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.
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