1. A Bag Full of Tricks for building Classroom Community
Synergy 2017

2. Magical MomentS

3. Agenda Welcome “Norms/Rules” Activity Icebreaker
How to build a positive classroom climate
Praise vs. Encouragement
“4 As Article” Activity
Daily Routine Walk Through

4. Objectives/Outcome Statement
Participants will be able to build nurturing learning environments through the use of effective strategies.
Participants will be able to improve children’s social and emotional development through adult and peer interactions.

5. VPK/HEADSTART Social-emotional standards
VPK/Title 1/Fee Supported/ESE
P-SE1. Child engages in and maintains positive relationships and interactions with adults.
Interacts easily with familiar adults.
P-SE2. Child engages in cooperative behavior with adults.
Seeks adults assistance appropriately.
P-SE3. Child engages in and maintains positive interactions and relationships with other children.
Interacts easily with one or more children.
P-SE4. Child engages in cooperative play with other children.
Develops special friends.
P-SE5. Child uses basic problem-solving skills to resolve conflicts with other children.
Participates in the group life of the class.
P-SE6. Child expresses a broad range of emotions and recognizes these emotions in self and others.
P-SE7. Child expresses care and concern towards others.
Shows empathy and caring for others.
P-SE8. Child magages emotions with increasing independence.
Demonstrates self-concepts.
P-SE9. Child recognizes self as a unique individual having own abilities, characteristics, emotions, and interests.
Shows some self-direction.
P-SE10. Child expresses confidence in own skills and positive feelings about self.
P-SE11. Child has sense of belonging to family, community, and other groups.

6. Norms

7. Icebreaker Take a piece of paper from the basket
Write about what you see
Share out
The black dot is that one child in your classroom that you spend your energy and focus on. The white part of the paper represents the rest of your class that you lose sight of because you are so focused on that one child.

8. Keys to establishing an emotionally supportive classroom
Build nurturing and responsive relationships
Creating a high quality supportive classroom environment
Establish clear and concise classroom rules
Establish routines and schedules that promote child engagement and success
Plan for transitions throughout the day
Focus on students successes and offer immediate positive encouragement
Model appropriate social-emotional skills
Provide instruction in conflict resolution

9. How can we build a positive classroom climate?
What does a positive classroom climate look like?
What does a negative classroom climate look like?
How can teachers sensitivity build awareness of and responsiveness to students’ academic and emotional needs?
How can we ensure we are encouraging student autonomy?
How can you create classroom community the first 2 weeks of school?
-Carousel walk
-On 4 pieces of chart paper, write each of these questions and give the groups time to go around and answer each question.
-Each group will have a different colored marker

10. What does a positive classroom climate look like?

11. What does a negative classroom climate look like?

12. Teacher sensitivity

13. How can we ensure we are encouraging student autonomy?

14. Praise vs. Encouragement
Praise focuses on thinking or feelings
Praise includes judgments
Great job!
I am so proud of you!
Encouragement in more defective in guiding children's behavior
Encouragement can be inspirational and motivating - a gentle, supportive nudge that helps children meet important goals –
Specific and clear
Focuses on effort
Sets up children for success
Teaches children to evaluate themselves on their own merits
You really stuck with that! Hard work pays off!
I like the way you organized that shelf!
After explaining this slide, participants will do the Praise Vs. Encouragement sort activity.

15. 4 As Article Activity ASSUMPTIONS AGREE ARGUE ASPIRATIONS
Read the article on Social Emotional Development in Preschoolers and uses these questions to report and share out with the group.
ASSUMPTIONS
What assumptions does the author of the text hold?
AGREE
What do you agree with in the text?
ARGUE
What do you want to argue with in the text?
ASPIRATIONS
What in the text do you aspire to do in your classroom?

16. Daily Routine Walk Through embedding community building throughout our day!
TIME OF DAY
ACTIVITY
Meet and Greet
Greeting Apron
Feelings Chart
Large Group
Classroom Rituals
Jobs for Everyone
Peer Interaction
Small Group
Conflict/Resolution Discussion
Plan-Do-Review
How can we support children at work time?
Story Time
“On Monday When it Rained”
Lunch
Communication and Discussion
Outside Play
Free time to express emotions
Closing
Change Feelings Chart
-Conflict/Resolution video
-Supporting children at worktime (handout)
-On Monday When it Rained- book

17. Building Classroom Community

18. Thank YOU! Parking Lot Marshanell Topping: mptopping@dadeschools.net
Maria Garganta:
Cristina Alicot:
Nicole Abreu: