It's almost time to go back to school! Whether you're teaching online or in person, the first step is focusing on building relationships with your lucky little learners. When your students feel safe and supported in your encouraging classroom, classroom management becomes easier, and learning is FUN! Here are relationship building activities for back to school that your learners will love!
All About Me Bag
Have your students introduce themselves with an all about me bag.
To begin, create your own all about me bag. Choose 5 objects or pictures that show who you are! For me, I would include a picture of my family, a book about kindness, a calculator (to represent my math degree), goggles (I love the water), and a stuffed cat (to represent our precious cats).
If you're students are in school in person, send them home with a paper bag and parent letter. Otherwise, send the letter via email and post on your distance learning platform. Your students can present their bag via Zoom or Google Meet or make a short video to share on Classroom or Seesaw. This will help your lucky little learners get to know each other and build relationships!
Fill a Bucket
Another relationship building activity for back to school is the bucket filler activity. Talk to your students about positivity and making good choices when addressing their peers. Being a bucket filler means saying things that make people feel good and help build positive relationships. This activity allows your students to sort bucket fillers and bucket dippers. In addition, this is the perfect time to have your students fill each other's buckets! What are some positive things they can share and say about one another to build relationships?
Getting to Know You Toothy
If you've been around for awhile, you know I love our toothy resources! The Getting to Know You Toothy is one of my favorites because it helps your students get to know each other and build relationships. First, give each student a set of cards and the adorable Toothy mat. Next, each student will cut out their own cards. Then your students will get moving and walk around asking classmates questions from the cards. For every question that is answered, the student can draw a tooth in Toothy's mouth, trying to fill his/her mouth with teeth! Finally, if the students finish their deck, they can repeat questions by asking other students.
This activity can also work with distance learning by having students participate in small groups on Zoom or Google Meet while you facilitate.
All About Me Lapbook
Finally, the all about me lapbook is another way for your students to showcase their unique characteristics and talents. Your students can easily complete their lapbook at home or school and share things like their favorite foods, things to do, all about their family, and even a self portrait. Hang these up in your classroom or have students share their lapbooks virtually in Google Classroom or on Seesaw.
These relationship building activities for back to school will help your students transition back to school and get excited about learning! Get ready to get to know your students better and help them learn about their own differences and similarities.
Thank you for all you do! You are the best!
We will be 100% on line to start. I learn so much from you. When I have questions you answer them! 😃