Student-Student Rapport
We are constantly scanning our environment for cues that tell us if we are connected to others around us. We watch others’ body language for nods, affirmations, smiles, grimacing, head turns. Help students find skills and language to be inclusive of their peers while still maintaining appropriate boundaries. Incorporate teaching practices that build student-student rapport
- Create a system for everyone to call each other by name
- Help students learn how to communicate equitably and productively with each other
- Encourage students to be experts; allow them to teach concepts to each other
- Provide opportunities for students to work with others – and for students to see the value of diverse perspectives
- Teach and model appropriate small group behaviors so everyone feels included in group work
- Model productive disagreement, showing how to critique a statement or idea rather than the speaker
- Assess the physical space of the classroom; consider the space and movement for discussions and activities
- Engage students in the content – through discussion, activities, and time to think