You Belong Here: Making Sure Each Student Is Known
A sense of belonging is the heartbeat of inclusion.
– unknown/anonymous
INTRO
It’s not news to educators that students who feel they belong within a school community are more successful both in and out of school. But knowing something and doing something are not the same. It can be challenging to feel connected with students – and more importantly, nurture a feeling of connection within students – when we’re overwhelmed with large class sizes and student and staff turnover feel constant. But this is one area where small, simple, brief strategies can result in exponentially greater impact for your students and school community.
OBJECTIVES
- Brainstorm what you and your school are currently doing to ensure students feel a sense of belonging within the school community
- Brainstorm strategies for how you and your school can better ensure all students feel a sense of belonging within the school community
Making Sure Each Student Is Known
Begin with watching the provided 3-minute video from Edutopia. This may help you with thinking about the different ways educators know students and help them feel a sense of belonging. Use these only as some possible examples as you brainstorm your own ideas for your school and students.
What We’re Doing
- Reflect on all the strategies you personally employ to ensure students feel a sense of belonging within the school community
- Reflect on all the strategies you witness being employed by others to ensure students feel a sense of belonging within the school community (make a note of names and highlight those individuals for making a positive impact on students)
What We Can Do
- Reflect on missed opportunities for connecting with students (yourself and the rest of the school staff)
- Reflect on additional/new ways you can personally ensure all students feel a sense of belonging within the school community
- Reflect on additional/new ways your staff can personally ensure all students feel a sense of belonging within the school community
TIPS
- This can be done as a self-reflection activity, but we recommend after reflecting on your own, that you then engage your leadership team (and even your entire staff via smaller PLC meetings and/or all staff meetings).
- Feel free to use the brainstorming/meeting activities/strategies presented in this brief video as inspiration for what this work can look and feel like.
Responses