How to Improve Belonging in Your Classroom

Fostering a sense of belonging is crucial for students’ success and well-being. As an educator, you have direct influence over your classroom environment, and small, intentional changes can make a big difference. Here are practical strategies you can implement to create a classroom where everyone feels valued and supported.

Your teaching methods can shape how students feel about themselves and their place in the classroom. By adopting inclusive practices, you send a message that all voices and perspectives are welcome.

Celebrate Diverse Perspectives

Encourage students to bring their unique viewpoints to discussions and assignments. You might incorporate collaborative projects that allow students to learn from each other’s diverse experiences.
  • Example: In a group project, ask students to explore how their cultural backgrounds or personal experiences shape their approach to the project topic.

Offer Multiple Ways to Participate

Recognize that not every student feels comfortable speaking up in large groups. Provide alternatives, such as small group discussions, online discussion boards, or written reflections, so that all students can engage.
  • Example: Use an online discussion forum for students to post their thoughts before class. This allows quieter students to share ideas and engage at their own pace.

Inclusive Language and Materials

Be mindful of the language and examples you use in class to ensure they reflect a range of identities and experiences.
  • Example: When discussing case studies or examples, include contributions from diverse gender identities, racial backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses.

Flexible Assignments

Offer students choices in how they demonstrate their learning (e.g., through presentations, written reports, or creative projects) to cater to diverse strengths and learning preferences.
  • Example: Allow students to choose between writing a traditional essay, creating a video presentation, or designing a digital portfolio to showcase their understanding.
Belonging isn’t static—it evolves based on how students experience the classroom over time. To stay attuned to their needs, establish regular channels for feedback.

Mid-Term Check-Ins

Ask students to anonymously share how included and supported they feel in the class. Use this feedback to make course corrections, showing students you value their input.
  • Example: Include questions like, “Do you feel comfortable sharing your ideas in this class?” or “What changes would help you feel more supported?”

Anonymous Suggestion Box

Set up a virtual or physical suggestion box where students can submit feedback or concerns throughout the semester.
  • Example: An online form that allows students to provide feedback on group dynamics, classroom culture, or teaching methods.

Class Pulse Checks

Conduct brief pulse checks at the end of class (e.g., one-minute reflections or exit tickets) asking students to share something they learned and how they felt during the session.
  • Example: Ask, “What’s one thing that made you feel connected or included today?” and “What could make tomorrow’s class feel more inclusive?”
Students who feel isolated may struggle to succeed. Creating intentional peer support systems helps ensure that no student falls through the cracks.

Structured Peer Mentoring

Set up peer-mentoring programs that connect students across different backgrounds, helping them form valuable academic and social connections.
  • Example: Pair new students with more experienced peers who can guide them academically and socially, especially during critical transition points (e.g., first-year students or those from underrepresented groups).

Group Rotations

Rotate students through different small groups throughout the semester to ensure they have the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of peers.
  • Example: For group projects, change group members after every project to allow students to work with diverse classmates, expanding their support network.

Study Buddies

Assign “study buddies” or accountability partners at the start of the semester. These partnerships can provide ongoing support and encouragement.
  • Example: Each student is paired with a peer to check in with regularly about assignments and class material, helping build connections and reduce isolation.

Peer-Led Discussion Groups

Create peer-led study or discussion groups to give students opportunities to connect academically in a low-pressure setting.
  • Example: Allow students to sign up for peer-led study groups that focus on different aspects of the course material, rotating leadership roles to encourage participation.
One of the most effective ways to foster belonging is by sharing stories and experiences that resonate with your students. Incorporate narratives that reflect the diversity of their identities.

Include Underrepresented Voices

Make space for diverse stories in your curriculum. Whether you’re teaching STEM or the humanities, featuring contributions from women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups shows students that they belong in the conversation.
  • Example: In a history class, include readings from Indigenous scholars, Black historians, or women leaders, showing students a wider range of contributions to the field.

Invite Guest Speakers

Bring in guest speakers from diverse backgrounds who can share their stories and professional experiences. Hearing from individuals who reflect students’ own identities can inspire and reinforce belonging.
  • Example: Invite a female engineer or entrepreneur from an underrepresented group to speak about their career path in a STEM class, highlighting their challenges and successes.

Personal Connections

Share your own experiences, especially those that might resonate with students, showing vulnerability and building rapport.
  • Example: Share a story about a time you struggled to belong in a professional or academic setting, and what you learned from the experience.

Highlight Student Stories

Create opportunities for students to share their own stories or cultural backgrounds as part of the curriculum.
  • Example: In a literature class, allow students to choose an author or text from their own cultural background to present to the class, connecting their identity to the course material.
Encourage students to see challenges as opportunities for growth, and emphasize that everyone, regardless of background, is capable of success.

Praise Effort, Not Just Achievement

Focus on praising students for their persistence, problem-solving, and collaboration, rather than just their results.
  • Example: When giving feedback, highlight a student’s progress and effort over time, such as, “I can see how much your writing has improved because of the way you approached this project.”

Normalize Mistakes

Create a classroom culture where mistakes are viewed as part of the learning process, not something to be feared or avoided.
  • Example: After a challenging assignment, ask students to share what they learned from their mistakes and how they will apply that knowledge moving forward.

Encourage Collaborative Learning

Design activities that require students to work together and learn from each other, fostering a shared sense of achievement.
  • Example: Assign group tasks where each student has a unique role, emphasizing that the group’s success depends on everyone’s contributions and diverse perspectives.

Goal-Setting Exercises

Help students set personal goals for improvement and track their progress throughout the semester, reinforcing that growth is ongoing.
  • Example: At the start of the semester, have students identify an academic or personal skill they want to improve, and revisit these goals periodically to celebrate progress.

Final Thoughts: Creating a Classroom Where Everyone Belongs

By implementing these practices, you can help every student feel valued and supported, creating a culture where they can thrive. Belonging is critical to success, and as educators, we have the power to intentionally build environments that foster it.

Actionable Takeaways:
  • Celebrate diverse perspectives in your curriculum.
  • Regularly seek feedback on how included students feel.
  • Create peer support systems to foster connection and collaboration.

By taking these steps, you’ll improve the sense of belonging in your classroom, helping every student reach their full potential.

Meagan Pollock, PhD

Dr. Meagan Pollock envisions a world where personal and social circumstances are not obstacles to achieving potential, and where kindness, inclusivity, and conservation prevail.

An international speaker, teacher, engineer, and equity leader, her mission is to provide services, tools, and resources that inspire awareness and initiate action.

As an engineer turned educator, Meagan Pollock is focused on engineering equity into education and the workforce.

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