Time
2-10 minutes
Level
Primary / Junior / Intermediate
Material
N/A
Purpose
To help students to feel special and that they matter and belong within the classroom
Identify an educator’s helper for the day (or week). All students must have a turn. Consider what makes this role special:
- Offering students special seating.
- Students can lead a calendar/lesson.
- Creating a VIP poster board with pictures that tell the class something about them (they present it and then it is posted in the class for one week).
- This could be done as an “All about me” book.
- For older students, the VIP poster could be done as a photovoice project.
Students who experience a strong bond to school are those who feel secure and valued; they feel they are known and liked. This is not directly dependent on academic success but on the relationships students have at school. Students with a strong school bond are likely to have increased academic interest/engagement, which impacts the potential for their success in school. Adolescent students specifically noted the value of educator-student relationship in their class engagement and enjoyment (Bergin & Bergin, 2009).
Bergin, C., & Bergin, D. (2009). Attachment in the classroom. Educational Psychology Review, 21(2), 141-170.
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