EDGL 619
Page 1 of 9
C
COLLECTION OF CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT BUILDERS OR
AND COLLEGE SERVICES TEMPLATE
AREER
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
(Hebert, 2020, p. 436-439)
Hebert, T. P. (2020). Understanding the social and emotional lives of gifted students (2nd ed.).
Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Name ofInterest Inventories
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 course“I Used to Be… But Now I…” Poetry
text 1:
Age Level best
suitedSecondary school (middle/high school age students)
Type of Gifted
Artistic students, introverts, students hwo enjoy writing poetry or who like to
Student it would
reflect on their “glory days” or transition over the years
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 teacher gives students the poetry stem “I Used to Be… But Now I…” and has students create a
poem that fills in the template with descriptions of themselves in the past in comparison to their
current self. The teacher should model an example poem and collcet examples over the years for
students to get a better idea of the finished poem structure. The students should think of identifying
and unique descriptions that they have a strong connection with and was an identifying feature or
trait that accurately described them in the past as well as includes relevant and descriptive
information about their current selves. Students can create poems that are reflective and
introspective as well as poems that are humorous and light-hearted. Students should create a
finished poem that is either hand written neatly or typed and display in the classroom. For a fun
and interactive activity add-on, the teacher can have students guess which classmate each poem
belongs to.
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.
Can have students bring in baby pictures to add to poems
If You’re Trying to Teach Kids How to Write, You’ve Gotta Have this Book by Marjorie Frank is
a great reference book for ideas and tips with actitiy
EDGL 619
Page 2 of 9
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
(Hebert, 2020, p. 439-441)
Hebert, T. P. (2020). Understanding the social and emotional lives of gifted students (2nd ed.).
Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Name of
Activity/Idea
from the courseHeavy Bags
text 3:
Age Level best
Any age group (works with young children, high school age, and even
suited
university students)
Type of GiftedAnxious, perfectionist type of student, or student who has a lot of
Student it wouldextracurricular activities/heavy courseload at school or lots of personal or
help:family troubles or stressors at home
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
Activity/Idea
from the course
text 2:
Age Level best
Older students (older middle/high school age) who have a better idea of their
suited
true interests and hobbies
Type of Gifted
Students who like to answer questions about themselves and want the teacher
Student it would
to know their unique interests/shy students or students who like write/journal
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.
At the beginning of the year, having students answer an interest inventory which is a series of
questions like an self-assessment. This can be conducted online through using Google Docs and
creating your own questions over the years for students to answer including questions that help
gather information on their personal interests outside of school, hobbies or sports they partake in,
learning styles inside of the classroom, and any other information that may be helpful in creating
lessons that are geared towards the students interests and engaging for everyone.
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.
Creating your own interest inventory, and using open-ended questions that incorporate
students answering questions about learning styles, and personalities
Online resources and pre-made inventories like Interest-a-Luzers by Renzulli are available for a
quick lesson with little planning
EDGL 619
Page 3 of 9
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
(Hebert, 2020, p. 441-442)
Hebert, T. P. (2020). Understanding the social and emotional lives of gifted students (2nd ed.).
Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Name of
Activity/Idea
from the courseMr. Hebert’s Mailbox
text 4:
Age Level best
suitedUpper elementary – high school (must be able to read/write)
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldShy or introverted 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.
After creating a mailbox from crafting materials, or purchasing a letter mailbox sold in stores, the
teacher explains to the class that the mailbox will be on the teacher’s desk at all times, and students
are encouraged to write a private letter to communicate any comments, questions, concerns,
feedback, or personal information to the teacher at any time. The teacher then checks the mailbox
daily, or as often as possible and replies to each individual letter with a handwritten response to the
student’s letter. If the teacher feels that the letter has information that is dealing with issues a
counselor can more privately handle, then teacher will set up an appointment with the school
much as possible, in your own words.
As a mid-year activity, this activity can be used to help create and refresh a sense of community
and understanding with eachother in the classroom, to be used at a particularly high-stress time of
year, maybe during mid-terms. The teacher passes out a visual of a backpack (printed on a sheet of
paper), and asks students to use the space on the paper to write down any stressful situation they’re
dealing with currently- either at home, from school, from extracurriculars at school, or any other
stressor. Students fold and turn in their papers with their responses anonymously to the teacher,
who then reads the responses aloud to the class, pausing in between each response for students to
offer advice/relatable comments/support. Teacher also uses a soft tone of voice and makes sure to
have students feel as though they are not judged, but supported and linked by classmates.
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.
When reading the responses, use a soft tone of voice
Provide empathetic comments about how all classmates/teacher can relate to the problems,
providing verbal feedback/support
Works with classroom who may not already have strong relationships with eachother
EDGL 619
Page 4 of 9
cousnelor or aid students in further help with their issue. This activity is a silent activity that can
remain in place all year long, and provide feedback to the teacher to help guide her class, as well as
provide a direct and private line of communication between teacher/students that can be beenficiall
to those who don’t feel comfortable addressing their concerns aloud, or prefer a more private way
to communicate.
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.
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
(Hebert, 2020, p. 442-443)
Hebert, T. P. (2020). Understanding the social and emotional lives of gifted students (2nd ed.).
Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Name of
Activity/Idea
from the courseWanted Posters
text 5:
Age Level best
suitedMiddle school/high school students
Type of Gifted
Creative/clever students who may want to show their creative and witty side,
Student it would
or those students who truly need a friend/classmate companion
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 teacher has students create a “wanted poster” in the style of old school criminal western
wanted posters that advertise for a best friend or companion based on their individual interests and
personalities. Teachers should show students a finished example for inspiration and possibly model
the activity at first for them to better understand the format of the assignment. Students create a
clever and unique wanted poster for themselves based on the criteria assigned – usually to include
details about themselves, their hobbies, desires in a best friend, contact method for replying to the
ad, and any other relevant information. Students should create a visual poster that can be used to
display in the classroom and should try to make it as visually appealing as possible. Students can
incorporate pictures of themselves taken in the classroom for a more personal touch.
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.
Can create mailbox from oatmeal box and decorate with contact paper/make colorul and
inviting in so many different ways (pinterest has great examples)
Remind students about the teacher mailbox when letters start to dwindle down throughout the
year or as students forget about the mailbox
EDGL 619
Page 5 of 9
Model the activity with students and show them past student examples for inspiration
Bring a polaroid camera or use pictures taken on the teacher’s phone to add a personal touch to
the wanted posters
Vokii, Portrait Avatar Maker, Portrait Illustration Maker, and Doppei Me are all helpful and free
websites that students can use to create their avatar
Using text-to-speech feature on Voki website the teacher can have the students “introduce”
themselves to the class through their digital avatar for an extra layer of personalization/tech usage
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Hébert, T. P., Corcoran, J. A., Coté, J. M., Ene, M. C., Leighton, E. A., Holmes, A. M., & Padula,
D. D. (2014). It’s Safe to Be Smart: Strategies for Creating a Supportive Classroom
Environment. Gifted Child Today, 37(2), 95–
101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1076217514520966
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
(Hebert, 2020, p. 435-436)
Hebert, T. P. (2020). Understanding the social and emotional lives of gifted students (2nd ed.).
Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Name of
Activity/Idea
Avatars
from Source 1:
Age Level best
suitedMiddle/high school students
Type of GiftedSTEM students/students who enjoy using technology and digital
Student it woulddesign/students who have difficult time expressing themselves or students in
help:online course
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
For this activity, the teacher uses technology to engage students in an activity that allows them to
express themselves by digitally creating an avatar for the classroom. The teacher can create her
own avatar to show students as a model, and try to make the avatar look and dress like the teacher
does within the classroom. Students work to create an avatar that exhibits all the qualities that the
student wants to express to the class; in clothing, makeup, hairstyle, body poses, hobbies, etc. The
avatar can then be used for each student on the teacher’s website or digital platform as well as
printed and used throughout the classroom to represent each student. Allow for students to change
their avatars at different intervals throughout the year as their styles and interests change.
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.
EDGL 619
Page 6 of 9
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Kress, J.S., & Elias, M.J. (2019). Nurturing Students' Character: Everyday Teaching Activities for
Social-Emotional Learning (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429199875
Name of
Activity/Idea
Designating a Safe Space
from Source 3:
Age Level best
Upper elementary – high school (old enough to trust to be able to understand
suited
and use appropriately)
Type of GiftedStudents who struggle with self-regulation or students who have trouble
Name of
Activity/Idea
The Sharing Circle
from Source 2:
Age Level best
suitedElementary school aged children
Type of GiftedStudents who enjoy talking and orally expressing ideas/students who have
Student it woulddifficulty with taking turns speaking, raising their hands, or remaining in
help:seating arrangements all day
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
Using a designated area of the classroom/area rug the teacher calls for students to report to the area
and engage in circle time. The teacher has students sit down in a circle facing eachother in a full-
class setting with the teacher joining in the circle. The sharing circle can be used throughout the
course of the school year to engage in class discussion that is specifically meant for social and
emotional learning, or any whole-class discussion that may be based on the curriculum lesson for
the day. The sharing circle is a time when students can share with eachother and discuss the topic
assigned while engaging in face-to face conversation and slows for a more informal setting that
doesn’t have students sharing their ideas at the back of the student’s head in front of them. The
sharing circle should have specific rules in place for it to run smoothly, and the teacher should
remind students of those pre-determined rules before they engage in discussion each time. Sharing
circles, especially at the lower-age level are best done with a designated speaker at a time- to
ensure students are actively listening to the person sharing.
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.
Using a “talking stick” or stuffed animal or other designated object for the speaker to hold when it
is their turn can engage students and make the role of the speaker more apparent and fun to
share Students can be broken into smaller sharing circles for small-group discussion as teacher
bounces around the room to observe and monitor
Sharing circles can be called “team huddles” or “class meetings” for older students
EDGL 619
Page 7 of 9
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
(Anderson & Bowen, 2020, p. 72-76)
Anderson, Laura, and Jon Bowen. The Supportive Classroom : Trauma-Sensitive Strategies for
Fostering Resilience and Creating a Safe, Compassionate Environment for All Students,
Ulysses Press, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central,
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=6235964.
Name of
Activity/Idea
Classmate Bingo
from Source 4:
Age Level best
suitedUpper elementary – high school students
Type of GiftedStudents hwo may be new to the school and not know any classmates, students
Student it wouldwho have qualities and trairs not usually known because they are not popular
help:or introverted
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
Usually done at the beginning of the school year, teachers create or download a bingo card
Student it woulddealing with their emotions, are often bullied, have experienced trauma and are
help:easily triggered at school/autistic students
Below, give an overview of the activity or idea. This should be one full paragraph and as
much as possible, in your own words.
When setting up the classroom, teachers should designate a safe space for students to use on an as-
needed basis. The safe space can be a corner of the classroom that has a soft cozy chair, or textured
area rug, or filled with sensory activities and quiet calming tools and books. After creating the safe
space, determine a designated (non-verbal) signal for students to use to request to use the safe
space during classtime that doesn’t interefere with class instruction, or cause unnecessary attention
to the student. The teacher should have a specific set of guidelines and rules and procedures put in
place for using the safe space so that students understand the purpose and appropriate use of the
resource. Explain to students that this is a tool to temporarily calm yourself down and manage
emotions, and should be used only under those circumstances. Habe students bring in blankets,
pillows, or other fun and calming objects like mood lighting or stress balls to contribute to the safe
spot over the years. Teachers can always ask parents for donations.
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.
Try to keep a record of student use and pay attention to any students who may be taking
advantage o fthe safe space to get out of regular classroom work tasks – maybe include a log for
students to sign each time they use to help with documentation
Change the name to better suit yoru classroom – Chill Zone, Break Spot, Calming Corner, etc.
Maybe have students vote on the name
EDGL 619
Page 8 of 9
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2021, April 14). Community building in the
classroom. https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/teaching-with-
technology/teaching-online/community-building/
Name of
Activity/Idea
Word Clouds
from Source 5:
Age Level best
suitedMiddle school
Type of Gifted
Student it wouldCreative students/tech savvy students/artistic 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 can have students design “word clouds” that give an accurate picture of the student as a
whole. The teacher should assign a writing prompt and display on the board or read aloud to the
class that asks students to list as many descriptive words as they can to best represent themselves,
encouraging students to include physical traits, personality traits, important values, specific
hobbies, strengths and any other words that the student chooses to identify with in response to the
writing prompt. After the student has recorded their answers, the student then takes the words
listed and creates a word cloud that is simply an artistic and visually creative display of those
words in different fonts/colors/formats to create a completed work of art called a word cloud .This
template with all of the spaces filled in with things like “Find a student with blue eyes” or “Find a
classmate who went to the beach this summer” or even “Find a classmate who speaks two
languages” and creates several versions of these cards (probably 4-5 variations would be enough).
The teacher then instructs the students to grab a card and set a timer for 5 minutes (or longer) for
students to go around the classroom trying to fill out their bingo card by finding a classmate that
fits the description in each square. Depending on the age of the students, the students should verify
the information by initialing or otherwise signing off on the square that pertains to them. The
student who either gets BINGO or blackout card first is the “winner” of the game, but throughout
the exercise the students learn interesting information about hteir classmates and are encouraged to
reveal information that they otherwise wouldn’t. Teachers can collect cards after the activity to
learn more about students also.
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.
Several templates for bingo cards can be bought/referenced through Etsy and Teachers Pay
Teachers, and vary by age group
Teachers should first make sure that there is a student in the class that fits each description, if at
all possible.
EDGL 619
Page 9 of 9
Provide the reference for your activity in the space below. This should be in APA formatting.
Hébert, T. P., Corcoran, J. A., Coté, J. M., Ene, M. C., Leighton, E. A., Holmes, A. M., & Padula,
D. D. (2014). It’s Safe to Be Smart: Strategies for Creating a Supportive Classroom
Environment. Gifted Child Today, 37(2), 95–
101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1076217514520966
can be done digitally through several computer programs/platforms or done in class using
markers, crayons, etc.
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.
Teacher can create her own ahead of time to give students an example of a finished product
that also doubles as a way for students to learn more about the teacher
Tagxedo is a website that compiles the words for you and offers different styles and shapes for
students to choose from
