The New Academic Year – A Fresh Start to Build a Positive Classroom Culture

Academic outcomes mean little without a solid social emotional groundwork upon which a learner’s experience depends so heavily -- the fundamental building block is relationships. With so many changes happening around us because of covid, our learners are feeling more and more anxious and overwhelmed. Sometimes it may be necessary to put aside a lesson and address concerns on the minds of the learners. They will learn from our body language, facial expressions, and other non-verbal clues. Let us educators believe in the students more and help the learners believe in themselves.

A Fresh Start

Recently, I was chatting with some educators to inquire about how they kick off a new school year. I wanted to find some fresh ideas to share with my colleagues. They had some great ideas for introducing content. They also had wonderful ideas for how to share procedures and expectations for the year. Yet, there was something missing. Of course, setting the tone for academic success is important. So is getting learners excited about what they will learn.  But the kick-off activities they shared were all missing one purpose: building relationships. It doesn’t matter the subject or grade level. Learners won’t care about the content you are teaching until they feel a sense of belonging.

Building relationships and social skills are the most crucial elements of back to school activities. Making these your goals in the first week back will lead to positive classroom culture. Make your incoming learners feel at home through fun icebreakers and get-to-know activities. Building relationships with learners promotes a positive learning environment, helps to build our classroom community, and is probably one of the best investments we can make with our learners. When we take the time to ask questions and listen, we have a good chance of understanding our learners even better.