In order to feel psychologically safe enough to share our ideas, take risks, and to learn with one another, it is important to create a warm, welcoming, and inclusive classroom environment. To build this kind of environment, a great first step is to collectively decide on a vision for our classroom. A classroom contract is a collaboratively created document which reflects our values and beliefs about how we should treat one another and our environment.

The creation of  our classroom contract was a multi-day process which required lots of deep thinking and reflection about our beliefs and values.

Day 1: Each table group designed a page with ideas related to what an ideal classroom looks like, feels like, and sounds like. Students drew pictures to represent their ideas, and we shared our thinking with one another. Students agreed that in an ideal classroom, everyone should feel cared for, safe, comfortable, accepted, respected, and as though their voice is acknowledged and valued. The class also came to the conclusion that an ideal classroom needs to be clean, orderly, and organized. Furthermore, students discussed that an ideal class should include laughter, collaboration, rich discussion, and active listening.

Day 2: At this point, we discussed which values are necessary in order to create a safe, fun, and collaborative environment. Together, our class made a lengthy master list which included everyone’s perspectives. Next, I gave each student five star stickers.

I instructed, “You have five stars. Place a star next to the 5 values that are most important to you. Which values are of utmost importance in order to create an ideal, inclusive, and fun classroom? ”

After much discussion and debate with one another, we settled on five values: being trustworthy, respectful, clean, safe, and helpful to others. These represent our class’s most deeply held values and beliefs.

Day 3: At this point, we brainstormed with one another: What responsibilities do we have to ourselves and to others in order to make sure that our classroom reflects our core values and beliefs? What are the specific actions that we need to take in order to realize these values? As a class, we synthesized our ideas into our final classroom contract. Div. 4 is committed to taking all actions necessary in order to promote a trustworthy, respectful, clean, safe, and helpful environment.