Activities to Start the Year

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Begin by asking students, "What do you need to feel safe, comfortable, and excited to learn?"

The beginning of the school year is the ideal time to establish a caring community in your classroom.

Students think about how to create a kind, caring classroom using an interactive poem and a drawing activity. 

An introductory circle invites participants to consider values that are important to them and the group.  

This activity aims to help your class get the school year off to a good start. Students share their names and a high point of their summer; learn a little about their similarities and differences; and begin considering what kind of community they want to create in their classroom.

An experienced classroom teacher offers two 10-minute activities she has found useful in building community in her classroom, particularly at the start of the school year.

This 38-page PDF booklet includes great activities to get your class (grades preK-12) off to a good start in the new school year.

This fun activity is a good one to use at the beginning of a course. It's a quick way for students to connect with one another and overcome shyness.