One of the biggest jobs we have as teachers is to create a safe classroom community. From the first day of school, we create classroom and social rules, talk about what it means to be a good friend/classmate, and discuss ways for our students to resolve conflicts or disagreements. The community building aspect of our classroom includes creating a sense of belonging for all community members. This free classroom community lesson kit, created in collaboration with our friends at the Kids Mental Health Foundation and available in English and Spanish, is a great tool to help guide your participation discussion. Simply fill out the form on this page to receive your copy.
Here’s what’s included in the Construction Classroom Community Study Kit, available in English and Spanish:
For grades K-4, check out the resource “Everybody’s Different, I’m Happy to Be Me.”
In this lesson kit, you will find the activity “My Colors of My Rainbow.” This activity will help guide your students to think about what makes them different. The rainbow worksheet will help guide students to think about both physical characteristics and their interests and abilities. It will also help students to explore what qualities/interests they share with their peers, thereby enhancing a sense of belonging. You will also receive a family book that will help guide your students’ families to understand the importance of supporting children’s development of a sense of identity, self-esteem, and belonging and integrating this support within both the home and school environment.
For grades 5-8, check out the resource “What I Need to Feel Like Me.”
In this lesson kit, you will find the activity “All About Me.” This activity will help guide students to think about their own characteristics and the characteristics that make them different. Gathering together for a group discussion, you can guide your students to think about how the classroom community would not be the same without one of them because their unique contributions to the classroom would be missing. This activity can help highlight the importance of celebrating the unique qualities of each student and ensuring that the classroom is an emotionally and psychologically safe place for students to be themselves. An accompanying family book can further emphasize how families can help students build empathy and compassion for themselves and their peers.
Creating a sense of belonging and community in the classroom contributes to fostering the overall social-emotional and mental health of students. This is important in ensuring that students are in the right place to learn and engage in academic activities. We hope you find these free resources helpful in supporting your students and their families.
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