Collection
Creating a Classroom Community
- Grades:PreK–K, Grades 1–2, Grades 3–5, Grades 6–8, Grades 9–12
A successful classroom community promotes positive social skills and academic achievement. Children learn best when they feel they are part of a community, where everyone feels accepted and where individuality is encouraged. Creating a Classroom Community requires planning and practice. Read how you can help foster a sense of belonging where children learn how to participate in class meetings, work collaboratively and resolve conflicts peacefully.
Articles
Be A Good Friend
Woof! Woof!: The focus of this lesson is to encourage awareness of good manners through literature and creative expression.
Building Bridges of Friendship
Presents a unit on friendship that involves music, crafts, teamwork activities, and identifying shared values and interests.
Help For "They Won't Let Me Play with Them!"
Big Friends, Little Friends
Younger and older students are paired to work on team projects and play games.
8 Ways to Welcome Students
Third grade teacher Marissa Ochoa explains how she makes students feel welcome and motivated them for the year ahead.
Building Community in the Classroom
Ellen Booth Church discusses the different elements that help to create a sense of community in the classroom at the beginning of the year.
Lesson Plans
New to School Student Booklets
Presents a fun getting-to-know-you classroom activity, where students make their own books out of supplied paper shapes and strips of pre-typed text.
Portrait of a Friend
Students get to know themselves and their classmates by filling in the blanks to create a mini-biography.
Aloha and Welcome Back
Take a tropical approach to the start of the school year as students learn about our 50th state, get to know each other, and establish classroom expectations.
Time to Rhyme
An activity plan for teachers of four and five year olds to do with their students.
Do You Want to Be My Friend? Lesson Plan
Children love Eric Carle's colorful illustrations and animal characters in Do You Want to Be My Friend?. I do an author study with my class; my students love making painted paper in the style of Eric Carle and having their own book to bring home.
Unit Plans
Come Explore Your Neighborhood
Use this lesson to teach your students the value of friendship and community. Discuss friendship and introduce students to the community around them with walks and mapping and modeling projects.
Building Relationships in a High School Classroom
The diagnostics in this unit will help teachers get to know their students both academically and personally.
- Everything You Need:
- Subjects:Social Skills, Acceptance, Character Education, Cooperation and Teamwork, Individuality, Respect, Conflict Resolution, Friends and Friendship, Peers and Peer Pressure, Friends and Friendship, Understanding Self and Others, Teacher Tips and Strategies
