Can you believe we only have 22 more school days until the
end of the year? It is amazing how
quickly a school year can come to a conclusion.
During these final days it is easy for teachers and students to forget
what is truly important due to end of the year parties, paperwork, field trips,
assemblies, fundraisers, etc… you get the idea! We are busy this time of year. With that said, we still need to
finish strong and focus on the truly important aspects of learning:
Building relationships that support a culture of learning, while
motivating students to be excited to continue learning during the summer and
next school year!
Below is a list of 10 relationship building ideas that will support a great finish to the school year. We have 22 days to make a positive difference
in a child’s life… enjoy each one of them!
1. Morning Circle
Time (reflecting on the year) – Many of our teachers have morning meetings to
start the school day. Creating a morning
meeting, allowing for students to learn about each other beyond school life,
builds a classroom community of genuine respect and rapport. Daily questions can focus on student
backgrounds, culture, interests, events of the weekend, favorite
foods/music/movies/games, special events, etc.
Becoming familiar with each other on a deeper level will support student
self-awareness and acceptance of differences, which will decrease the
likelihood of relationship issues during the school year. During the last 22 days of school you can
utilize this time to reflect on learning from the school year. Daily questions can focus on favorite
experiences, field trips, project based learning activities, individual/class
accomplishment or anything that was unique to your classroom. You can even create a top 10 list of learning
activities for the summer, reflecting on the importance of finishing strong and
continuing learning during the summer.
2. Classroom Motto
(finish the year strong) – One teacher at our school starts the day by reciting
the classroom motto. He tells the
students to push the button on their desk and all student proudly recites
together, “feel good about yourself!”
Students truly feel good about themselves… not because they say it…
because of the sustained teaching that goes along with saying it, creating a
community of students who feel good about themselves. His students feel good about: being a good
classmate/friend, the effort they put into an assignment, learning new
vocabulary words, solving problems on their own, being a good son/daughter/sibling,
improving their writing skills, understanding their target learning, etc. It works because it is a consistent approach
implemented with empathy and support.
3. The Unlikely
Student (extremely important to connect with these students as much as possible
during the final few weeks) – It is “easy to connect” with students who demand
your attention due to an outgoing personality, academic needs, or behavioral
problems. Something to consider, write
one student’s name in your plan book each day (those who do not demand your
time). Make sure you are connecting with
that child throughout the day by noticing their effort: “Wow! Johnny did a great job on the writing
assignment because he added exceptional detail”… and share those accolades with
the class. Notice things that go beyond
school life: new shoes/shirt/haircut, asking about weekend, sporting event,
video game, recess, family, etc. It is
important that you have a plan to connect, because if you don’t… the “easy to
connect” students will demand that time and the “unlikely” student will not be
noticed.
4. Student
Inventory – Look for the uniqueness of each child – Did something happen during
the school year that sparked a new interest?
Revisit the student inventory that students provided you throughout the year. Did anything change? Student inventory example is below:
· What do you
like to do outside of school?
· What is your
favorite season?
· List 2 of
your favorite foods.
· List 3 games
you like to play.
· What is your
favorite animal, color, sport?
· List your
favorite type of music.
· Do you like
to read? What type of books do you like?
· List 3
movies you like to watch.
· Who do you
like to play with/why? Friend, parents,
grandparents, sister, brother, other.
· What is your
favorite part of the school day?
· What is your
least favorite part of the school day?
· What is your
favorite special/subject?
Higher level inventory questions:
· What are
your dreams?
· What do you
want to be when you grow up?
· Who would
you consider to be your hero and why?
· If you had
unlimited money and could only use it to help people… who would you help and
why?
It will be fun for you and your students to see how they
have changed or stayed the same over the school year!
5. Positive
Proximity – Greet your students each morning with a smile and a friendly
hello. Seems simple because it is! It is also much better than asking “do you
have your homework?” Be present during
independent work, supporting students and noticing their efforts throughout the
day. It is even ok to stop by the
cafeteria (gym is where we eat lunch) or even shoot a basket or two during
recess, positive proximity doesn't need to stop in the classroom. The extra 2-3 minutes of positive proximity
outside your classroom will enhance the community feeling that you are establishing
in your classroom.
6. Active
Listening (It is easy to forget about this during these busy final days) – When
we are busy it is easy to send students on their way with a quick response,
knowing that you would give a better response if you had the time... we do this
as parents too! Next time try saying
this: “Your question/need/etc. is really
important to me and you deserve more time than I can give right now… can you
hold on for a few minutes/after lunch/until tomorrow/etc. and I will give you
the attention you deserve.” If you say
this with empathy, the child will usually feel validated and will (most likely)
wait for your attention… sometimes it gives them time to problem solve on their
own. Obviously, don't use this approach if there is an emergency or safety
issues.
7. Tone of Voice – Be aware of tone, volume and cadence when
teaching and managing your classroom.
Use a softer delivery when managing behaviors and classroom procedures,
planning and using nonverbal cues. Use
voice fluctuation, storytelling (instead of lecturing), and suspense during
your classroom discussions. Students
will love it! I have been in a lot of
classroom where I didn’t want to leave because the tone was so engaging. Your voice can set the relationship tone
(positively or negatively) within a classroom.
Charlie Brown’s teachers were funny but I don’t think they were building
any relationships with their tone of voice.
8. “I noticed” notes - How it
works: Simply place post-it notes on
student’s desk when they least expect it!
I noticed you
finished your project today… nice work with great detail!
I noticed you are
being a good friend to Johnny… you are kind!
I noticed you helping
Sally with her math at lunch… you are a good friend!
I noticed you put
great voice in your writing today… nice focus on our target learning!
I noticed you being a
good listener… you rock!
I noticed you asking
for help on your assignment… way to take charge of your learning!
I noticed you using
"active listening" strategies with Sally during turn and talk… keep
it up!
You get the idea! I
wouldn’t walk around the room giving “I noticed” notes all day… it could
decrease the value. Use it sparingly,
maybe three to five per day and keep track, making sure you are noticing everyone over
time. This also works well with number three from above - The Unlikely Student. I love this strategy because it provides
encouragement and accolades to support a positive relationship between you and
your students. It will also teach
students to self-regulate their behaviors, assuming responsibility to academic
and social learning. Students will love
it and so will you!
9. Humor – It is
ok to laugh, smile, and tell an appropriate joke from time to time. Children want to see us having fun during the
final couple of weeks! A morning joke
can go a long way to support positive feelings.
We have children telling Friday jokes on the morning announcements, it’s
a lot of fun!
Q: What did the math book say to the other math book?
A: I have a lot of problems!
I love a good joke and so will your students!
10. Closure to the day and year – Facilitate a reflection
discussion at the end of each day, showcasing the academic and social learning
that took place. Give accolades to
individuals for positive effort and remember the happy and/or humorous moments
during the day… maybe even tell your corny joke again. Set goals for tomorrow and end the day by
saying “be kind to one another,” supporting and modeling the positive feelings
you are establishing within your classroom.
Make this a consistent conclusion to your day and they will be eager to
return in the morning.
Relationship building is the most important thing we can do for learning. Please add a comment, highlighting your relationship building ideas so that we can learn together!
Remember to finish strong!
We have 22 days to make a positive difference in a child’s life… enjoy
each one of them!
Keith Howell
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