Building+Positive+Community+Members

Building Positive Community Members**Submitted/Created by:** John Hageter


 * Lesson:** __Building Positive Community members__


 * Grade:** All grade levels

and what areas I can work on.)
 * Standards Addressed:** 1B Student demonstrates awareness of their personal traits. (I am aware of my traits, what I do well,


 * Materials:** Character trait cards with quotes about that trait.


 * Time:** On-going
 * Goals**: Students will internalize positive character traits and know they are positive members of the class family.

Background – It is important that our students believe that they are positive members of the classroom. We often say that students will meet our expectations, whether they are high or low. This ritual gives them the opportunity to internalize those character qualities we desire them to have, and therefore become better members of the classroom community. This is not so much a lesson, as it is a ritual in my classroom. Rather than naming my table groups with colors, geometric shapes, etc., I chose character traits that I wanted to see in my classroom. I began with //empathy, studious, peaceful, friendly, honest, and impressive.// I hung the cards over the tables before class started. When the class enters the room, there is quite a buzz, because the students don’t know what all of these words mean. I made that their homework assignment. They defined their group trait and gave an example of someone with that trait. The next day, we had a discussion about the traits. Any time I call on a group, I call on the “empathetic students” or “honest students”. When there is a problem that comes up in class, our discussions include how to use our traits to solve the problem. //What would a person with empathy do? How can we solve this problem peacefully? Etc.// When I excuse my students at the end of the day, I ask them who they are. Their response is “I am. (Empathetic, impressive, honest, etc.) Every couple weeks I rotate table groups to a new trait and/or add a new trait such as helpful, persistent, responsible, etc.
 * Describe Routine Steps/Instructional Sequence**: