Tips for Teachers
Positive Climate Brainstorming Activities
Educators' and students' attitudes and behaviors play a key role in developing and maintaining a positive school climate for everyone. Use the following two brainstorms to fuel discussions and activities that result in actions that improve the school atmosphere.
School Climate Activity
Here is one way to bring staff together to work toward a positive, supportive, and respectful school climate.
- Ask: What would a positive school climate look like at our school?
- Ask: What are we already doing to create and support a positive environment?
- Brainstorm ideas for things your school could do to support a positive climate. Remember: Anything goes during a brainstorming session!
- Break into small groups to discuss the brainstormed ideas.
- Have each group report on which ideas they think would be most effective.
- Let each person vote on his or her top three new ideas to implement.
- As a group, decide on which three ideas will be started first.
- Check in at midterm to see how these new initiatives are working.
Use the following 20-minute brainstorm to elicit ideas from your students for creating a positive and supportive classroom environment.
- Ask: What would a classroom look like in which all children feel safe and respected?
- Ask: What are we already doing to make our classmates feel safe and respected?
- Brainstorm some other ideas for making your classroom welcoming. Remind your students that anything goes during a brainstorm.
- Next, have each student vote for his or her top two or three choices from the list.
- As a group, decide on two or three items from the list that the classroom can start to practice.
- Post the list of things that students are already doing and the list of three new ideas in the classroom.
- Review these classroom goals in two months.
Program Implementation Specialists
Committee for Children