Three Ways to Reset Your Classroom Community

Having a strong classroom community is so important to me. I truly believe that it is the foundation of a great academic year for both students and teachers. There are so many things that we need to teach our students but building a strong classroom community should be right there with the academics. I like to start building my classroom community at the beginning of the school year, but no matter where you are in the school year, you can always take the time to reset and revive your classroom community. Especially with the many changes that have happened in the last year, I find myself revisiting the strategies that I have implemented at the beginning of the year to keep our classroom community strong and intact. 

Step One: Teach Mindfulness

In the past year alone, there have been so many changes that it can be difficult to stay present. We definitely feel that as adults and teachers. But the same goes for our students. For many of them, the changes are very challenging for them to process. By teaching mindfulness, we are teaching our students how to live in the present moment. Practicing mindfulness also helps students with social emotional skills including self-regulation and self-awareness. These two skills teach students how to recognize their thoughts, emotions, and actions and react to different situations in positive ways.

A quick mindfulness activity you can do with your students is to practice breathing and recognizing their surroundings using their five senses. This is a great way to ease into mindfulness practice in the classroom. 

Step Two: Conduct Community Builders

Community builders are a great way to include your students in the process of forming a strong community. It will help them feel like they are a part of something bigger than just themselves. It will also help to solidify the bonds they are making within your classroom. Giving your students community roles in the classroom will show them how important they are to the success of the classroom community. 

Another way to implement community builders in the classroom is to sing classroom chants. This helps create a sense of together-ness and encourages students to work as a team. You can find my top-selling classroom songs pack here.

Step Three: Revisit Routines Often

This step is always so important. It should be expected that students will need reminders about classroom routines and conversations surrounding how and why our routines are necessary. Routines provide structure, consistency and predictability, which we know our students need especially post pandemic. Routines also promote responsibility and independence within students as they know what to expect and how to transition from one activity to another. 

The one thing I have learned about having a strong community in the classroom is that it takes consistent and repeated practice with my students. We hit it hard at the beginning of the year, but we are always revisiting these strategies. This ensures that our classroom foundation will stay strong throughout the entire school year. 

If you’re looking for an in-depth look at how to reboot your classroom community, make sure you are signed up for my Heart-Centered Classroom Management program waitlist. You can sign up for the waitlist here and you'll be notified when the doors open for registration.