School of Practice

How to Jumpstart Belonging in Your Classroom From Day One

School of Practice

Show Notes

Do you want to build a vibrant classroom community this year, but you’re not sure where to start?

Research shows it’s well worth the effort—and the first week of school is the perfect time to lay that foundation. When students feel a strong sense of belonging at school, they tend to be more motivated to learn and achieve higher academic outcomes.

In this first back-to-school episode from School of Practice, teacher Marcus Luther shares a simple activity that helps him get to know his students from day one, and sets the tone for the year ahead. Then, he shares two easy strategies for keeping that feedback practice going, so you can continue to build belonging and engagement all year long.

Related resources:

Learn more about this episode

A First-Week Survey That Fits on an Index Card

Collecting and Using Student Feedback Throughout the Year

Monthly Pulse-Check Template: Ask Your Students How Class is Going

Creating a Cycle of Student Feedback

Making Schoolwide Use of Student Surveys

The Value of Soliciting Student Feedback

Improving Teaching with Expert Feedback – From Students

Research: Strengthening School Connectedness to Increase Student Success

Research: The relationships between school belonging and students’ motivational, social-emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes in secondary education: a meta-analytic review

More from School of Practice

Oct 20, 2026

It started with a student writing a joke on a sticky note: “I hope we have no tests this year.”

Oct 6, 2026

Have you ever had a lesson get derailed by a power struggle with a student? Or is there a student in your class who you got off on the wrong foot with, and you’re not sure of the best way to repair the relationship?

Sep 22, 2026

Did you know that drawing can be a learning superpower—even for students who claim they’re not good at it?

Sep 8, 2026

Everyone makes mistakes—including teachers.

Aug 25, 2026

Like a lot of other educators, Nicholas Ferroni is trying to find his way back to a time before technology was the default classroom mode. He thinks he was a better teacher back then—and kids acted more like kids.

See all episodes →