What is #SIG72?

The foundation for success in every great classroom is built upon strong relationships. Forming strong, caring relationships with and between students is a teacher's number one priority!

#SIG72 To Start the Year

The first three days of school (72 hours) are a crucial period in the development of student to teacher & student to student relationships. Since relationship building is a teacher's number one responsibility, all instructional time during the opening 3 days should be spent on accomplishing the following: 
  1. Teachers start learning facts about each child. What's that child's S.T.O.R.Y.?
  2. Students begin learning about the teacher. What is my teacher's S.T.O.R.Y.?
  3. Students begin recognizing similarities with one another and start getting to know each other on a personal level.  What is his S.T.O.R.Y.?  And hers? And that kid's also?

#SIG72 Every Day

Can you take the idea further? How many times do you partner students up in the classroom for cooperative learning activities or sharing? What if you spent 72 seconds (36 seconds each) on brief "get to know you" questions to break the ice?

#SIG72 After Extended Breaks

A lot happens in a child's life over a three day weekend and during extended time off from school like Thanksgiving break, winter break or spring break. Don't forget to start school back up with Significant 72 activities to reunite students and get them excited to be back working with their teacher and friends.

#SIG72 Throughout the Year

Getting to know students is not something that can be accomplished in just three days- we all grow and change. Therefore, we suggest setting aside 72 minutes a month for additional activities to accomplish our goal of "forming strong, caring relationships with and between students"

Every student has a S.T.O.R.Y.- do you know it?

*Strengths
*Tendencies
*Opportunities for Growth
*Resources
*Yearnings

Teacher-Student Relationship Research

#SIG72 Activities for the Classroom

"WE"

"WE" activities not only help teachers get to know more about individual students in the classroom, they help students learn about one another or in small groups within the classroom.  "WE" movements are particularly useful in helping students get to know one another more deeply and in more personal ways.
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"WE" moments should be built into every class period, whether at the start as a bell-ringer, during as a break to develop common ground before answering a question, or at the end as part of a wrap-up or closing.

"WE" movements are particularly helpful in developing empathy and igniting compassion amongst students.

"US"

"US" activities help teachers learn how students interact as a group and allow individual students an opportunity to learn about their classmates through fun, non-threatening activities. These are whole group, team builders, designed to help teachers see how students work together as a larger unit and team."US" activities often enable teachers to see students using strengths sometimes not typically notice during typical classroom instruction.

"US" moments should occur anywhere from two-three times a week in an elementary classroom to weekly at the high school level.

Not only do "US" activities foster a sense of community amongst students, they quickly create an atmosphere in which students feel it is ok to take chances and make mistakes in front of peers. 
Conversation Starters:
These work great with a partner or in small groups.