Relationship Building
Relationship Building
Start the school year with relationship building. Work the first several days on getting to know your students and vice versa through a series of group conversations/activities. Discuss class expectations, go over routines, and have students discuss their likes and dislikes. This article is a good starting point.
- This Panorama slideshow has activities for Pre-K - 5 students.
- This booklet contains activities for both elementary and secondary students.
2x10 relationship building: Pick a student and spend two minutes a day for a week talking to that student (be mindful of your level of rapport)
Here is an article about this strategy and why it works. This follow-up article gives advice for if the student doesn’t want to talk to you, you don’t have time for individual conversations, you don’t know how to get the conversation started, you’re unsure of what to ask students, or if students give you one-word answers.
- Greet kids at the door every day. Have a special handshake or give daps.
- Have quick conversations with one or two kids at the beginning or end of class.
- One-on one-conversations/check-in: This article has some good ideas for restorative practices.
- Confer with colleagues who have a better relationship with a particular student.