Activities that shape a class community

As September settles in, classrooms buzz with new friendships and fresh beginnings.

Monika Pedersen explores how trips, play, and teamwork set the tone for the year ahead.

Photographs: Pexels

Text: Monika Pedersen

The shock of the holidays ending and the return to school are beginning to fade as September begins. With friendships reformed and new ones in the making as well as a tentative understanding of the new teacher and classroom, the fun of the first month tends to unfold. For this month, there is a real drive by the teacher to set the pace, establish expectations, and develop a sense of community and teamwork within the new group (s) they will be teaching for the coming year. To do this, there are often a number of exciting off-schedule activities that can take place.

Trips

It is often the case that a few trips, which involve bonding activities, are planned. They may be a simple trip to the local park or play area with planned games in teams, or it may be a more major event, such as a visit to a child-oriented museum or a fun park, like Tivoli here in Denmark. These adventures really fuel student excitement. Young people love trips and are super hyped about them, usually talking nonstop about them and counting down the days to the event. The actual day is a memorable experience, complete with a bus ride, sitting and chatting with friends, various activities, lunch, and a whole lot of fun. The team building and sense of community permeate the day, but the children do not see this quite the way a teacher does! Nevertheless, the day is never forgotten and is talked about for most of the year and especially remembered if some wonderful photographs are posted on the classroom noticeboard.

Classroom activities

Another means of building class spirit is through special opportunities in the classroom, such as using ‘Spike Lego Education’, where students are paired up and work on building a Lego model which they then, with the help of a teacher, are able connect to a laptop and use the technology to enable the model to move, have flashing lights, or add a musical feature etc. This type of experience enables students to collaborate, build rapport, investigate, be curious, and achieve success and fulfilment together.

Another winning activity is to ask students with a special interest or hobby, such as chess, to teach others the rules of the game and to practice playing. The key is that it is peer-to-peer teaching, where teachers also participate by learning alongside their students. This provides a huge sense of personal achievement for the individual teaching as well as a communal respect and appreciation from those being taught a new skill.

Parents can also be a helpful asset by being involved in supporting an all-class opportunity, such as an international lunch. With some preliminary discussions with parents and an agreement from all those involved, each household brings a national or home speciality to the table, allowing students to explain their offering and then experience and enjoy the food while discussing the various flavours, likes, and dislikes, and generally having an enriching cultural experience that promotes bonding.

Teaching through play

There is a lot to be gained by using books, short video clips, visuals, and class discussions. However, an invaluable tool is the power of structured, playful activities, which enhance learning through their practical and interactive aspects. Having students work in small groups to devise a board game or rocket from recycled materials once again allows for vital communication, critical thinking, collaboration, solution finding, and positive interaction, which all help cement great working relationships and class spirit.

Winning results

Using a few powerful tools, along with pastoral time and a positive, welcoming environment, can provide a wonderful start to a student’s academic year, which, in turn, sets the tone and pathway for the journey ahead.