Classroom Crew Warm-Up: What's the Vibe?

Instructions: Think about a time when you walked into a classroom and it just felt right. Everyone was engaged, focused, and maybe even a little excited. Now, think about a time when the classroom felt... off. What was different?

On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is 'Totally Chilling' and 5 is 'Absolute Chaos,' how would you rate the general 'vibe' of a classroom where everyone is engaged and learning? Circle your answer.

1 --- 2 --- 3 --- 4 --- 5

Now, briefly explain why you chose that number. What does that 'vibe' look and sound like?

My Answer:

Classroom Crew: A Teacher's Guide

(5 Minutes) Warm-Up: What's the Vibe?

"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Let's kick things off today with a quick warm-up. I'm handing out a sheet called Classroom Crew Warm-Up. Please take a moment to read the prompt and fill out your answers individually. Don't worry, there are no wrong answers here, just your honest thoughts."

(Distribute warm-up, allow students 2-3 minutes to complete.)

"Alright, let's hear from a few of you. Who'd like to share their rating and why they chose it? What does that 'vibe' look and sound like in a classroom? Thank you for sharing! It's clear we all have an idea of what makes a good learning space."

(5 Minutes) Introduction & Setting the Stage

"(Transition to Your Classroom Crew! Slide Deck - Slide 1: Your Classroom Crew!)"

"Today, we're going to talk about something really important: us. Every single one of you is a vital part of our classroom's success. Think of our classroom like a ship, and we are all the crew. If one person isn't doing their part, or if there's too much chaos, the ship can't sail smoothly, right?"

"(Transition to Slide 2: What's the Vibe?)"

"That connects directly to our warm-up. We talked about classroom vibes. Now, let's think about this: who creates those vibes? Is it just the teacher? Is it just a few students? Or is it everyone, together? Absolutely, it's everyone! Every action, every word, every choice we make adds to the overall atmosphere in here. We all have a superpower to make this a great place to learn."

"(Transition to Slide 3: Our Mission)"

"So, for our mission today, we have three goals. By the end of this session, you will be able to: first, spot common behaviors that mess up our learning vibe. Second, understand how those behaviors really impact everyone around us. And third, create your own game plan for being a positive classroom crew member! This is about empowering you to make a difference."

(7 Minutes) Team Talk: Identifying Behaviors

"(Transition to Slide 4: Team Talk!)"

"Now, let's have a 'Team Talk.' This is a space for us to speak openly and honestly, but always respectfully. I've got our Team Talk Discussion Guide to help us out. Let's talk about what behaviors we sometimes see in class that make it hard for everyone to learn."

(Facilitate discussion using prompts from the Team Talk Discussion Guide. Actively listen, encourage all students to participate, and rephrase questions for ELLs as needed. Ensure IEP students have opportunities to contribute.)

"Great points. Now, the tougher question: how do these behaviors—like arguing with teachers, refusing directions, or distracting others—how do they really affect you? How do they affect your classmates trying to focus? How do they affect me, as your teacher, when I'm trying to teach? Think about how it makes you feel, or what it stops you from being able to do."

(Allow for further discussion, guiding students to connect behaviors to consequences.)

(8 Minutes) My Role, My Rules (Activity)

"(Transition to Slide 5: My Role, My Rules)"

"You've all shared some really insightful observations. Now, let's shift gears from identifying problems to creating solutions. Because ultimately, you are the most powerful part of the solution! I'm going to hand out an activity sheet called My Role, My Rules Activity."

(Distribute activity sheets.)

"On this sheet, I want you to think about what role you want to play in our classroom crew. What positive behaviors can you personally commit to? And what are your own personal 'rules' or strategies for making sure you stick to those commitments? For example, if you know you sometimes get distracted by talking, maybe your rule is, 'When I feel like talking, I will write down my thought and share it during the next discussion time.' Be specific!"

(Allow 5 minutes for individual work. Circulate and offer support, helping students brainstorm specific strategies. Then, bring the group back together.)

"Alright, let's quickly share one commitment or strategy you came up with. Who wants to go first? This is about holding ourselves accountable and inspiring each other."

(Have a few students share. Affirm their ideas.)

(3 Minutes) Reflect and Commit (Worksheet)

"(Transition to Slide 6: Making a Difference)"

"Excellent work, everyone. To wrap up our main activity, I'm giving you one more short worksheet: My Classroom Contribution Worksheet. This is a chance for you to quietly reflect on everything we've talked about and make a final personal commitment to how you will contribute positively to our classroom. Your actions matter!"

(Distribute and allow 2-3 minutes for students to complete. Collect worksheets.)

(2 Minutes) Cool Down: Positive Pulse Check

"Finally, for our cool-down today, please grab the Positive Pulse Check Cool Down sheet. This is a very quick exit ticket. Just jot down one positive takeaway from today's discussion or one small goal you have for yourself in our next class. It could be anything, big or small. Thank you all for your honesty and participation today. Remember, we are all part of this 'Classroom Crew,' and together, we can make it an amazing place to learn!"

*(Collect cool-downs as students leave.)"

Team Talk: Shaping Our Space

Purpose: To facilitate an open and honest conversation about classroom behaviors and their collective impact on the learning environment.

Discussion Prompts:

1. Observing the Environment:
   

   • When you walk into our classroom, what makes it feel like a good place to learn? What makes it feel challenging?
     
   • What are some common actions or behaviors you notice that sometimes make it hard for students to focus or for the teacher to teach?

2. Impact and Consequences:
   

   • How does it feel when someone is off-task, being goofy, or constantly talking when they shouldn't be? How does that affect your learning?
     
   • When a student argues with a teacher or refuses to follow directions, what kind of ripple effect does that have on the rest of the class?
     
   • Beyond personal feelings, how do these behaviors impact the time we have for learning? What opportunities might be lost?

3. Taking Ownership:
   

   • Think about a time when you might have contributed to a less-than-ideal classroom "vibe." What did you learn from that experience?
     
   • What responsibility do we all have to create a positive learning environment, not just for ourselves, but for everyone else?
     

4. Moving Forward:
   

   • What's one small change you could make to contribute more positively to our classroom each day?

Teacher Notes:

• Establish Ground Rules: Remind students to listen respectfully, one person speaks at a time, and it's okay to disagree but not to be disrespectful.
• Encourage Participation: Use various strategies like think-pair-share, calling on students, or allowing students to pass if they're not ready to speak.
• Rephrase and Clarify: For ELL students, rephrase questions or ask peers to explain concepts. For IEP students, provide sentence starters or allow them to write down their thoughts first.
• Connect to Real-Life: Ask students to think about teamwork outside of school (sports, family, friends) and how individual actions affect the group.
• Summarize Key Points: Before moving on, briefly summarize the main takeaways from the discussion.

My Role, My Rules Activity: Being a Classroom Crew Member

Purpose: To help you identify specific positive behaviors you can commit to and create personal strategies for managing your actions in the classroom.

Part 1: My Ideal Classroom Role

Think about what kind of classroom crew member you want to be. What positive qualities or actions do you want to be known for?

• I want to be known as someone who is:
  
  
  
  

• One positive action I will consistently take is:
  
  
  
  

Part 2: My Personal Rules for Success

Now, let's get specific. Think about some of the challenging behaviors we discussed. For each one, what is your personal rule or strategy to make sure you contribute positively instead?

1. When I feel like arguing with the teacher or disagreeing with a direction:
   My Rule/Strategy:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. When I feel off-task, goofy, or talking during instruction time:
   My Rule/Strategy:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. When I notice a classmate distracting others or being off-task:
   My Rule/Strategy:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. One more challenge I want to work on (describe it):
   
   
   My Rule/Strategy:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 3: My Classroom Crew Commitment

I commit to trying my best to follow My Rules and be a positive part of our Classroom Crew. I know my actions make a difference!

My Signature: _________________________ Date: _______________

My Classroom Contribution Worksheet

Name: _________________________ Date: _______________

Part 1: Reflecting on Our Classroom

1. Describe what our classroom feels like when everyone is focused and working together. What does it look like and sound like?
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Describe what our classroom feels like when behaviors are distracting. What does it look like and sound like then?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 2: My Personal Contribution

3. Based on our discussion and activity today, what is one specific positive behavior you will focus on bringing to our classroom starting now? (e.g., "I will raise my hand instead of calling out," or "I will stay in my seat during work time.")
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. How will this specific behavior help improve our classroom for everyone?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 3: Looking Ahead

5. What is one thing you learned or were reminded of today about how important your role is in our "Classroom Crew"?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Positive Pulse Check: My Next Step

Name: _________________________ Date: _______________

Take a quick moment to reflect on our discussion today about being part of our "Classroom Crew."

1. What is one positive idea or strategy you are taking away from today's lesson?
   
   
   
   

2. What is one small, specific goal you have for yourself to contribute positively in our classroom during the next class period?