Building a culture of kindness and classroom community is so important! I love to begin the school year with these important foundations and also revisit them throughout the year! Building classroom community is foundational at back to school time and is also important to nurture for the whole school year.
To really dig in deep, I love complementing a kindness mini-unit with amazingly fun Read Alouds…I especially love read alouds that help develop and cultivate a strong, supportive and kind-hearted classroom community and culture of celebration of our individual differences.
This “Let’s Be Kind” has several read aloud suggestions in addition to its projectables, printables and poems that will keep you nurturing your classroom community all year round.. You can read even more about this SEL Kindness unit in a more recent post.
A while back, while hosting Chapter 5 of Teach Like A Pirate, during a blog book study I wrote a non-letter letter to myself that would be like a letter I would hope to receive from a parent or student about what my classroom was all about because a strong classroom community is so important to me. One of the book study hosts, Gina from Third Grade Tidbits, suggested I turn it into a classroom community printable.
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This office is a…
and
This is a…This culture and community of kindness and growth mindset is so important to me…a culture of persevering when mistakes are made…one where kids want to figure things out independently…one where we can crack up together and especially make sure we know that every single one of us counts, has strengths, needs to grow and feels loved and cared for by their peers.
When kids understand this, soooo much progress can be made – academic, social, behavior…so very important when educating the whole child. A classroom community of kindness, caring and celebration of differences makes space for learning and reducing anxiety in every child.
That being said…the read alouds I select should speak to these core values of my classroom community…
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Your Fantastic Elastic Brain helps kids understand how their brains work – it helps build community because it levels the playing field when it comes to skills (just because someone is quicker at math doesn’t make them smarter or more special). It also helps everyone understand the importance of effort.
Taking Flight is written by a 12 year old about her experiences learning to fly a plane, and then flying it across the US and even the Atlantic Ocean back in 1992. My students are MESMERIZED by it and it’s a great touchstone book to discuss problem solving and perseverance.
You might also like my post about Growth Mindset, over on Elementary Chalkboard, too!
I am completely obsessed with Amy Krouse Rosenthal‘s books…she is unique, clever and profound. Especially when she partners with Tom Lichtenheld for his illustrations.
I love to read The OK Book
within the first days of school…It is SO clever…when you turn the OK vertical, it turns into a stick figure person…the message of the book is “I’m okay at a lot of things. Some day I’ll be excellent at some things. I’m having a lot of fun being okay along the way.” There are countless applications to this message!
More of my very favorite books…
Ish by Peter Reynolds
helps build the life-critical concept that just because it’s not perfect doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.
Here’s another life message one by a groovy cat…
Pete the Cat
is the most loveable and groovy cat that does not let himself get worked up about obstacles…”It’s allllll good.”
Pete is the mascot in my classrom…I have a 14ish inch plush Pete attached to my easel helping us all throughout the day try to remember that “it’s allll good.” At home, my son has a plush Pete that is over 2 FEET tall! We lovvvve Pete!
I’m also excited about reading Leo the Late Bloomer
as a way to discuss that we’re all currently strong at different things and everyone will develop more strengths at different rates…which is ALLLLLL good! Thanks, Katie, for putting it out there on your page!!! (So many reasons you’re fab, girly!)
The last fave that comes to mind is pretty much anything by the amazing Kevin Henkes…
Chrysanthemum
is wonderful for so many reasons! I love to use it at the beginning of the year to discuss the harmfulness of teasing.
I would SO love to hear what books you enjoy reading to develop your classroom community!!!
