Building a strong team feeling with your class is really important. When students feel valued by their classmates, everything seems to go much better and there are less behavior issues. I start out the year with several team building activities.
One of the best is the Hula Hoop Challenge. We usually go out to the alcove or outside for this activity. I have the kids start out in 3 separate groups (because I only have 3 hula hoops) and each group has a hula hoop. The kids all hold hands after I have put the hula hoop on one of their arms. Then, I say, "Go!" and the kids have to get the hula hoop all the way around the circle without dropping hands...they start out rough at first, but then they start figuring it out. After a couple of rounds of this, I have all the kids join into one big group and pass one hula hoop. Next, after the hoop gets around about a third of the way, I add in another hoop and then the last one. Finally, I send the hoops in opposite directions around the circle and the kids have to make sure they get passed the right direction. It is tons of fun and the kids laugh and encourage each other and all of them enjoy their individual success and the team's success. It is an awesome sight to see the cooperation and enjoyment! :)
What other suggestions do you have?