Social Emotional Learning

Building a Positive Classroom Culture [4 Creative Ways]

February 18, 2020

I think most teachers can agree with me when I say: It’s a super complex process to establish a positive classroom culture. Every year is different. Each group of students has its own chemistry. And as teachers, we work to create a community where all students feel safe, supported and heard, no matter the dynamics in the room.

Community. This is something I feel incredibly strong about. Whether it’s where we live, in our classrooms, or even in our own home, we all have a desire to feel safe and heard. I want to belong to a positive community no matter where I am, and I believe that my students feel the same. One of the biggest compliments I received as a teacher came from the substitute teachers in the building. They would tell me how much they enjoyed being in my classroom because it felt kind, positive, and safe. Consistently.

I do have a confession. I 100% did NOT receive that compliment the majority of my first year of teaching. In fact, I’m pretty sure substitute teachers hid from me. I was young, and to say the group of students in my room was dynamic would be a total understatement. I spent most of that year figuring out how to create a positive classroom culture. The incredibly difficult journey that first year of teaching showed me the stark difference between belonging to a positive versus a negative, or even indifferent, classroom culture.

So what creates a positive classroom culture? I’ve thought about this a lot. There are numerous programs out there to help teachers with this complex journey, and I’ve tried many of them. From CHAMPS to PBIS, and every acronym in between, I truly believe there are four common and simple things you can start in your classroom right away, no matter what program you use. Let’s dive in!

Tip 1: Start the Day Right

Part 1 – Morning Handshake:

This first part of this tip seems simple, but I can assure you, it might be one of the most powerful and transformational things I ever implemented as a teacher. The morning handshake. Each morning, I would greet my students at the door. We would shake hands, look each other in the eyes, and say good morning. That quick moment with each student would help me get a gauge on how each student was feeling that day. The energetic handshake and gleaming smile showed me that a student was feeling up, ready for the day. A weak handshake and hung head showed me that a student was feeling less than ready and might need some extra support or checking in.

On Fridays, we would switch it up a bit with a high-five. Depending on your style as a teacher and age/dynamic of your students, every day might be a high-five Friday. It’s up to you!

The students loved starting the day this way, and I did too. It gave me a chance to individually connect with each student before the craziness of the day started. Even though it was just a brief moment, it was incredibly impactful.

Part 2 – Utilize a Google Form

After the morning handshake, the students would get themselves set for the day, fire up their Chromebooks, and head straight to our Good Morning Google Form. This Form was super simple, with only two questions (it was set to automatically collect email addresses):

Here’s how I’m feeling today… (1 to 5 scale)
This is why I feel the way I do today… (short answer)

Even as 5th graders, they would just need a couple of minutes, tops, to fill out this Form. I would keep the connected response Google Sheet open on my computer in the morning. So after the handshake, I could get even more information about how my students were feeling, in literally one glance. Sometimes I’d have students rate their feelings as a 2, but it was because they had to eat oatmeal for breakfast. But other times they rated a 2 because they were having trouble at home. Either way, I was informed so that I could validate my students’ emotional state when they entered my room each day, helping them feel safe and heard.

I understand that this tip is formatted for an elementary or middle school classroom, where we spend a lot of the day together, but these tips require little time and prep. All in all, you could have the handshake and Google Form completed in as little a 3 minutes. And the time spent will help pay for itself as it helps to build a positive classroom culture.

Tip 2: Set High Expectations and Boundaries

Even though they might act like it, students do not want to be in control. I promise. They push the boundaries to feel the boundaries and make sure they are there. Students feel safe when they’re in a room with clear, fair, reachable, yet high expectations. This sounds more complicated than it is. As the teacher, your role is to work with the students to create and communicate what is expected of everyone in the classroom.

At the beginning of the year (or semester), it is SO important to explicitly set the expectations for the classroom. I believe in working with the students. We can beautifully guide students to come up with a fair set of expectations. Together. Because of the collaborative nature of this process, instead of creating rules in my classroom, we created agreements. And because I started my career at an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, they were called Essential Agreements. (Side note, even when I taught at schools that were not IB, this name stuck – I love the collaborative nature to the name).

Creating agreements was a complex process and unique to each class, but it went something like this each time:

The students would brainstorm what they expected in the classroom, of themselves and each other.
We would look at the long list of ideas and begin to categorize them, grouping similar expectations together. Our school-wide expectations were to be safe, respectful, responsible, and kind, so we used these as the categories in which we sorted the students’ ideas.
From this list, we would talk through an average day in our room, making sure we didn’t miss anything.
No matter the year, no matter the group of students, we found a theme, the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated.
We would then create a class contract that would start with verbiage something like, “We, the students of the 2019-2020 Christie Class, agree that we expect the following from ourselves and others:” The agreements would follow, with the golden rule at the top of the list. At the bottom of the contract, there would be a place for signatures: student, witness, teacher, and parent.
If possible, we’d print the contracts on golden paper (to represent the golden rule). Each student. Once students collect all of their signatures, this contract would be stapled either into their planners, taped inside their desks, etc. Each year was a little different, but we made sure it was somewhere visible every day.
I would print out an extra contract and have all of the students sign it. I would hang this contract with the class set of signatures somewhere visible in the room so we could refer to it as needed.
Here is an example contract to help you get an idea. This was for a 5th-grade classroom, but it could be adapted for any grade – feel free to make a copy!

We rarely printed in the classroom, but this contract was so important and relevant for the entire year, so I found it worth it. It also gave us a chance to talk about what it means to put your signature on something – part of our curriculum later in the year.

It was always amazing to watch my students rise to meet the high expectations we set together…instead of push against boundaries they had no say in creating.

Tip 3: Create a Team Atmosphere

Right from the start, I help my students understand that we are a team. We are in this together. We are together more hours in a day than we are with our families at home (awake). And we have an entire year together. So we should be working and rooting for each other. Even if your time together isn’t so extreme (if you’re a middle or high school teacher), you and your students are still together often, so why not make the most of this time?

Here are a few ways we build this team mentality each year:

Team name – Whether it was a special name the class came up with (Lightning Lions), or just a fun, consistent way to address the group (Christie Class), I was always sure that there was a quick, familiar way to address my students. It may seem small, but it helped us all feel like a cohesive team, day in and day out.
Team building activities – We did these a lot at the beginning of the year, but we would also do them as needed throughout the year, whenever I felt like our team morale needed a boost. It was always time well spent. Here are a couple of examples, but this list could go on forever!
- Class puzzle – this was on one of the first days of school. I’d cut up a poster board into puzzle pieces. Each student would color one piece – the only requirement would be that the piece had to be completely covered in color. Once colored, the class would work together to put the puzzle together. Once the puzzle was together, I’d glue it onto another poster board, laminate it, and it’d hang all year, near our agreements contract.
- BreakoutEDU – phenomenal for team building. All year long.
- And the list is endless… (Share your ideas in the comments below!)
Manners – This may seem small, but it is a HUGE deal to me. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the Midwest, but I whole-heartedly believe everyone should use their manners. A simple “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me” can go a long way in the classroom. And in life! If we respect each other, we use our manners. Period.
Class social media account – This may or may not be right for you and your class, but if it is, a class social media account can install an incredible amount of ownership and comradery in your class.
Compliment each other – Shift the focus away from pointing out what other students do wrong by telling on them, etc., and towards “catching others being kind.” An example: the students could fill out a “Caught Being Kind” slip for a classmate and turn it into a bin. At the end of the week, you would pull a few out and read them as a class.

Just a side note: Of course there are times when students need to talk to the teacher about other students that aren’t following the golden rule. I just liked highlighting positive behavior as well, and as a group.

Tip 4: Be the Gauge in Your Classroom

As the teacher, it’s super important for you to be the gauge of the level of community in your room. If you start to see more low scores on the morning Google Form, less enthusiastic handshakes, more negative, isolating behavior throughout the room, then it’s time to regroup.

Depending on the severity in the slip in positivity, you could do one of the following:

Class meeting – simply get together and chat it out. What’s going on? How can we improve? Sometimes this is all that’s needed.
Breathing exercises – depending on the grade level, there are a variety of breathing exercises that might help students calm and come back together as a class.
Brain Breaks – If your class is too calm, lethargic even, then breathing exercises might put your class to sleep. Instead, you could try a movement break like Go Noodle, yoga, etc. You could even just have everyone get up and move in place for 30 seconds. It’s amazing what a quick set of jumping jacks or running in place can do to get the blood moving again. And there’s no doubt that they’ll giggle with each other as they move – building that morale once again.
Team building activity – maybe it’s time for something more serious and explicit. Enter another team building activity. There are so many out there, so you just have to find one that’s best for you and your class in that moment. One of my absolute favorites is the solo cup stacking activity. It can be adapted for any age.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to your classroom culture. I would go as far to say that it is the absolute most important thing you can establish in your room. Be consistent. Hold onto those high expectations. Because if your students aren’t feeling comfortable, safe, and heard, then how are they supposed to reach the incredible amount of content in the curriculum that’s thrown at them each day? And why not make your time together as a class enjoyable?

The tips above are designed to work with any “behavior program” you’re currently using. I’d love to know what else you do to create a positive classroom culture in your room. We’d all benefit if you’d share your ideas below! Remember, we’re all in this together – thank you!

Katie Christie is a Google Certified Educator, Innovator, Trainer, and past LearnZillion DreamTeam member. She currently works with the EdTechTeam as a Spotlight Speaker, Online Lead, Keynote, and Blogger. In 2015, she worked as a partner with Google to help rewrite the Google Certification Training Center content. Katie most recently worked as the Technology Integration Specialist at Runyon Elementary School in Littleton, Colorado. She has nine years of experience in the classroom. She spent her first 4 years of teaching in Shaker Heights City Schools in Ohio, a district known for its academic excellence and cultural diversity. Then she had the incredible experience of teaching and learning in a 1:1 Linux-based netbook 5th grade classroom in Littleton, Colorado for 4 years where Google Apps for Education was integrated seamlessly into the curriculum. Katie has been a Lead Learner for the Google Teacher Academy (now known as the Google Innovator Academy) numerous times and helped with the selection process for each Academy. Katie enjoys sharing her passion for effective technology integration in the classroom by networking with other educators, whether the connection happens online or face-to-face.

The Power of Positive Climate and Culture

September 28, 2018

As a coach assisting teachers with technology integration and personalized learning, I notice patterns arising from teacher to teacher. One pattern that I have noticed is that a teacher, no matter how strong they are, hits a wall when it comes to progressing to the next level. In every situation I’ve encountered the reason is the same: absence of a positive climate and culture. Although I didn’t see it early on, I see it clearly now. The importance of climate and culture in a classroom and across a school are imperative to successful technology integration, personalized learning, and empowered learning. Here are some ideas on how to improve climate and culture both in the classroom and school-wide.

Climate & Culture at the Classroom Level

How a person feels is paramount to achievement. If a person does not feel safe, appreciated, or successful, they likely will not be motivated to work hard. They will not want to come to school at all let alone spend 6-8 hours there. On the flip side, a person who feels appreciated and feels success will work harder to continue feeling successful. It is a cycle that can be reset, and some schools are already trying to do that through PBIS and Capturing Kids’ Hearts. However, that is not enough. Students must feel that they are part of a classroom family and a larger school family. They need to feel responsible for the successes and failures in the classroom. One successful catalyst to changes in student behavior and empowerment is the Code of Cooperation as seen in the sample above. Self-control, organization, accountability, and respect are four powerful pillars to start from. Students are tasked with self-reflection and self-evaluation. Even the youngest learners can be successful doing this.

In addition to the Code of Cooperation, students often need to drill down and work on respecting one another. Often, they need to learn how to speak to one another politely and have civil discourse in a safe environment. Classroom teachers can help facilitate that through the introduction of sentence stems, blogging, and Socratic seminars. With the opportunity to use positive sentence stems, students can change the climate and culture in their schools, and this should be celebrated! (More on that here.)

Goal Setting

In addition to treating one another with respect, each person should be celebrated at his own level with high expectations in place. Expectations is a generic term that encompasses so much: behavior, soft skills, achievement, etc. How can we do that with so many different levels in our classes? The answer is by personalizing learning and allowing students to set goals for themselves. As with yoga, we all start in different places, and we grow at our own pace. For too long, students have been passive learners sitting and getting instead of digging in and getting their hands dirty. Making decisions is a skill of which we have deprived our students. Ownership in learning is key to academic and personal growth. This can be accomplished through student goal-setting, tracking, and reflection. Too often, students don’t know where they stand in a class because the teacher controls the grade. What if the student decides what his goals for the class are based on his long-term goals for his life? What if students are given time to reflect upon their learning, failures, and successes? Ownership provides students the opportunity to care about, get involved in, and be active in their own growth.

Ownership goes beyond the individual as well. There are rules in a school that contributes to culture. How schools deal with behavioral issues is changing. Research shows that many behavior problems are merely reactions to boredom or frustration. The former, boredom, arises when students are not being challenged. As a result, they act out. At the classroom level, personalized learning, which is not possible without a positive climate and culture, encourages a student to set his own goals for achievement and move at his own pace, thus mitigating boredom. The latter, at the other end of the spectrum, reflects the low-skilled student who feels so overwhelmed and frustrated because of skill gaps. At the classroom level, the incorporation of blended and personalized learning is key to filling these gaps. Students are allowed the time needed to master a skill with support during station rotation or targeted instruction. However, climate and culture within the classroom are not enough.

Administrators Supporting Climate & Culture

How do positive classroom changes extend into the rest of school? Sometimes students make bad choices and are not focused on their personal learning goals. Some student actions will warrant an office referral. How are they dealt with there? Are classroom teachers 100% responsible for climate and culture? The answer, obviously, is no. So how does an administrator contribute to climate and culture? What if student goals are reviewed during disciplinary discussions? What if someone takes the time to talk the student through how their actions are affecting their attainment, or lack thereof, of their goals? What if the student-owned their actions and tried to decide whether they wanted to avoid the situation in the future and work to develop a coping mechanism for future incidents? This would take goals to a whole new level and deal with a student more holistically and on a personalized level. There would still be consequences, and the student would be involved in a fair, transparent process.

Leading By Example

A vital factor to all-school change is the administration. In business, the people at the top sell the product by their enthusiasm and belief in the product, not by ordering everyone else to walk the walk. As a result, the administrative team must be trained and believe in the change and walk the walk. Training admins in climate and culture and having them set goals empowers them to lead by example.

Initiating Change

As a leader interested in changing the climate and culture in your school, here are some steps you can consider trying out:

Create a tool to measure success before you start, i.e. backward design. Get feedback from teachers and admin to identify the change you want to see.
Present the WHY with examples behind building a school-wide climate and culture that promotes student ownership, agency, and empowerment to all schools. WIIFM: What’s In It For Me is important to stress at this stage.
Poll teachers and admin to measure interest and create a pilot or cohort group to support for the year.
If you are a district leader, target schools that show interest in modifying school-wide climate and culture.
Create a focus group made up of the schools with the most interest.
Create a Climate and Culture Team at each school made up of teachers AND administrators who are invested and passionate about creating change.
Create school-wide initiatives with the Climate and Culture Team coupled with classroom initiatives to be shared with the faculty throughout the year.
Use the train-the-trainer model and give intense training to building-level instructional coaches who will be available for support, too.
Track data all year with celebrations and share-outs. Recognition and healthy competition are true motivators.
1. Digital Badging
2. Professional Development Bingo boards for the freedom to jump in at your own level (see below)
3. Incentives at each grade or building level

Providing Support

As society moves forward with technology, we in education need to lasso the opportunities available for support. Here are some ideas for how technology can help us help ourselves:

Virtual trainings and webinars – you can create screencasts for asynchronous trainings that can be uploaded to EdPuzzle.com with multiple choice questions, comments, and thought questions embedded. EdPuzzle also allows us to track who has watched the video and evaluate their answers
Teachers can videotape events in their room to share with support leaders or the Culture and Climate Team for analysis and debriefing
Teachers can be coached virtually via Google Hangout or InMeetings.com
Travel for teachers can be minimized by holding online meetings or webinars for teachers to share out their questions and successes
Like students, teachers would set goals for themselves dealing with climate and culture and how they relate to achievement and behavior. The measurement tool will come in handy here, so teachers can measure their growth.

Scaling Out Positive Climate and Culture

As you try to scale out the positive changes you see, be aware of the business model dealing with adopters: Innovators, Early Majority, Late Majority, Laggards. Use this model to avoid getting discouraged. Figure out where each person in your school falls, and pull them onboard based on his/her category. Round one participants are the Innovators: not afraid of change, like to be first to try out new things, adaptable and open personalities. As they share their successes, the second level adopters will encompass the Early Majority: those who want to know it works and needs a purpose for a change. This group will be larger than the first, so additional support & resources will be needed. The third level/year will encompass the Late Majority: those who want the kinks ironed out for them and want to be absolutely sure this is not just another “flavor of the year” that will be gone in 2 years. The final group (year 4) consists of the Laggards who will either retire, leave education, or adopt only when forced.

Change is difficult for most people, and education seems to draw that personality; however, teachers historically will do anything it takes to help their students. If you can make this change about the students and not about referrals or school report cards, it will work. If you want your teachers to create a student-centered atmosphere in their classrooms, you need to revamp everything you do at your level. If you do that well, the rest will follow.

Eileen Fernandez-Parker is an Innovation and Digital Learning Coach in Charleston County School District, SC. She has over 28 years experience in public education spanning grades 4 through graduate level classes. She has a BA in English and Secondary Ed, an Elementary Certificate, and a Master’s in Educational Technology. Eileen has been a technology mentor and technology specialist for 20 years, and she is passionate about helping revolutionize education through personalization, engagement, and empowerment. Recently, Eileen has been a presenter for local and state conferences including SC ED Tech and EdTechTeam Summits. You can connect with Eileen on Twitter at @EFPTech.