Building Classroom Community

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 By: Samantha Wilkinson, OIT Teacher Specialist

One week of school has already passed, and we are entering into the academic core curriculum. Of course it is always time for learning, but we don't want to forget to continue to infuse the fun and getting to know you activities into this second week and beyond. Cultivating relationships and meeting social/ emotional needs of students must be a priority for student buy-in.  And we all know that building classroom community doesn't just happen the first few days, rather it is a continuous effort yearlong. 

In that spirit, I want to remind you of all of the fabulous back to school resources on our Digital Take-Out site. 



The site has been separated into 4 sections: Goal Setting, Building Classroom Community, Collaborative 1st Week Activities, and Independent 1st Week Activities. 



The Goal Setting resources allow your students to think about what they want to get out of this school year. Short-and long-term goals can help both teachers and students be more mindful about their efforts. These activities can be done repeatedly, such as at the start of each new unit, and are a great tool to reflect back on. My personal favorites are the Wixie Glow and Grow  activity and the Google Personal SWOT Analysis  for secondary.


Next is the Building Classroom Community button. This page features lots of ideas to facilitate and foster relationships with students, as well as colleagues. These activities can be used to start or end a class period and are meant to get students talking and sharing about themselves. I love the Lumio Classroom Discussion Starters because they can be done in the group workspace mode, whole class, or independently. The questions are a mix of funny and more serious questions that get everyone thinking. This Discovery Education Studio Board has a selection of options, enough to pick one each day for two weeks! The mood meter and conquering your fears buttons are two good ones. 



Collaborative icebreakers are meant to be teacher- directed for the whole group. There are a lot of options but a personal favorite is the Jamboard version of Two Truths and a Fib. It is a classic game that lets students learn about each other as they share about themselves. Prepare for laughs! Finally, our Independent activities are for students to complete individually, allowing them time to think, practice digital skills, and showcase their strengths. This probably has the most options, but I just have to mention Adobe Express' Get to Know Me animated graphic activity with audio. What a fun challenge!


The Digital Take-Out Back to School website is surely a page you will want to bookmark and refer to throughout the school year, as new students join your class, semesters change, or you just know it's time to reconnect as a class. Enjoy getting to know your students!

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