President Trump’s first address to Congress last month was a reminder of the important role education plays in the future of our country. Many of my students are the children of immigrants, and this year I know that it will be more critical than ever to highlight the importance of empathy, inclusion, and community in my classroom. Something I know many other teachers are thinking about as well.

Following a contentious debate over our new Secretary of Education, it is crucial to keep empathy in mind when we engage with one another.

We may not use the word “empathy” with our kindergarteners at Beacon Elementary School, the preK-3 school in the Detroit area where I’ve taught for 32 years, but we still try to teach it, by encouraging them to think of how their actions impact others.

I was born and raised in the poor countryside of Tay Ninh province in Vietnam, where a proper meal was hard to come by and studying was the least of parents’ concerns. However, I was luckier than most — my parents believed my education should be a priority.

When I was a primary school student, I found school to be quite boring. Teachers mainly lectured the class while we took notes. I couldn’t help but wonder if learning could be more interesting. So, I set out to become a teacher who created a more engaging approach to learning.

The first day of school is never easy. But when it’s also your first day as a teacher, in a new country, teaching a foreign language, it’s even more so. I remember walking into class for the first time as a teacher and feeling more nervous than I had ever felt as a student. I truly felt like a stranger in a strange land.

One of the hardest things any teacher has to grapple with first is: how do I create the best environment for learning so every child feels secure in taking risks and exploring their innate creativity? For that, it all comes down the culture you build within your classroom. The question is, how do you do that?

When people ask me how I came to win the 2015/2016 Teacher of the Year award for North Carolina, I first point to the amazing teachers, mentors, dean, and my parents who lifted me up when I needed it…and pushed me forward when I needed that too !🙂 But I also point to an app we all know and love: ClassDojo. How has an app meant to bring teachers, parents, and students together helped me in my teacher journey? I put it to a couple key things.

As educators like myself prepare to kick off the first parent-teacher conferences of the year, many of us are thinking about how best to build relationships with the parents and other caring adults our students’ lives. Academic research shows time and time again that parental engagement has an outsized impact on a student’s success. It’s important for all the adults to stay connected with what’s happening in a child’s life at school and at home.

Did you know Halloween is the most shared moment on ClassDojo? It’s true! Two times as many photos, videos, and messages are shared on Halloween than any other day of the year. That’s a lot of moments! And one little monster is the reason why…we’re talking about MOJO of course !🙂

Making the transition to 5th Grade three years ago was a little challenging. After teaching Kindergarten for six years, I quickly came to realize that in 5th grade teaching kindness is just as important as any other content area. Teaching empathy and kindness in my classroom does not mean lectures, or essays or laying down the law. I model kindness by how I treat my students, resolve conflict, and respond to world events.

One of the most impactful ways I bring this to life is the Kind Kids Club. What is it and how can you create one in your own classroom? Here are some ideas!

How to create your own Kind Kids Club…

“I can’t do it.” “I don’t understand it.” How often have we as teachers — or parents — heard our children say similar things? In my classroom, our magic word isn’t “please” (though I certainly encourage that one as well!), it’s “yet.” By adding “yet” to these sentences, students realize that it’s not that they aren’t able to do something — they just haven’t spent the time to figure it out yet.

When you think of “community,” what comes to mind?

Perhaps you think of a group living in a specific geographical location; religious groups or organizations; racial or cultural groups; neighborhoods; or activist groups.

Essentially, communities provide a sense of belonging and personal relatedness, as we all need to feel a sense of mattering. In relation to this, humans are social beings. This means we all yearn for close relationships and friendships, which communities often deliver.

In addition, communities offer a network of support and a place to share thoughts, experiences, and ideas, while being a source of inspiration and motivation. This encourages people to think bigger and achieve more.

Another great component of a community is the pool of resources available. Whether the passing of knowledge amongst its members; local classes, programs and services; local events; or the connections that evolve, resources are one of the major assets of any community.

While there are many other facets of societal communities, let’s focus on a smaller subculture – schools. Often overlooked or not necessarily described as a “community” by the larger population, schools are extremely important to the growth of any society. Therefore building community in the classroom should be a top priority for educators.

What is a classroom community, you may ask.

Similar to communities outside of the school, a classroom community serves as an empowered learning environment where scholars feel a sense of value, belonging, and connectedness to their peers, as well as their educators. In essence, building a sense of community in the classroom fosters and promotes the building of strong ties, positive social skills, and academic achievements (often displayed via student portfolios).

The classroom is a major community for each and every scholar, as it presents a unique opportunity for them to have some regulation over their worlds. By creating a learning community in the classroom, scholars become an active participant in their immediate learning spaces. They learn to trust one another; are empowered to contribute to boost the success of the group; and are willing to collaborate and negotiate.

While there are several, some of the benefits of building community in the classroom are: 11. A sense of unity in the classroom is cultivated 12. Improves the scholar-educator relationship 13. Promotes scholars’ engagement in school 14. Resiliency is developed 15. An anti-bullying environment is promoted 16. Collaborative learning is encouraged 17. Scholars develop better communication and conflict resolution skills 18. Scholars become more compassionate, helpful, and tolerant of others

Supplementary to the aforementioned benefits, creating a classroom community is one of the most efficient and effective classroom management strategies. As students begin to bond and act as a cohesive group, misbehaviors, as well as disruptions are significantly reduced.

That being said, you may be wondering how to create a sense of community in the classroom at your school.

Building community in the classroom and instilling a “community” mindset amongst scholars is fun, and has never been easier. Aside from a lack of imagination, there are no limitations as to what educators can try. It all depends on classroom culture, the scholars, and finding what works best.

Below are 5 ways to build community in the classroom:

Establish a regular morning meeting, whether once per week or daily. Choose a theme and allow each student to participate. Example: Every Monday morning, tap into the concept of Think Pair Share and allow students to share one goal they wish to accomplish by the end of the week.

Create a “We” jar. Assign a number of marbles to a specific task or goal. As scholars accomplish their goals, they earn marbles, which are placed in a jar. Once the jar is full, the scholars collectively choose their prize. Example: When the entire class submits a homework assignment, 2 marbles are earned. Or, when everyone earns a 70 or above on the daily quiz, 3 marbles are earned.

Break bread with scholars. Periodically invite scholars to eat lunch with you. This can be in conjunction with something meaningful such as, the end of state testing or because everyone did well learning a specific unit.

Use technology tools. ClassDojo, a communication app for the classroom, is a great tool to encourage community in the classroom. It allows teachers, parents, and scholars to connect and share videos, photos, and messages throughout the school day. ClassDojo supports the creation of a positive classroom culture, by allowing teachers to send messages of encouragement and acknowledgment, no matter the skill or value (i.e. being kind or acing the math quiz). It also gives scholars a voice through their platform portfolios – they’re able to display what they learn by uploading videos and photos to their profiles.

Create a class flag. Allow every scholar to take part in the decision-making process of designing the class flag, from the initial draft to the final product.

Creating and nurturing a classroom community requires planning, practice, and patience. It can be challenging at times, but exploring and implementing community building ideas for the classroom is well worth the effort.