The school year is officially in full swing-- and my students are definitely feeling more comfortable with me and each other! One thing I've decided we need to focus on more is our classroom community! Here are some quick ideas to help you promote a positive climate in your classroom!
Use Team Builders
Team building activities are easy to implement! They don't take a lot of time, students find them to be engaging, and they are often FREE! Here is a quick list of some of my favorite student team building activities:
- Human Knot (Students stand in circle, reach for hands of people across the way, and then they must untangle themselves without letting go. This can also be done as a spiderweb using a ball of yarn)
- Tallest Tower (Divide students into groups and give them supplies like straws, tape, blocks, etc. The team that can make the tallest tower wins!)
- Minefield (Set up a "minefield" that students must navigate a blindfolded partner through)
- Hula Hoop Pass (Can be played whole class or in teams. Students hold hands and must pass through a hula hoop as quickly as possible)
- Switch Sides If... (Use a chalk line, rope, or tape line. Have students stand on one side of the line. Read off items like "switch sides if you like to bake", etc.)
The internet provides an infinite source of team building activities! I've included a few links below:
Hold Morning Meetings
Time is precious in my classroom because we departmentalize. It feels like we are always on the go. However, I feel that even something as small as a weekly morning meeting would help my students develop a more positive feeling toward one another. You can read more about morning meetings for older elementary students here! I also love this product from TPT!
Write Daily White Board Messages
I think this is a such a simple way to start the day off with a positive vibe! The night before (or morning of) write a simple prompt on the white board/chalkboard and have students respond on the board. This will foster another sense of ownership and community. You can find white board messages by searching google or Pinterest! Here are some quick ideas to get you started:
- 1 Thing Wednesday-- name one thing we've done this year that you'd like to do again!
- I Think I Can Thursday-- what is one goal you want to achieve this year?
- Flashback Friday-- what is one new thing you have learned this week?
- Write a compliment for a classmate by their name (no repeats!)
- Name 3 traits of a great friend
- What is your favorite book you've read this year?
- Thankful Thursday-- what is 1 thing you are thankful for?
- Make it Monday-- what is 1 thing you've always wanted to create?'
- Top 2 Tuesday-- write your top 2 favorite things about the school year so far
Compliment Circles
This activity would pair well with morning meetings! You and the students sit in a circle with everyone's legs out straight. Begin the compliment circle by giving a compliment to someone. Once someone has been complimented they cross their legs. Compliments continue until everyone has received 1. I think this is a great way to encourage students to see each other in different ways!
Create a Kindness Board
I created this one for the visual it would provide to my students. Plus, I wanted them to point out kindness when they see it in others! This one is easy to implement:
1. Print out the letters and hang on a wall or bulletin board.
2. Print the "caught being kind" strips on various colors of paper (I used Astrobright paper).
3. Cut the strips apart and keep on hand for when students catch others being kind.
4. When students experience a kindness or act of friendship, they come and ask you for a "caught being kind" strip. They write down their experience.
5. Start a paper chain and add a new link every time someone catches others being kind!
You can find this HERE in my TPT store!
Here is another type of board with a similar theme (kindness):
You can find these fall themed board HERE in my store!
I hope you found these ideas to be useful to implement in your classroom! If you have any questions-- feel free to leave them in the comment section!