Building Community with a Classroom Brand
Hey Coach,
How can creating a classroom brand build a stronger classroom culture?
Sincerely,
Plain Jane Teacher
Dear Plain Jane,
Great question! You may be familiar with the concept of branding within the business world. Companies work hard to develop a unique identity for their products and services. But you may not realize that just as these products have a brand identity, our classrooms do too! It’s all a matter of determining how we want our classroom to be portrayed. It’s an important consideration, because believe it or not, branding can strengthen your classroom culture. My hope is that once you read this post, you will have some direction to begin creating your brand.
Just as Terry Heick explains in his article, What is the Identity of Your Classroom?, brands are built on emotions, making it important to let the students tell the story with you. Engaging your students emotionally will lead to a strong identity that your students are loyal to. Many teachers want to create a classroom brand before the students step foot in the door, but it is imperative to include the students in creating a classroom brand. Remember - branding is more than just decorating your classroom with a cute theme. True branding is built around the students as you get to know them, creating a foundation of support and providing a platform for their voices.
It’s also important to remember that branding will not happen overnight. Branding takes time and consistency in order for students to internalize it. Your classroom brand will shape the way they think for the entire year.
Here are some quick steps to getting started with a classroom brand:
Before discussing your brand with students, take a moment to reflect on your teaching philosophy. What do you want teaching and learning to look like in your classroom?
Brainstorm common interests with your students. What are they passionate about? Use this as inspiration for your brand name. This is a great activity for the first week of school. See a great example of this in Tony Vincent’s blog post entitled Crafting a Classroom Brand Together.
Next brainstorm a motto and pledge that your class will uphold. This should align with the rules and expectations that you set at the beginning of the year with your class.
Run wild with how you get your brand out into the world. You can allow your students to create a logo of your brand, greet them everyday with their brand, post it in the hallway, decorate your classroom door, blog with it, and display it proudly on the class website and newsletters.
Individual identities are powerful. As educators, we can use this power to create a classroom culture where students work hard, have a strong sense of community, and truly enjoy learning. Have fun creating your class brand!
All the best,
Coach
