Looks, Feels, Sounds Like
Creating a positive classroom community starts on the first day of school and continues all year long.
In order to create a welcoming classroom atmosphere where everyone matters and everyone belongs, clear goals and expectations need to be set by everyone. By co-creating what a classroom should look like, feel like, and sound like gives students ownership of their environment and behaviour. For this activity, students are given the opportunity to write down what they want their classroom to be like on a Post-it® Super Sticky Note and they can continue to add to or change these expectations as the year goes on by simply adding or removing Post-it® Super Sticky Note to the class chart.
Materials:
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Subject: Not subject specific/Community Building
Goal: To build a positive classroom community
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- Ask students what a positive classroom looks like
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- Have students write down their thinking on a pink Post-it® Super Sticky Note.
- Ask students what a positive classroom feels like.
- Have students write down their ideas on a blue Post-it® Super Sticky Note.
- Ask students what a positive classroom sounds like.
- Have students write down their ideas on a yellow Post-it® Super Sticky Note.
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- Review all of the ideas on the Post-it® Super Sticky Notes as a class.
- Encourage students to model these positive behaviours through their actions and words and refer to the chart on a regular basis based on the needs of the class.
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Creating a positive community can no longer be considered an option. It is essential for promoting a climate for collaborative and lasting learning.
