Activities
Here is a list of activities that increase the sense of community in the ELL classroom:
Compliment Day
This activity involves asking for a volunteer and having them sit in front of the white board. Students silently think about compliments or nice things to say about that student and then they say them out loud and those compliments get written on the board. Kids will LOVE this activity! You will be surprised at how many creative adjectives they come up with. The student sitting up really gets a boost of confidence and everyone gets to participate.
Exercises
Not only does stopping for a small amount of time during class to exercise help get the blood flowing again, it also allows students to relax a little and interact with their peers in a more fun way. Pick a student to lead exercises for the day and have them choose what to do (push ups, sit ups, stretches, etc). A really fun way to do exercises is by playing Simon Says! Some kids will really try to trick everyone else. It's quite fun!
Collaborative Work
Working together in a group or even just with partners can really increase classroom community. They are able to get to know their classmates better and work towards accomplishing a similar goal. It also allows for some students who may not normally get to talk or work together to do so.
Teachers creating the pairings and groups tends to allow for a more well-rounded group and not just a pair or group of friends.
Teachers creating the pairings and groups tends to allow for a more well-rounded group and not just a pair or group of friends.
Class Store
This activity can be used in so many ways! Make a poster with 'Our Class Store' at the top (or be creative and give it a name!). Have each student think of an item they would like to have available in the store. Let them choose a price (within reason). Everyone in the class should be allowed to suggest an item. This allows each of them to feel valued as a member of the class.
Next, use the values of the items for addition and subtraction problems (or multiplication, division, the list goes on!). Kids love this activity as each student plays their own part and are able to solve math problems together as a class.
Next, use the values of the items for addition and subtraction problems (or multiplication, division, the list goes on!). Kids love this activity as each student plays their own part and are able to solve math problems together as a class.
Football Math Game
For this game, draw a football field on the board and cut out a little football, clip a magnet to it, and place it on the 50 yard line. Split the class into two teams and let them pick their names. Next, put questions up on the document camera or board that each student has to answer on their own. Call on one student and ask for the answer. If it is right, that team gets to advance 10 yards. If it is wrong, the other team gets a chance. Eventually you can increase the advance up to 20 and 30 yards per question depending on the difficulty of the question. A team gets a point when they get to the goal line.
Disclaimer: Before this activity, it is important to establish the fact that wrong answers are totally acceptable and that everyone makes mistakes. Being in teams can bring out competitive spirits and some may hurt others' feelings. However, with this discussion, this activity can bring about unity as a team and as a class.
Disclaimer: Before this activity, it is important to establish the fact that wrong answers are totally acceptable and that everyone makes mistakes. Being in teams can bring out competitive spirits and some may hurt others' feelings. However, with this discussion, this activity can bring about unity as a team and as a class.
All About Me Foldable
This is a quick and fun way to get to know a little bit more about each other in your classroom. Pass out a foldable with a good number of tabs (shown here is five) and have them label each tab with the following: my family, trips, favorites, hobbies, and my house (the possibilities really are endless--get creative!). Walk through each tab together (don't forget to do one yourself!) and finish together as well.
At the end, present them to each other and get to know more about your students, see similarities and differences, and much more!
At the end, present them to each other and get to know more about your students, see similarities and differences, and much more!
Miss Nelson is Missing! Activity
As a way to see how what perceptions your students have of you as their teacher and how they feel about their learning environment, you can do a really fun activity using the book Miss Nelson is Missing! This is a great way to show you how students view you and your classroom!
This story is about Miss Nelson, the nicest teacher in school. She never yells and she gives easy assignments. However, her class is always throwing spit balls, talking during story time, and never doing their homework. One day, Miss Nelson doesn't come to school. A substitute named Miss Viola Swamp comes instead. She lays down the law: no talking, no goofing off, no story time, and gives loads of homework. The students search high and low for Miss Nelson as they miss her terribly. Miss Nelson returns at the end of the story and the students are even more grateful to have such a wonderful, kind teacher again.
Read the book together and during the story have students think about what they like or don't like about Miss Viola Swamp's classroom. After reading the story, have students write the ideas down they had thought about during the story, plus how they would feel in Miss Swamp's class. Next, have them describe what they like or don't like about your own classroom and how they feel when they are there.
Next, have them create a drawing of you as the teacher and of Miss Viola Swamp. Have them surround the picture with words describing each teacher and the class.
This story is about Miss Nelson, the nicest teacher in school. She never yells and she gives easy assignments. However, her class is always throwing spit balls, talking during story time, and never doing their homework. One day, Miss Nelson doesn't come to school. A substitute named Miss Viola Swamp comes instead. She lays down the law: no talking, no goofing off, no story time, and gives loads of homework. The students search high and low for Miss Nelson as they miss her terribly. Miss Nelson returns at the end of the story and the students are even more grateful to have such a wonderful, kind teacher again.
Read the book together and during the story have students think about what they like or don't like about Miss Viola Swamp's classroom. After reading the story, have students write the ideas down they had thought about during the story, plus how they would feel in Miss Swamp's class. Next, have them describe what they like or don't like about your own classroom and how they feel when they are there.
Next, have them create a drawing of you as the teacher and of Miss Viola Swamp. Have them surround the picture with words describing each teacher and the class.