self-talk can become a habit, just like anything else.

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Emotional Regulation Activities for Tweens and Teens

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Emotional regulation can be a particularly challenging skill for tweens and teens. At this point in their development, they can demonstrate social and emotional changes that may impact their ability to emotionally regulate in the school setting and that can affect grades, executive functioning, and overall health.

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Creating Calm in Your Middle School Classroom

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Young teens need help coping with the stress and anxiety of the middle grades—here’s how teachers can help.

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Use this free digital and printable poster to support emotions check-ins for your learners. It uses the phrase "PASTA" to make your check-ins more fun and memorable for kids and teens. This is a simple ways to integrate social emotional learning in your classroom (either in person or virtually).

A digital version for Google Slides is included, as well as color and black/white printable sets.

The 5 steps include:

P - Pause and breathe for a moment.

A - Ask yourself how you feel.

S - Say the emotion words out loud or write them on paper.

T - Think about your feelings. Sit with them and let them be.

A - Ask yourself what you need. Say or list what you could you move forward.

Why Teach Social Emotional Learning Skills
Social emotional learning skills help kids and young adults learn how to manage their emotions, develop stronger relationships, understand their own strengths and weaknesses, develop empathy for others, and learn to make positive choices. These skills are foundational for social and emotional well-being. With a greater emphasis on SEL skills in educational settings, this check-in allows you to weave these skills into your daily instruction as part of a morning meeting, morning circle, social group, or morning work activity.
More Social Emotional Learning { Social Emotional Learning Journal }
Use this Social Emotional Learning Journal to teach SEL skills throughout the whole year! Skills targeted include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, and decision-making. Every day contains one prompt, so there are five prompts per week for a period of 35 weeks. This allows for 175 daily prompts for the entire year.
{ Social Emotional Learning Journal for Little Learners }
This journal is specifically tailored for younger learners with writing prompts, activities, and coloring. Three different versions are included to support growing writers: no lines, regular lines, and primary lines.

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If you have questions or problems please contact me through Product Q & A and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

Disclaimer: These resources and materials are for supplementary support/education purposes and not intended as a replacement for counseling, education, or other necessary supports. Educators, parents, counselors, and others who utilize these materials are encouraged to seek out additional support, as needed.

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Daily Emotions Check-in Poster PASTA | Digital & Print

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Use this free digital and printable poster to support emotions check-ins for your learners. It uses the phrase "PASTA" to make your check-ins more fun and memorable for kids and teens. This is a simple ways to integrate social emotional learning in your classroom (either in person or virtually).A di...

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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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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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Teacher Has Personalized Handshakes With Every Single One of His Students