The beginning of a new term presents an invaluable opportunity to create a supportive learning environment and establish a strong rapport with your students. Relationship development is vital to building that sense of community in the classroom which helps students feel secure and supported (Allen, 2000). One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by taking the time to get to know your students on a personal level.  Understanding their unique backgrounds, interests, and aspirations fosters a supportive and inclusive learning environment, which ultimately enhances student engagement, motivation, and academic success. 

Welcome Survey

Give students a welcome survey at the beginning of the term to set the tone that the course they are about to enter will be a learning space that is inclusive and understanding of individuals who hold multiple identities.  It shows you are thinking about who is enrolled in the course, not just what will be taught in the course.  In the survey, ask students to share their preferred name and pronouns, learning preferences, academic and personal goals, struggles and challenges, and what they hope to learn from the course.  A welcome survey not only shows students you care about them but also helps you tailor your instruction to meet students’ needs.  Google Forms or an ungraded survey in Canvas is a great way to create your welcome survey. 

Share About Yourself

A simple and easy way to start building a connection with your students is by sharing about yourself.  Students are curious about you and want to connect.  When someone tells a personal story it is much easier to relate and find a common interest or shared experience.  Don’t be afraid to open up.  Share about your hobbies, interests, and experiences.  Weave personal stories into your lecture that relate to the material you are teaching.  Share about when you were a student or first starting out in your career, about mistakes you have made, lessons you’ve learned, or about your successes.

Research has shown that students like getting to know their teachers and it makes class much more enjoyable.  One student quoted, “It’s weird, but I feel cared for when the professor talks to us about things completely not related to class…the more it doesn’t have to do with class, the more I feel cared for” (Larsen, 2015).  Sharing about your life makes you more relatable, creates a sense of connection, and builds trust between you and your students. 

Use Student Names

Take the time to use your students’ names.  Doing this one simple act goes a long way in showing students you care about them.  Of course, learning all of your students’ names is easier said than done, especially if you teach a large enrollment course.  However, it is the effort itself that makes a huge impression. “It was not important for the professor to achieve 100% knowledge of every student’s name...the effort was enough for students to perceive the professor valued the relationship...students attributed that to caring.” (Larsen, 2015).

There are also tools, like NameCoach, that can help with learning student names.  NameCoach is available in Canvas and can be added to email signatures.  Encourage your students to record their name in NameCoach or include it as part of an introduction assignment.

Icebreaker Activities 

Icebreaker activities generally occur within the first couple of days of the term and help students form relationships with their peers and instructors. This relationship development is vital to building a sense of community in the classroom that can help students feel secure and supported (Allen, 2000).

There are many icebreaker activities to choose from.  Below are a few to get you started. Be sure to participate in these activities alongside your students! 

‘Raise your hand if…’ Activity 

Take a few minutes at the beginning of class to get to know your students a little better with this simple and quick activity. Ask students to participate by raising their hand if the statement is true for them. Prepare a few statements ahead of time that are lighthearted and fun.  For example, raise your hand if… you are from Michigan, you were born in another country, you speak multiple languages, you are an only child, you are a cat person, winter is your favorite season, etc. 

You can also take it up a notch by involving movement.  Have students stand up and move to different sides of the room based on their preferences.  For example, stand on the right side of the room if you are a dog person and on the left side of the room if you are a cat person.

‘About Me’ Slide Deck

At the beginning of the term, create a Google Slide presentation titled “About Me.” Create the first slide in the slide deck to be all about you. Basically, create a collage sharing interesting things about yourself (name, preferred pronouns, areas of expertise, hobbies, likes/dislikes, pets, pictures, etc.) Then, as an introduction assignment, have students add to the slide deck by creating a slide all about them.  Students can then take a minute or so to share with the class or browse all of the slides to get to know their classmates better. 

‘Class Bestie’ Activity 

For this activity, have students find a partner and spend about 10 minutes getting to know each other.  Random pairing is important in order to create new friendships.  Encourage them to ask their partner questions any best friend should know (e.g. hometown, hobbies, something unique about them). After their short discussion, have students introduce their partner to the class.  For larger classes, students can share out in small groups.  After the activity, let students know their partner will be their new “bestie” for the term and someone they can turn to for help -- a familiar face, a study partner, someone to contact if you miss class (Westwick and Chromey, 2015).

If you’d like to further discuss ways to build connections with your students, please feel free to request an appointment with the LSA Learning and Teaching Consultants! We will be glad to help or brainstorm ideas with you.

References:

Allen, T. (2000). Creating Community in Your Classroom, Education Digest, 24-25.

Larsen, A. (2015). Who cares? Developing a pedagogy of caring in higher education. All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 4287. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/4287

Westwick, Joshua N. and Chromey, Kelli J. (2015) A Life-Changing GIFT: The Impact of Classroom Climate and Community Building. Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD: Vol. 2 , Article 3. https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/discoursejournal/vol2/iss1/3