What brings me the most joy as a teacher?
Building a strong community of learners.
In my opinion, you can’t expect students to do their best unless they feel safe, supported, and connected—not only to you, their teacher, but to each other. That’s why I spend a lot (like… A LOT) of time intentionally building a classroom community.
Because when your students trust, value, and respect each other, you set the stage for truly meaningful learning to happen.
💬 The Game-Changer: Question of the Day
There’s one activity I’ve used for years that completely shifts the tone of my classroom:
Question of the Day.
It’s one of our favorite moments. The students can’t wait to see what the question will be, and let’s be honest—they love any opportunity to talk about themselves. (Don’t we all?)
At the beginning of the school year—or whenever you start this routine—begin with light, low-stakes questions that are easy for everyone to answer. Think:
- “What’s your favorite food?”
- “If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?”
These simple prompts help students feel safe, ease social anxiety, and give everyone a voice in a supportive environment. As the year goes on, you can begin to ask more thoughtful, reflective, or community-focused questions that relate to what’s happening in the classroom.
🧠 Examples of Thoughtful Questions:
Here are some of my go-to prompts that spark discussion and build connection:
- “What is something that currently brings you joy?”
- “On a scale from 1 to 5 (1 = blah, 5 = AMAZING), how are you feeling today? Why?”
- “Tell us something you don’t think any of us know about you.”
- “Tell us something good—anything!”
- “It’s lunch time and you notice someone sitting alone looking sad. What do you do?”
- “What do you do when you’re feeling worried? Share a tip that helps you relax.”
You can also use these moments to invite students into the decision-making process:
“Yesterday was really noisy during our work cycle and many people were distracted. Do you have ideas that might help us stay focused today?”
Giving students ownership over their classroom experience empowers them to take responsibility and builds community in real time.
🪑 What It Looks Like in My Classroom
We gather together once a day in a circle. It’s important to make sure everyone can see each other and make eye contact—this small detail builds connection and encourages active listening.
We use a “talking ball” to take turns speaking. It can be any soft item that’s easy to pass and signals who has the floor.
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Stress Ball Faces – Amazon
- Emoji Plush Balls – Amazon
- Fidget Bean Toy – Amazon
- Custom Crochet Stress Ball – Etsy
Using a visual cue like this makes turn-taking smoother and keeps the routine consistent and respectful.
⭐ Key Takeaways
Even on the busiest days—when the schedule is full, time feels short, and you’re juggling a thousand priorities—make space for student voices. This practice will:
- Help students feel seen and heard
- Build peer empathy and understanding
- Teach listening, turn-taking, and respectful conversation
- And most importantly, create a classroom community that feels like a team
When students feel like they belong, everything else—academic engagement, behavior, motivation—gets easier.
So go ahead. Add a Question of the Day into your morning meeting, closing circle, or transition time.
It might just become your favorite part of the day, too.
I can help you get started: check out my TPT page for some free samples and question ideas!
