Try It This Month! Choose One Community-Building Routine

When a new class begins, we often focus on the logistics: reviewing schedules, introducing the curriculum, explaining expectations, and making sure learners know what to expect. These steps are important, but there is another foundation that can shape the entire learning experience: belonging.

Learners are more likely to participate, take risks, and persist when they feel that they are part of a learning community. Building that sense of connection does not happen automatically. It requires intentional opportunities for learners to share their experiences, contribute to the classroom environment, and see themselves reflected in the group.

I was listening to a recent episode of School of Practice from Edutopia Radio highlighting three classroom community-building practices that can be adapted for adult education settings. The episode featured three educators sharing strategies they use to help learners build relationships and create a stronger classroom community.

While these activities were originally designed for K–12 classrooms, the underlying ideas connect deeply with adult learning: creating shared expectations, finding common ground, and making space for learners’ voices.

Co-Creating Classroom Norms: Building Shared Ownership
Let’s invite students to create the norms together. The process begins with reflection questions such as:

• What does learning look like when it is going well?
• How does a successful classroom feel?
• What makes a great learner?
• What makes a great teacher?
• What helps you feel comfortable participating in class?”
• What do we need from each other to make this a successful learning space?
• What does respect look like in our classroom?

Learners first generate ideas individually or in small groups. Groups then identify important words or qualities that represent the kind of learning environment they want to create. The class discusses those words, explores what they mean in practice, and decides which ones should become shared classroom norms.
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For adult educators, this approach can be especially powerful because our learners have years of experience in workplaces, families, and communities. Inviting them to define what helps them learn well communicates that their perspectives matter.
Instead of a list of rules posted on the wall, the classroom develops a shared language for learning together.

​Circles of Sameness: Finding Connections Through Shared Experiences
Circle of Sameness helps learners discover similarities with classmates.
The activity is simple: learners stand in a circle, and the facilitator gives prompts beginning with:
“Come into the circle if…”
Examples include:

• Come into the circle if you have a sibling.
• Come into the circle if you enjoy cooking.
• Come into the circle if you have read a good book recently.
• Come into the circle if you speak more than one language.
• Come into the circle if this is your first class in a long time.
• Come into the circle if you have learned something new outside of school recently.
• Come into the circle if you have a skill you are proud of.
• Come into the circle if you have a goal you are working toward.

Learners step into the circle when the statement applies to them. With each prompt, participants notice shared experiences and interests they may not have known about their classmates.
In adult education classrooms, this activity can help break down barriers, especially when learners come from different backgrounds, age groups, or language communities.
The key is to keep prompts welcoming and low-risk. The goal is not to ask learners to reveal personal information but to create moments of recognition: “Someone else in this room shares something with me.”

Daily Dedications: Creating Space for Learner Stories
At the beginning of class, one learner shares a short dedication about someone they admire or appreciate. It might be a family member, a historical figure, an athlete, a fictional character, or another person who has influenced them.
The teacher begins by modeling the activity and showing what thoughtful sharing looks like. Over time, learners develop trust and become more comfortable sharing parts of their lives and experiences.
For us, this idea connects to the importance of honoring learners’ identities and experiences. Adult learners are not starting from zero. They bring knowledge, resilience, and stories that can enrich the classroom.
A shorter adaptation might be:

• A weekly “Who inspires you?” reflection
• ​A learner spotlight where participants share a person, place, or experience that shaped them
• A “something I learned from life” reflection

The goal is not to require vulnerability but to create opportunities for learners to be known beyond their role as students.

Building Community Is Part of Instruction
Community-building activities are sometimes viewed as something separate from teaching content. However, these practices support learning by creating the conditions where learners are more willing to engage, ask questions, collaborate, and persist through challenges.
As we welcome learners back after a break, small intentional moments can make a difference. A shared classroom agreement, a conversation about common experiences, or a routine that honors learner stories can help transform a group of individuals into a learning community.

​Source: Adapted from School of Practice on Edutopia Radio, “Outstanding Community-Building Activities for Back to School,” featuring educators Bobby Shaddox, Jocelyn Greene, and Henry Seton. The original episode discusses these strategies in K–12 settings; the adaptations above are designed for adult education contexts



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