Getting to Really Know Each Other Through Inquiry: Activity with Staff and Students
The beginning of the school year is a critical window. Before we dive into content, expectations, or systems, we have to invest in relationships. If we want to build a culture of learning, we need to first create a culture of belonging. That means getting to know our students, not just their names or test scores, but who they are, what they care about, and how they experience the world.
OBJECTIVES
- Build stronger student-staff relationships through inquiry.
- Foster belonging to boost engagement and participation.
- Support a positive learning community through shared understanding.
Watch the accompanying video to this toolkit
At our school, we believe that relationships are not separate from academics. They are the foundation for everything that follows. When students feel connected and cared for, they are more likely to engage, take risks, and grow. That belief shaped how we approached the start of the semester and led us to center our first community-building activity on inquiry.
We need to make sure our kids know that we care about them and that students care about each other.
-Courtney Spelber
Why We Start With Inquiry
One of the most meaningful activities we have tried recently began with a simple idea: what if we used inquiry as a way to build relationships?
This was not just a feel-good icebreaker. It was a purposeful step toward building academic and emotional connections through one of our learner profile traits, inquiry. We wanted our students to explore who they are and who they are learning with, while practicing the skills that make strong learners.
Here is how it worked. Students were placed in small groups, each focused on a different category such as culture, future goals, living situation, or emotional state. Their job was to create three open-ended questions related to their category. That turned out to be harder than expected. Many students defaulted to yes-or-no questions, so we guided them through the process of asking deeper, more meaningful ones.
Once the questions were ready, each group posted theirs on the wall. Then students moved around the room, responding to the questions from different groups. It became a gallery walk centered on curiosity, empathy, and thoughtful conversation.
More Than Just an Activity
This simple structure led to powerful outcomes, not just for students, but for staff as well. As students explored one another’s experiences, values, and aspirations, they practiced empathy, curiosity, and communication. These are foundational skills that extend far beyond the classroom. At the same time, teachers and staff gained a clearer picture of who their students are and what they bring with them each day. Something that often gets lost when we jump straight into academics.
The activity also gave educators a chance to reflect on how we build relationships in our own practice. Many of us found that creating space for student voice early on helped us foster deeper trust and connection throughout the semester. As we walked around the classroom, listening in on student conversations or reading their responses, we saw glimpses of what mattered to them. That insight helped us show up more intentionally in our interactions and instruction.
Activity with Staff and Students
Through inquiry, you will be solving the problem of discovering: Who are your classmates?
- In order to solve this problem, you will:
- Be grouped into triads or quads with each group representing a different category: culture, hobbies, belief system(s), emotional state(s), living situation, future goals, wildest success fantasy, biggest fears/regrets, favorite music(ian)/sport/athlete.
- As a group, create (3) open-ended questions (in relation to your category) that will encourage a meaningful response from your classmates.
- As a group, choose the best question of the three, and write it down on a post-it note, and submit it.
- In return, choose one of the post-it notes submitted by another group, and then take turns in your group sharing your personal response to the question.
- Be prepared to share out with the whole class.
Starting the year this way reminded us that we are a community of learners, not just individuals following a schedule. Inquiry gave us a way to see one another more fully. It helped us move past assumptions and into authentic connection. Something we all need, regardless of our role in the building.
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