Teachers, we’ve all been there: You’re in front of a class, and despite your best efforts, there seems to be an invisible barrier keeping your students from clicking with each other—or sometimes, even with you. The challenge of building community with a tough class where kids are struggling to get along is real. But fear not! There are low-stakes, creative strategies you can use that not only break the ice but can help build lasting bridges between your students.
Why Community Matters
First off, let’s talk about why building a community within your classroom is essential. A strong classroom community enhances students’ learning experiences, helping them to feel safe, valued, and engaged. This environment encourages them to take risks, participate more freely, and support each other’s learning journeys. But how do you foster this environment, especially when tensions or cliques begin to form? How to you even begin building community with a tough class?
Creative Approaches to Community Building
1. Start with Self-Reflection
Before diving into group activities, give students a chance to reflect on their strengths, interests, and what they value in a community. Self-reflection can be a powerful tool for students to understand their role within the classroom. Use prompts and activities that encourage them to share personal stories or interests. This not only helps you learn more about them but also allows them to see the commonalities they share with their peers. A great way to do this is through activities that actively and intentionally target self awareness!
2. Make it LESS personal
This advice might seem counterintuitive, but stick with me. I spent several years teaching students with significant emotional disabilities. Many of my students really struggled to make strong interpersonal connections with peers, and our classroom community would regularly feel disjointed. When students are disconnected and there’s an overall feeling of gloom in the room, adding in a bunch of teamwork activities and connection building games may SEEM like the answer, however it’s going to feel really tough to gain buy-in. So what do you do?!
3. Focus on shared experiences
Embrace the connection of shared experiences. When a group of people experience something, anything, together – there is even the smallest bond that forms over that experience. I created these “150 Animal Slides” specifically with this type of classroom in mind! Together, the class learns about unique and interesting animals from around the world every day. They can even watch related videos or engage in a directed drawing of the animal. Something this simple can be a huge climate shifter in the room! This can be done during a transition time, or a part of morning meeting. This could be a quick 2-3 minute activity, or could be stretched into a 15-20 minute community building lesson.
4. Implement Collaborative Projects
Group projects can be tricky, but when structured thoughtfully, they offer a great way to build community. Assign tasks that require students to work together towards a common goal, ensuring that each member has a role that plays to their strengths. The key here is to create interdependence, where students realize the value of their peers’ contributions to the success of the project. This could be related to the shared experience (maybe they’re grouped to learn even more about one of the animals from the week?) or could be related to other projects across the curriculum.
5. Encourage Peer Recognition
Create a culture of appreciation and recognition within your classroom. This could be as simple as starting each day with a few minutes where students can acknowledge something positive about their peers. I love adding a “compliment corner” into the classroom, which is such a fun and meaningful way for kids to highlight each other and focus on positives.
6. Regular Reflection and Feedback
Finally, make reflection a regular part of your classroom routine. Allow students to reflect on the activities, what they’ve learned about their peers, and how the community is growing. Encourage them to provide feedback on what they enjoy and what could be improved. This not only gives you valuable insights but also makes students feel heard and valued, reinforcing their sense of belonging. You’ll be well on your way to building community with a tough class of students!
The Takeaway
Building a classroom community, especially among students who are struggling to get along, requires patience, creativity, and a bit of strategic thinking. By incorporating low-stakes, engaging activities that focus on self-reflection, social-emotional learning, and collaborative projects, you can help foster a sense of unity and understanding among your students. The “150 Animal Slides” resource is a fantastic tool in this endeavor, providing a fun and accessible way to engage in shared experiences as a classroom unit. Building community with a tough class is possible!
