Encouraging Activities for Elementary Students
Think back on your schooling, which teachers do you remember with fondness? My favorite elementary teachers were the ones who encouraged me along the way. The ones who took time to get to know me and what kind of positive encouragement needed. The teachers who really knew how to “fill my bucket”, with activities and words that meant a lot to me.
Practical ways to encourage elementary students - ideas for the classroom.
A little bit of encouragement can go a long way in the classroom. As teachers, we have a unique job because we have the privilege of setting an example for our students. I don’t know about you, but I want to set an example as an encourager and someone who takes the time to intentionally build a positive community. Here are some simple ideas for how to encourage different personality types in our classrooms.
Encourage Students with One-on-One Tea Time
This Tea Time anchor chart is where students sign-up for some one-on-one time with me. We chat about their day, or play a quick board game. This could also work virtually over Zoom during distance learning!
This is for those kiddos who feel love through ‘quality time’. I set aside time a day or two a week (during Lunch, Recess or Centers) to have some one-on-one time with a student. I brew a cup of herbal tea for each of us and we chat. In the past, I’ve had a chart on the back wall where students can sign-up to spend tea-time with me.
The kids really look forward to someone on one time with Mrs. P. Some kids thrive on starting conversations and carrying them on, so chatting with them is easy. Other students need some prompting. For those kids, I use questions from Question a Day for Kids to help the conversation to flow more naturally.
Write Your Students Positive Notes
This is for those kids who feel love through ‘words of affirmation’. Students love to receive little notes of encouragement and hear positive things about themselves. When these notes go home, parents also love to read the positive things about their child. I try to have a stack of notes ready to go in my desk drawer. (You can find the notes that I use here. I also have a Bible-based version for Christian classrooms) In the package, there are many pre-made notes that you just need to print out and give the students. These are great to slip into report cards, journals, or leave on the kids’ desks in the morning.
Ready-to-print positive notes are a great (and easy!) way to show students that you see their positive character traits and care about them in the classroom.
Start Encouraging Students TODAY
Grab everything you need to start leaving encouragement notes for your students today! In just a few clicks you can grab 37 different positive notes that will work for almost any student. Click and print. Building a positive classroom community is really that easy.
Leave Some Encouragement with Whiteboard Markers
Another great idea for leaving encouraging words is writing on their desks with a whiteboard marker. (Yes, it really works, and erases quite easily!) I like to do this the night before, so the kids see the notes when they come in for the morning. It’s also fun to hear the shock in their voices when they see you have written on their desk. It’s so worth it.
Give Small Gifts or Trinkets
Some students feel the most loved when they receive a small gift. I’m not saying that you need to break the bank on getting 20+ students a massive gift. It could be something as small as a new fun pencil or eraser for each student. I once surprised my class with a cheap pair of dollar store sunglasses (bought in a 4-pack for $1) and you would have thought it was Christmas morning! Or maybe you could bake cookies for your kids, just because! There doesn’t need to be a reason. If everything is a reward, it can lose meaning. Sometimes a surprise gift will bring the biggest smiles to your students’ faces.
In the past, I’ve used small gifts like bubbles, pencils, drinks or food treats to help build our classroom community. I made cute gift tags to go with the gifts. You can grab all of the tags below. They work for so many different occasions.
Gift Tags for Any Occasion
I have a FREE set of gift tags - there’s a printable tag for almost any occasion in an elementary classroom - Back to School, Winter Holidays, Mothers/Father’s Day, and random gifts of encouragement. They’re a free download in my TPT store.
These are only a few ideas that I’ve used over the years, and I’m always on the search for more ways to show my kids some extra love. What are your favorite ways to encourage your students?
- Rachel
Building community in the classroom starts with the teacher! These are my four tried-and-true ways to encourage and show kindness to elementary students in grades two, three, and four.