Making Rules Alongside Students

Developing rules alongside students is when teachers facilitate a conversation with and among the students to determine moral expectations for the classroom. This tool is helpful because it fosters student ownership in the classroom and responsibility among the students for their behaviors.

Phone a Friend

The tool is a telephone outline picture with 6 empty spots on it that each student will get. The students will pair up (6 different times) and write the name of their partner on one of the numbers in their telephone, the other partner will do the same. Each pair will have the others’ name in the same number spot so that the number spots are matching. This will be used for grouping.

Student Choice Greeting Board

This greeting tool is a great way for kids to start off their morning and for the teacher to be able to read how the child is feeling that day. In short, it’s a board that is posted outside the classroom where the individual student gets to pick how the teacher greets them that day before entering the classroom. Some of the options can include fist bump, hug, mini dance party, high five, handshake, or any other options the teacher sees fit.

Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness is a tool used in the beginning of the year where students first pick one envelope each where it has an act of kindness written in it. Their next step is to do that act of kindness and take a picture or write about what they did. It is helpful as it shows students different ways they can show kindness to each other.