Diverse group of students expressing a sense of belonging at school.

Module 2.3 The Questions of Belonging: Interventions to Help Students Feel Like They Belong

Level: Adult

Duration: ≤ 2 hours

Topics: Topic 2 - Safety & Belonging in Classrooms and Schools

My Notes: Add/Edit Notes

Module Introduction

One of the most powerful things we can do for our students and colleagues is to see and accept them in their full humanity. When we feel accepted for who we are, we naturally feel like we belong.

But, as researchers have discovered, students often hold very specific questions about their capacity to belong that can greatly limit their agency in feeling like they do belong. Scientists have examined the psychological needs behind these questions and have created interventions that educators and schools can use to address them.

In this module, we:

Examine the questions of belonging students hold within themselves
Explore practical, research-based ways schools can address questions of belonging

Module Resources

Topic 2 Professional Learning Toolkit

This toolkit includes additional resources, including classroom lessons and practices, staff meeting activities, videos, podcasts, articles, and professional development opportunities, as well as supporting materials for group facilitation on the topic of "Safety and Belonging in Schools".

Individual Exploration

Let’s explore questions of belonging and research-based interventions that may help students feel like they belong.

Questions of Belonging

Seeing Each Other as Human Beings: The Questions of Belonging

(narrated by Vicki Zakrzewski, Ph.D., Education Director, Greater Good Science Center)

Many Questions of Belonging article (mentioned in the video)

Reflection

Describe a time when you walked into a situation that was totally new for you and you didn’t know anyone or the social norms of the situation. What were you feeling? What was your behavior? What questions went through your mind? Did you eventually feel like you belonged? If so, what helped you to do so?
What questions of belonging do you think your students might have? How could you learn more from your students about their feelings of belonging?
What structures and/or values in your school might make students feel as if they don’t belong? If you were to use one of the research-based interventions to help students feel like they belong—or some other method—how could you ensure that the intervention did not help maintain structures that excluded students?
How are you bringing student voice into creating a culture of belonging at your school? What more could you do?

2.3 Take it Deeper: The Questions of Belonging

Let’s focus on belonging in our own classrooms or schools and brainstorm interventions to address them. Here is a downloadable guide to help you.

Module Resources

Topic 2 Professional Learning Toolkit

2.3 Take It Deeper: Questions of Belonging

A reflection activity to help you focus on, and brainstorm interventions to support, belonging in your classroom or school.

Group Facilitation

Before facilitating groups, spend time in individual exploration in order to experience and embody the learning. And if you haven’t yet explored our introduction to SEL in California, make sure you explore those resources, too.