Podcast: How to Jumpstart Belonging in Your Classroom From Day One

Do you want to build a vibrant classroom community this year, but you’re not sure where to start?

Research shows it’s well worth the effort—and the first week of school is the perfect time to lay that foundation. When students feel a strong sense of belonging at school, they tend to be more motivated to learn and achieve higher academic outcomes.

In this first back-to-school episode from School of Practice, teacher Marcus Luther shares a simple activity that helps him get to know his students from day one, and sets the tone for the year ahead. Then, he shares two easy strategies for keeping that feedback practice going, so you can continue to build belonging and engagement all year long.

Related resources:

• A First-Week Survey That Fits on an Index Card Teachers can get to know their students and start building community from the first week with a simple survey.
• Collecting and Using Student Feedback Throughout the Year Student feedback can mean much more than an end-of-year survey—teachers can gather and use it all year to guide instruction.
• Monthly Pulse-Check Template: Ask Your Students How Class is Going A system you can use for checking in with your students
• Creating a Cycle of Student Feedback Regular chances to give feedback can help high school students feel like they have a voice in the class, increasing engagement and buy-in.
• Making Schoolwide Use of Student Surveys Detailed feedback from students about what helps them learn can shape schools’ instructional initiatives and goals.
• The Value of Soliciting Student Feedback After explicit instruction on giving feedback, students can give teachers valuable data on the effectiveness of classroom practices.
• Improving Teaching with Expert Feedback—From Students Teachers can improve their practice by giving students a voice in the classroom.
• Research: Strengthening School Connectedness to Increase Student Success Research brief outlining how across all grade levels, students who feel more connected to school have higher attendance rates, higher academic outcomes, and higher graduation and postsecondary success rates.
• Research: The relationships between school belonging and students’ motivational, social-emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes in secondary education: a meta-analytic review Meta-analysis reviewing 82 studies around school belonging and various outcomes.