Be the Flame: Sparking Positive Classroom Communities

by Shane Saeed

The reason I got into teaching in the first place wasn’t for the academics (that passion came later), it was for the relationships.

compassion and empathy for your students can go a long way to building trust and a safe space in which to learn and grow.

I always tell them that it comes down to the positive relationships I’ve built with students. This foundation of rapport is the backbone of my entire classroom management approach—and recently I’ve come to dislike the word “management” to describe how I run my classroom. I don’t ever feel as if I am “managing” my kids. I feel that our mutual respect allows us to depend on one another, engage in tasks together, and comply when necessary out of mutual respect.

Although teachers are seemingly authoritative, in the end, we have no power if students are not willing to work with us and complete their best work in safe environments in which they feel comfortable and cared for. This is why relationships are so important to me as an educator: they are the foundation to a successful classroom.

Receiving feedback is critical to changing our practice for the better and we cannot let our pride get in the way of giving students a voice in the classroom.

This last part is the most important because students can internalize these conversations as us thinking that they are inherently “bad,” which is not the case at all. It’s critical that they hear from us that they are a good person and that we still love and care for them.

You cannot control what adversities or experiences a student is having outside of school, but you can create a safe environment for them to thrive in for the seven hours you spend with them five days a week.

That small conversation was the start to building a relationship that would help this student succeed, not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well.

#ClassroomCommunity

Example: Instead of saying, “I really liked how you cheered on your team,” try: “The cheering you were doing for your teammates during their turn helped them feel supported! Great job!” This names the specific positive behavior in the student while keeping the focus on them rather than on your approval.

I’ve learned that it’s about the small goofy moments - the off topic, random conversations - that truly build community.

Community Sharing Space:

Active Participation: Fully engaging

After introducing the terms, make sure to use them often and use them when stating your expectations for the group work time.

Remember to work with each other, not next to one another.”

work with one another, not next to one another.

Teacher: All right, so the problem says that Jack had 45 baseball cards, Juan had 30 baseball cards, and Chris had 25 baseball cards. How many baseball cards do they have all together? Katie, what do you think we need to do to solve this problem? Katie: I think that because it says “all together” that we may need to multiply. Teacher: Interesting thought; Darius, what do you think?

One Finger Up: New Idea Sentence Stem: I think that _________________. Two Fingers Up: Add-On Sentence Stem: I want to add onto what _________ said. I think that ______________. Shaking Thumb: Agree Sentence Stem: I agree with ______ because _______________. Shaking Entire Hand: Disagree Sentence Stem: I disagree with _______ because ______________.

1. Choose the top three things you are most interested in hearing about at conferences: a. Peer relationships b. Academic scores

c. Academic extensions/supports d. Social emotional well-being e. Character traits shown during the school day 2. What is a question you would like me to answer? a. (Open-ended) 3. What is a question you would like your child to answer? a. (Open-ended) 4. Is there anything else you would like to tell me? a. (Open-ended)

Peer Relationships: Do my friendships have a positive impact on me? Are my friends kind to me? Academic Scores: What skills/subjects do I feel confident about? What skills/subjects do I want to improve on? Academic Extensions/Supports: What tools do I use to help me succeed in the classroom? What do I need to challenge myself academically? Social Emotional Well-Being: What is something that brings me joy throughout the day? Is there anything that makes me feel anxious or nervous during the day? Character Traits: What character traits do I think I exhibit each day? What is one character trait I want to focus on?

Bringing families in and sharing their wealth of knowledge and passions with the students has been an incredibly positive experience.

Team Breakfasts

Sharing and learning with others is essential to our continued growth as educators. We must Spread our flames.

“In a world of algorithms, hashtags, and followers, know the true importance of human connection.” – Simi Fromen

I know most people think of platforms like Instagram as places where teachers only take pictures of their daily outfits and classroom decor. However, I would push back on that notion and say it depends on who you follow.

Therefore, it’s important that we are intentionally diversifying our feeds.

Research shows that students cannot learn when their brains are consistently in survival mode at school because they do not feel safe in their environment (Hammond, 2015).

Kindling a community takes time.