EDGL 619
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C
COLLECTION OF CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT BUILDERS OR
AND COLLEGE SERVICES TEMPLATE
AREER
Please type directly into the template. Type your responses in the blank space beside or below
the prompt. The first 5 are for those ideas from our text and the last 5 from other
sources.
Name of
Activity/Idea
from the courseBusiness cards
text 1:
Age Level best
suited3rd-12th grade
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldAll gifted students
help:
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
The idea behind business cards is an ice breaker for the beginning of the year. Students are shown
a variety of business cards and asked to evaluate the card for color, message, context, etc.
Then they discuss what you would receive as a service from these business and the teacher
gives off examples that they have used with these businesses. After that, students create their
own business card (either on paper or virtually) that describes who they are and what they
offer. This means students should share abilities, interests/hobbies, special skills, activities,
or facts about themselves that would make someone “want” them. This then gets posted and
students can find new friends by looking at their business cards and seeing who is similar to
them. (Hébert 2020).
Below, please include any notes that might help you remember important aspects of this idea
or activity. These brief notes will help you find information to share with peers or parents.
Can be bulleted for quick referral. Provide at least 2.
You must show an example (3-5) business cards and explain to students why people hand
out business cards.
I would provide students with laminated ones that they can pass around and look at while
working on theirs.
I would also have one made so students could have an idea of the expectation for a “getting
to know you” business card.
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Hébert Thomas Paul. (2020). Understanding the social and emotional lives of gifted students.
Prufrock Press.
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Name of
Activity/Idea
from the coursePoetry: Two-word poems
text 2:
Age Level best
suitedK-12th grade
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldAll gifted students
help:
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
Two-word poems are exactly as they sound; two words. Students get paired up with each other and
share about their lives outside of the school setting. This could include hobbies, what they look
like/dress like, favorite sports or foods, items they enjoy or dislike. Then the classmates write a
poem about the other person. Each line of the poem (8-10 lines) can only be two words each and
must describe the classmate. After completion of the poem photos or drawins can be added of the
classmate to hang up. (Hébert 2020).
Below, please include any notes that might help you remember important aspects of this idea
or activity. These brief notes will help you find information to share with peers or parents.
Can be bulleted for quick referral. Provide at least 2.
Pair students up with someone who they do not usually talk to or hangout with
Offer younger students to brain storm together first then share out
Provide a visual example to show students
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Hébert Thomas Paul. (2020). Understanding the social and emotional lives of gifted students.
Prufrock Press.
Name of
Activity/Idea
from the courseMr. Hébert’s Mailbox
text 3:
Age Level best
suitedK-12th grade
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldAll gifted students
help:
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
The idea of Mr. Hébert’s mailbox is one where teachers can create a mailbox or create a student journal
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where the teacher and student can have private conversations. Many times students might just share
something that they have enjoyed or even disliked in your class. They may share some awesome news with
you that they didn’t have a chance to tell the class, or they might find this space to tell you about some
hardships in their life. The idea is to answer the student back in a timely matter and if needed provided
support and services. Students connect in meaningful ways with teachers through these two form of
communication. Hébert 2020).
(
Below, please include any notes that might help you remember important aspects of this idea
or activity. These brief notes will help you find information to share with peers or parents.
Can be bulleted for quick referral. Provide at least 2.
Build a mailbox or have journals for each student
Empty the box after each class that way students cannot take out others notes
Have it located somewhere in the room that students can drop off notes easily in between
classes.
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Hébert Thomas Paul. (2020). Understanding the social and emotional lives of gifted students. Prufrock
Press.
Name of
Activity/Idea
from the courseAppreciative feedback
text 4:
Age Level best
suited5-12th grade
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldAll gifted students (especially teenagers)
help:
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
Appreciative feedback is when a teacher compliments a student outside of academic terminologies
(letter grades, percentages, “great job”, etc.). Teachers take the time to share positive feedback
either inperson, stating allowed, or on their work. Student feedback should focus on an “I”
statement about what you as the teacher apprechiated about the student/work. For example if a
student creates a poem the teacher can respond with “I loved the way I can picture the colors of the
trees in my mind, and how your words gave me chills as you described the wind blowing”.
Positive appreciative feedback shares with students why their work was important; and students
will often start to share their appreciative feedback to others as well. (Hébert 2020).
Below, please include any notes that might help you remember important aspects of this idea
or activity. These brief notes will help you find information to share with peers or parents.
Can be bulleted for quick referral. Provide at least 2.
This does take more time when grading so leave yourself plenty of time for appropriate
turn-around.
Feedback does not always need to be appreciative, but if it is an original piece of work, it is
strongly encouraged.
Hang sentence starters in your room on a wall that model for students how to also use
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appreciative feedback when talking to others.
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Hébert Thomas Paul. (2020). Understanding the social and emotional lives of gifted students. Prufrock
Press.
Name of
Activity/Idea
from the courseWanted poster
text 5:
Age Level best
suitedK-5th grade
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldIntroverts but also all gifted students
help:
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
Students create a wanted poster for finding a friend. Students write wanted at the top (or have it
printed) then they explain in a sentence or two what it is in a friend they are looking for. This can
be someone to hangout with outside of school, someone of same interests, or someone in their
class. Students should also find a way for others to respond to them such as a phone number, email,
or just a location such as who’s homeroom they are in. Students can post a picture with it of
themselves so others know what they look like and can find them on the playground or lunch.
(Hébert 2020).
Below, please include any notes that might help you remember important aspects of this idea
or activity. These brief notes will help you find information to share with peers or parents.
Can be bulleted for quick referral. Provide at least 2.
For younger students pre-print the wanted poster
Have a fast and easy way (polaroid camera) to take pictures of the students and then have
them use it for the display.
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Hébert Thomas Paul. (2020). Understanding the social and emotional lives of gifted students. Prufrock
Press.
Name of
Activity/Idea
from anotherWhole Class Mystery Reward
source 1:
Age Level best
suitedK-8th grade
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldEveryone but also underachievers
help:
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Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as much
as possible, in your own words.
On the board the teacher writes a mystery activity (examples: ice cream party, movie day, extra
recess, etc.) the teacher then covers it up with sticky notes. On each sticky note is something the
class needs be “caught” doing. This could include, silent line up, quiet transitions, everyone turning
in homework, the class receiving a compliment by someone else in the building, etc. Each time this
is achieved the teacher pulls the corisponding sticky off the board, this will begin to reveal the
reward. Once the last sticky is removed students then enjoy the activity. (Tornio, 2021)
Below, please include any notes that might help you remember important aspects of this idea
or activity. These brief notes will help you find information to share with peers or parents.
Can be bulleted for quick referral. Provide at least 2.
Explain to students this is something that could take a month long
Try to keep it to a month or less, this way students are still engaging in it and its not
something that seems to be unreachable.
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Tornio , S. (2021, October 18). 12 ways to build strong classroom community. WeAreTeachers.
https://www.weareteachers.com/build-classroom-community/.
Name of
Activity/Idea
from anotherGetting to know each other venn diagram
source 2:
Age Level best
suited3rd-8th grade
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldAll gifted students
help:
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
Teachers give students each a venn diagram. The teachers then count out the students so that
each
student has a partner. The first student will share items about themselves and list it on one side of
the Venn diagram with their name at the top. Then the second student goes ans shares what they
enjoy and both parties add it on the other side of the Venn diagram with their name on top as well.
Any items that students enjoy together or the same goes in the middle. (Tornio, 2021)
Below, please include any notes that might help you remember important aspects of this idea
or activity. These brief notes will help you find information to share with peers or parents.
Can be bulleted for quick referral. Provide at least 2.
Prior to this activity make sure students know how to complete a venn diagram.
This could also be a great item in terms of a “speed dating” where students can have 5-10
minutes and repeat this with each student in the class, this way they can see who they have
the most in common with.
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Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Tornio , S. (2021, October 18). 12 ways to build strong classroom community. WeAreTeachers.
https://www.weareteachers.com/build-classroom-community/.
Name of
Activity/Idea
from anotherSnowball toss
source 3:
Age Level best
suited5th-12th grade
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldIntroverted gifted students
help:
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
Students are given a slip of paper, students are instructed to write down a stress in their life,
something they are struggling with, a feeling they have, or anything else they want to share.
Students then crumple up their piece of paper and find a spot around the room. When the teacher
tells the students to begin, students began throwing their balls of paper at each other in such a way
that it's a “snowball fight”. Students calmly run around throwing these snowballs at each other
until the teacher asks them to stop. Students pick up a snowball near them and they go around the
room, they talk about the item on the paper and give advice, all the while no one knows who
snowball it is except the pearson who wrote it. (Ripple Kindness Project 2021)
Below, please include any notes that might help you remember important aspects of this idea
or activity. These brief notes will help you find information to share with peers or parents.
Can be bulleted for quick referral. Provide at least 2.
Have paper per-cut, this way students cannot tell who’s snowball it is based off of different
notebook paper or various types of paper.
Set clear boundaries and rules for this, teenagers can be curel. Reminding them that this is a
safe space, and what is shared in the classroom is to stay in the classroom.
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Snowball toss activity – teach students how to relieve stress. Ripple Kindness Project. (2021, June
29). https://ripplekindness.org/snowball-toss-a-fun-activity-to-help-students-learn-about-
release-stress/.
Name ofFind someone who…
Activity/Idea
from another
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source 4:
Age Level best
suited1st-12th grade
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldIntroverts and extroverts
help:
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
Students are given a sheet that looks like a bingo card. In each box on the sheet is a statement that
says find someone who (……) and students need to walk around the room finding people who
have done the item listed. The key is to have students actually ask and talk rather than just handing
their papers off to eachother to sign without communicating. When students have found someone
to answer their question, they have the person fill their name into the box. The key is to only have
each persons name once, and to have every box filled. (Community building activities for the first
days of school, 2019)
Below, please include any notes that might help you remember important aspects of this idea
or activity. These brief notes will help you find information to share with peers or parents.
Can be bulleted for quick referral. Provide at least 2.
Print out the cards in advance
You can ask students in advance to write out the game two truths and a lie, use those items
as your board that way you know some of them students should be able to sign.
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Community building activities for the first days of school. Differentiated Teaching. (2019, October
22). https://www.differentiatedteaching.com/back-to-school-community-building-activities/.
Name of
Activity/Idea
from anotherMorning Meetings
source 5:
Age Level best
suitedK-12th grade
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldAll students
help:
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
Morning meets are a time when a class or a homeroom can come together and share about
upcoming events, change in the day, any pressing issues in the class or anything else the students
wish to talk about. This time gives students a chance to share out, while also listening to what is
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going on in their peers lives. Morning meetings also give teachers insight into how students are
feeling, and any other items that are important that they may share out. Just like the snowball
activity morning meetings should be conducted with respect and listening from all parties.
Information shared should stay within the classroom. (Swan,2020)
Below, please include any notes that might help you remember important aspects of this idea
or activity. These brief notes will help you find information to share with peers or parents. Can
be bulleted for quick referral. Provide at least 2.
Have agenda ready with daily information
In the beginning students may not want to share anything use this time to ask questions and
get students comfortable with talking.
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Swan, M. (2020, November 20). 10 fun community-building activities - classcraft blog. Resource
hub for schools and districts. https://www.classcraft.com/blog/fun-community-building-
activities/.
