- Creation of student and teacher profiles with pictures on class Moodle
- Teacher use of an introductory questionnaire about student expertise/experience/interests as a basis for future discussions
- Making students feel welcome and important (Mendler & Curwin, 1999)
- Establishing respect for diversity (race, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, gender, etc.) up front as an important goal
- Engaging in community service as a class
- Fun mental breaks (sitting outside, music, dancing, lip synch, etc.)
- Literature circles
2. Class Rules & Behavior Expectations:
- Be mutually respectful and encouraging (kind and firm at the same time) (Nelson & Lott, 1993)
- Create a class “contract” that teaches important social and life skills of (respect, concern for others, problem solving, and cooperation)
- Establishing trust through clear teacher expectations and follow up
- Guarantee of fairness (discipline proportionate to the infraction)
- No need to ask for permission to go to bathroom, nurse, water fountain
- Disciplining with solutions rather than punishment (Nelson & Lott, 1993)
- No public discipline/humiliation of students
3. Room arrangement and seating
- Help students feel a sense of connection (belonging and significance) by creating diverse groups for student work (Nelson & Lott 1993)
- Use circles for certain discussions calling for candid discussions
- Prominently display photos of prominent thinkers who are diverse in race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation
- If available, get chairs with rollers for quick group formations
- Change seating arrangement from time to time to improve discussion
4. Routines
- Greet all students at door
- Have a warm-up activity
- Have a daily agenda and objective
- No excessive lecturing; student group work and Q & A important
- Teacher must not waste time (roll call, passing out papers, etc.); should prepare in advance and deal with individual student issues outside class
- Use quiet signals (raised hand, lights out) to get class attention
5. Assignment Expectations
- Clear instructions and rubrics in syllabus or other written form
- Clear communication of due dates and impact of late submissions on grades, and opportunities for make-ups/extra credit
- Syllabus clarifies expectations for citations, avoidance of plagiarism, and consequences of academic dishonesty violations
- Feedback given on all student work
- Necessary materials made accessible to all students without cost
6. Differentiation Strategies
- Specially-Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) teaching strategies used in classes with ELs; opportunities for LTELs to employ verbal skills (stronger) instead of written skills (weaker) on some assignments
- All supports/accommodations in IEPs for students with special needs fully respected
- Use of a variety of learning materials to allow students with different learning styles and intelligences (i.e., visual, auditory, kinesthetic learners; logical/mathematical, analytical, interpersonal, spatial, etc.) to thrive