As we prepare to dive into a new school year, we have an exciting opportunity to create a vibrant and supportive learning community in our ELA classrooms. The ELA Matters team has collaborated to bring you a range of fantastic back-to-school activities. These activities are not only designed to help you get to know your students on a deeper level but also to foster a sense of community. From reading inventories to collaborative projects, our goal is to make your ELA classroom a space where every student feels heard, valued, and connected.
Lesa from SmithTeaches9to12 adores all things poetry and figuring out how to include more poetry in her classroom and yours!
So the first part of the school year is a great way to integrate more poetry! And collaborative poetry is a way to build community and get to know students.
How to make it happen:
- Grab some big paper (chart of 11×17) and put an image or theme at the top.
- Provide a couple of guidelines for writing. It might be write two lines that rhyme or write two lines that showcase your favorite thing
- A. If you’re just doing a single collaborative poem, maybe as a station in the first days of class, then distribute strips of paper or post-its to students. Give them a chance to write their two lines and add it to larger paper..
B. You can set up a few prompts and have students wander and add lines to a variety of collab poetry prompts as a sort of gallery walk.
- Share the poem out loud at the end of the session or post it in a spot where students can review on their own.
Topics or prompts that are always popular with students: how do you feel about cheese? Best song and why, and book reviews.
For each option I always include something poetic such as include a simile, use hyperbole, try some alliteration, etc. This provides a bit of a challenge and gives students more practice with figurative language devices.
To make this happen in your classroom in the early days of classes, grab this free back-to-school collaborative poetry activity in print and digital formats.
For more poetry activities, check out Lesa’s website where she writes frequently about using poetry in different ways.
Marissa from Creative Classroom Core loves creating personal mandalas with her students at the start of the new school year.
Mandalas are beautiful and meaningful designs made in the form of a circle. They are meant to represent an individual’s personal harmony or wholeness. First created in Tibet over 2,000 years ago, they have since been made by cultures from around the world, including the Aztecs and Navajo people.
After learning about the history of this beautiful artform, students choose symbols that best represent them and work them into their own mandala designs. Later, students write about their choices, explaining their significance.
These integrated art and writing projects encourage students to think deeply, help them get to know one another, and are also a great way to teach about symbolism.
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At the start of a new school year, Katie from Mochas and Markbooks gets to know her new students through a series of stations with activities meant to engage students in the class, and also gather meaningful insights and student data to inform instruction.
One of the activities that Katie has her students complete is a Reading Inventory that asks students to describe how much reading they do, what kinds of genres they enjoy, devices or accommodations they use for reading, as well as a reading goal and plan to achieve that goal. Through this worksheet, Katie can get a sense of where her students are at as readers, and what kinds of reading they enjoy. It also sets the tone from day one that reading is valued in this classroom.
If you’re looking for a reading inventory to use, you can find Katie’s version here.
Have a great first day back!
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Start the school year off right with a fun and engaging activity that will leave a lasting impact on your students – collaborative posters!
Carolyn from Middle School Café knows the secret to a successful classroom environment: teamwork and cooperation. That’s why she kicks off the year with this exciting project that not only injects a sense of joy into the first day of school but also fosters a culture of support and togetherness.
The process is simple yet effective – each student gets their own unique section of the poster to color and cut out. As they work together to assemble the larger masterpiece, a powerful quote about reading is revealed, sparking meaningful discussions about the joy and significance of books.
Minimal preparation is needed for this fantastic first day activity, allowing you to focus on building connections with your students right from the start. The collaborative posters set a positive tone for the entire year, ensuring that every student has a chance to contribute and feel encouraged.
With Carolyn’s approach, your classroom will become an inclusive and productive space where students thrive and cherish the experience of learning together.
See all the posters here.
