3 Ways to Build Classroom Community

    Back to school is such an exciting time! There are fresh packages of flair pens to open, new desk arrangements, and sounds of laughter all around. Nothing beats seeing all of those smiling faces and fresh school supplies. While this time is thrilling, it is also crucial for building the classroom community that you will call your home for the next 9 months. 

    I learned quickly that these first few weeks are so important for the remainder of the year. My first year of teaching I came in mid-year. The classroom community was set, and it was very hard to change so that it matched my teaching style. From the tone in the room, to the way things were organized, I knew that in the future I would spend quality time at the beginning of each year setting the tone for what I wanted my classroom community to be. 

Here are the top 3 ways that I make my classroom a family.

1. Allow for share time - EVERY DAY!

    From the moment students walk in the door, it can seem like they are always being told to get busy, be quiet, stay focused, get on task. It is impossible to build relationships with your students if you are all business, all the time.

    Every day after announcements, my students and I join in a circle on the carpet and share. Not everyone gets to share out for the class, but everyone gets to talk and share their own ideas and stories. It only takes up about 5-10 minutes of our time, and it is SO valuable! 

    During this time I learn who is outside playing everyday, and who spends all of their time in front of a screen. I learn who has friends to hang with over the weekend, and who spends their time alone. There is so much important information that comes from such a short time window. Students also learn so much about each other. It is so heartwarming to watch them show empathy and understanding. 

    I used this PPT slide to show our share topic each morning. Click the picture below to check it out. 

2. Solve Problems Together

    No classroom is perfect. There will always be hiccups along the way. One key factor in creating classroom community is solving the problems together. 

    I remember the first time I welcomed student solutions. Our math rotations were getting loud towards the end of the year, and it seemed like no one was staying on task. No amount of reminders were working, so I stopped everyone in the middle of our block and we held a class meeting. 

    Instantly, I turned the floor to my students. 

    "Why do you think we are on the carpet together?"  

    Some students were clueless, but many of them could immediately tell me what the problem was. I asked them to share in partners about solutions that could help us feel better about math rotations. Minutes later, I was blown away by many of the ideas they came up with. Not all were amazing, but their effort and intent surprised me. 

    We picked a few ideas and wrote them out on a poster. The next part was the most shocking of all. Almost every student followed their new ideas to a T! They were so excited about taking ownership of their classroom with their own ideas, that they wanted it to work. 

    Not every class problem can be solved this way, but many times the students have answers of their own that we never would have considered.

3. Listen to Every Student

    Okay, this one seems obvious. How every I see so many teachers make this mistake. Every grade level has a few students that are labeled as "that kid". They are notorious for causing disruptions or trouble. I used to fear students with this label, but now I welcome them. 

    You see, not only are the teachers labeling these kids, but their classmates and their classmates' parents are too. Year after year, they are followed by this label and no one gives them a chance to escape it. Why try to change your label, when no one will listen in the first place? This isn't to say that the label wasn't correct, but why not create a new label together right from the start?

    From the first day of school, I treat every student as if I know nothing about their past. I give each student a chance to start fresh. When problems arise, I listen to ALL sides of the story. If problems persist, we work TOGETHER to solve them. We don't simply label a student as "that kid", because then the entire class sees that label too. We welcome and love each other all the same, no matter our past or differences. We listen to each other and our feelings, because every student's voice matters.  

    Using these 3 tips helps my classroom feel like home everyday. Problems do arise, but we conquer them together as a family. SO much depends on those first few weeks of school and the tone that you set. If you create a loving and understanding classroom community, you can bet it will last all year long. 

Hands-On Learning from Home

    I think I can assume I'm not alone in the shock and exhaustion that ensued from the end of the 2019-2020 school year. What started as a two-day closing for cleaning, turned into a never-ending and ever-changing school closure. To say I felt unprepared is an understatement. 

    "How am I supposed to hold a Zoom call with a class of 8-year-olds, while my 2 year-old is picking up dog poop in the backyard with his bare hands?" Questions like this clouded my brain for three months. I was terrified of not preparing my students for fourth grade, leaving their parents with no help, while also not being present as a mother. 

    After watching the number of Covid-19 cases in my state climb over the summer, I decided to arm myself with tools and resources that will help my future class succeed whether they are home with little-to-no guidance, or in class spaced 6 feet apart from their friends. In our most recent school meeting, we were told that students should take home their materials every night in case of another shut-down. Picturing the amount of materials that would be lost, broken, and never seen again gave me some anxiety. Instead, I created this resource to show my students and parents that learning materials are all around our home. 

    In the first part of my math choice board series, I included various activities with material suggestions. I practiced them at home myself, without buying a single material. 

The first activity involves making number lines. The possibilities are endless with this one! From chalk, to noodles, you can't go wrong with a number line. I chose to use play doe, because who doesn't love getting messy? 

In the next activity, I challenge my students to find objects around their home that they can use to model equal groups. I used markers, because my son has a ton of them. Other options I picture include rocks, dried pasta, and leaves. After creating their model, students write an equation to match their equal groups. The picture below would show 2 x 5 = 10. 

My absolute favorite is the Distribute Your Food activity. Why? Because it involves food! Students choose any food they have around to make an array. Then, they split it to model the distributive property. I used cheerios, but they could also use dried beans, french fries, baby carrots, or any other small food. 

Last, but not least, I cannot wait for my students to try out BOOM learning cards. If you've never heard of them, you need to go to www.boomlearning.com RIGHT NOW! They are life-changing, self-correcting task cards. Not only does it provide instant feedback, but it gathers data on your students. To use it with a class, there is a small fee. However, I will pay insane amounts of money if it means I don't have to grade papers. 

If you'd like to join to me and prepare for any and all possibilities next year, click the picture below to check out my Multiplication Choice Board for hands-on learning at home. 

Lots of love,