A MiddleWeb Blog
At the start of the year in middle school, we have a group of adolescents who feel excited, nervous, and uncomfortable. Our mission is to build community so that they can make friends, learn, and thrive.
This is a year-long process, but it starts with a lot of early collaboration and fun. Here are some ways that my students will be getting to know each other and strengthening bonds this year.
One way to build community is to create as a group. A friend gave me a sticker mosaic kit and I hung it in my classroom as a community art project. I hid the final image so they wouldn’t know what they were creating. Students followed the color chart to create the mosaic.
I couldn’t believe how much they loved this activity. Students were sneaking in during their break times to add a few more stickers. Adding the stickers is therapeutic, and there were wild conversations about what the poster would end up being. After the success of the first sticker mosaic, I’ve purchased a few more to roll out during the year.
Putting it together, together
Another art project that can be done in groups during a short amount of time is a different kind of mosaic. Print a large copy of an elaborate painting (I printed on A3 paper; 11×17 in U.S.) and cut it into as many pieces as you need for your group. Each student in the group gets a section of the painting and each group has a blank paper the size of the complete painting. Each student draws/colors their section on their blank piece. Then they work together to assemble their drawings and recreate the original painting. (Learn from my mistakes and layer your blank paper on the painting to cut all at once.)
You can let them know what the final painting will look like, or you can number the back of the pieces and then number some pieces of tape on the wall, or you can let them figure it out on their own. This is an activity that adjusts to the time that you have. Students enjoy when they recognize what the final artwork is, and it’s a great classroom decoration.
Competitive bracketing
I’ve written about the importance of casual classroom talk for building community and preparing students for more complex discussions. One way to do this is a bracket competition that you continue over multiple days, building community as you go.
The more niche the topic, the better (I got this idea from Priya Parker’s Art of Gathering Instagram feed). Students can discuss their answers for one round of the competition in their table groups and then share the best arguments from their group with the class. The option with the most votes moves on to the next round. It’s a good idea to post the results from different classes so that they can be compared. The highly motivated will start working on their arguments for different rounds in advance.
Connecting with timelines
I always start the year with students making personal timelines of their lives. This is a fun lesson because we listen to music and students have casual conversations and share memories as they map their lives. Once finished, I hang the timelines on the walls and students do an activity where they try to find people who have things in common with them: born in the same country (I teach in an international school), share a hobby, siblings of the same age. These similarities strengthen our community and create opportunities for connection.
Movement matters
Middle school students need more movement than they get in a typical school day. We take brain breaks halfway through class so that they can get some energy out. A favorite in our class is the “Would You Rather” videos by Phonicsman on YouTube.
They’re about six minutes long and involve students making a choice between two options, then doing an exercise based on their choice. There is often spirited debate around the preferences, and students love to sing along with the videos.
Building block activities
All of these activities are a break in the routine that allows students to enjoy themselves and work together. Although they are light activities, they build the foundation of trust for more complex, challenging tasks ahead.
