Creating Community

The first days of school are your opportunity to teach, model, and practice classroom routines and expectations, but it is also the time to be intentional about how you will build trust, understanding, and joy into your classroom community. The business sector has long known the importance of "breaking the ice" between colleagues in order to maximize productivity, sustain retention of workers, and develop positive team culture. There are innumerable games, activities, and team challenges that can be used to match your student age and stage. I have favorites that resonate with third graders and target collaborative skills that we will need in class every day for the rest of the year.